Various ways to escalate to admin

I am confused as to when to use which method of privilege escalation and
when. For example, there are at least 4 different ways to perform
escalation and they seem to produce different results. I have an admin
account defined and a regular user account that I do 99% of my work in. I
am using Vista Home Premium, by the way. I have used the following methods
at one time or another:

1) regular user executes a setup.exe program (for example) and receives a
request to provide admin credentials

2) regular user executes a setup.exe program (for example) with 'run as
administrator' and receives a request to provide admin credentials

3) admin user executes a setup.exe program (for example) and receives a
prompt to approve escalation

4) admin user executes a setup.exe program (for example) with 'run as
administrator' and receives a prompt to approve escalation

The problem is, many times the results are different. Some program will
work with one method but not another. I am not limiting this to just
installs: it could be copying files or making directories, etc, etc. I
would like to remain a regular user and supply admin credentials as
required. But that doesn't always work.

How does one know which method to use?

I can't believe it's a trial and error procedure. Am I the only one
confused here? What am I missing? What am I not getting?

Thanks in advance...

Dick

No takers, eh...

Well, I guess that everyone is as confused as I am or the answer is so
obvious that no one bothers to reply.

Thanks anyway...

Dick

"Dick" <rsutton43@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23ZnoALTCJHA.5316@xxxxxx

No takers, eh...

Well, I guess that everyone is as confused as I am or the answer is so
obvious that no one bothers to reply.

Thanks anyway...

Dick


"Dick" <rsutton43@xxxxxx> wrote in message
news:%23ZnoALTCJHA.5316@xxxxxx