Just got a laptop with Vista basic and it's giving me a hard time installing some 3rd party apps, security center is telling me they could be harmful to the computer. Is there a way to loosen these restrictions?

Hi Deadhorse I think what you are referring to is the account control which can be turned off in the control panel - user accounts - turn user account control on or off If any advice helps, please post back as it might help others.

I turned off user account control but I'm still getting the message "Windows found that this file is potentially harmful" when I try to execute and insall Lime Wire Pro?

What happends if you right click the icon choose properties and check (run as admin) does it still do it?

I believe Windows Defender is responsible for blocking the installation of Limewire because the program is a P2P file sharing client that uses the Gnutella network to locate & share files. M$ rated all P2P files & programs to be "potential harmful" to all of their Windows platform because it is considered to be malware. For Windows Vista, Redmond have embedded Windows Defender as an integrated part of the operating system. You cannot remove Windows Defender which is enabled by default but you can disable it by following the tip outlined HERE. If I were you I would forgo installing or using any P2P programs in favor for a far more secure & stable Vista. i_Xp/VistaUser