Unable to upgrade Samsung Smart Switch for a Standard User Account

by

Samsung Smart Switch is software used to transfer contacts, etc. to a new Samsung phone, synchronize Contacts with Microsoft Outlook, and/or backup the phone.

This is a typical issue where the software was developed without testing as a Standard User as the primary account.

Environment

  • Application: Samsung Smart Switch v4.1.16102.12, v4.2.20061.8, v4.2.20113.5
  • OS: Windows 10 Professional (64-bit) v1607, v1909, v2004

Issue

  • Installing Smart Switch under a Standard user account completes without any errors. But, when you check Information > Smart Switch Information, the version number is still the old version.
  • During installation, UAC (User Access Control) does prompt for an Administrator password.
  • Installing Smart Switch while logged in as an Administrator does not resolve the problem for the Standard user account, and also doesn’t use the settings and directories used to backup the device.
  • Smart Switch will show the updated version number while logged in as an Administrator, but shows the old version when logged in as the Standard user.

Solution (Update 2020-12-06)

  • Uninstalling Samsung Kies resolved the issue for me. Smart Switch now updates the version in the Standard user account, and no longer prompts for an update on every start.
  • Samsung Kies is the predecessor to Smart Switch. When Smart Switch was released, I kept Kies to test both, to make sure Smart Switch synced the phone contacts with Outlook without any issues.
  • I decided to fully uninstall Smart Switch to do a clean install, and realized I never uninstalled Kies.

Solution

Here are instructions to install Smart Switch into the correct profile for the Standard User account.

  1. Log into Windows as the Standard user that needs to run Smart Switch.
  2. Temporarily elevate the Standard user to an Administrator.
    Control Panel\User Accounts and Family Safety\User Accounts > Manage Another Account
    Change account type from Standard to Administrator
  3. Run the Smart Switch installer.
  4. Important: When prompted for the Administrator password, you must click “More choices” and select the Standard user account, which was temporarily elevated to admin, and enter its password.
  5. Run Smart Switch and check the version to verify that the newer version installed correctly, and your settings are still set.
  6. Demote the user from Administrator back to a Standard user. (Change the account type from Administrator back to Standard.)
  7. Run Smart Switch again to verify that it’s working as a Standard user, the version was updated, and the backup location and settings are correct.

Unable to upgrade Samsung Smart Switch for a Standard User Account is a post from ConsciousVibes.com which is not allowed to be copied on other sites.

Leave a Comment