Vista: Still more questions than answers…

On the Sony laptops I’ve recently been struggling with is a Control Panel extension named “Software Updates”, which is generated by ‘\Windows\System32\ISUSPM.cpl‘. On one system (which I’ve done nothing with) this launches an application called “Software Manager” from, inauspiciously, Macrovision Europe Ltd (boo! hiss!). On the other machine, which I’ve done very little to, clicking this item from the Control Panel for the first time asked me whether the panel worked, or needed elevated privileges. How am I supposed to know? – I’m running it for the first time!

Anyway, I inadvisedly clicked “Run with elevated privileges” and now the damned thing doesn’t work at all. My question (other that why Microsoft allows an experienced user to get into such a confusing state in the first place) is: How do I unmark the control panel item as requiring elevated privileges? The shortcut menu lists only “Open” and “Create shortcut” as options. This sort of thing such not require a delve into the registry to fix – but, unless I’m missing something major, there really is no other alternative.

I hope I have a sudden turn of fortune, as currently this really doesn’t look as if it’s the beginning of a beautiful friendship…