I'm an IT admin facing some challenges with my work laptop, which runs Windows. My user account doesn't have local admin rights, and I was told to create a separate local user with admin permissions, but that hasn't resolved all my issues, such as changing certain registry keys. The team managing client devices won't allow my main user to have those rights, so I'm considering switching to Linux, specifically Ubuntu, since it's the only compliant distribution we can use.
However, there may be situations where I still need Windows. Is it feasible for me to set up a dual-boot with compliant Linux and Windows while keeping both enrolled in Entra ID/Intune? Alternatively, should I just get a second laptop? I'd love to hear if anyone else has faced similar challenges in their roles.
4 Answers
If your main duties involve scripts and testing, it's best practice to use a separate machine for any tasks that require admin rights. You might want to consider discussing with your management about getting a dedicated device for dev tasks. It keeps the work environment cleaner and compliant.
It's totally possible to dual boot, but honestly, you might want to rethink that approach. Dual booting can get tricky and messy, especially with system updates breaking things like boot loaders. Have you considered using WSL instead? It’s quite handy unless you strictly need a full Linux environment.
I've tried WSL but rarely use it. It doesn't quite cover all my needs with the restrictions on my Windows setup. I think a managed Linux system could really simplify things compared to this overly restricted Windows machine.
You can change registry keys for a user by loading their hive from another admin account. It might not be the solution you were looking for, but it’s worth a shot! Sometimes the limitations are frustrating, but there are ways to navigate them without needing complete admin rights.
I appreciate the tip! I wasn’t aware of that approach. I’ve been creating scripts to remove unwanted apps like Edge, and it sounds like I might have overcomplicated things.
As someone who usually keeps a Windows OS for rare occasions, I'd suggest going for a virtual machine instead of dual booting. It’s more flexible, and if your company allows it, you could host Linux as a guest OS. Just be cautious that's compliant with corporate policies!
Yeah, I’ve had some problems in the past with VMs and policy conflicts. It seems like there’s a fine line with what’s allowed by our IT.
It’s a small company, so I wear many hats, including admin tasks. I often feel stuck since the devs mainly focus on web apps, and there’s no one else to handle the infrastructure stuff.