My xampp control panel was forced to run as an administrator but this option was greyed out (probably because i am not an admin) so i could not revoke the admin privileges.

I clicked on change settings where it prompted me for admin details which i entered, but when i got to the setting 'run as admin' it was not ticked, so i ticked, saved, then unticked and and saved again. this made no difference.

I seached my files for related shortcuts to see if there was a shortcut with the admin flag set there that I had missed. I discovered a shortcut is not needed because windows saves the settings for the binary in the registry.

Solution

I searched the registry for the full path path of the binary:

D:\Documents\websites\design\xampp-control.exe

and it was found in this location (note current user):

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers

I have exported this:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers]
"C:\\Program Files\\COMODO\\COMODO BackUp\\CBU.exe"="RUNASADMIN"
"D:\\xampp\\xampp-control.exe"="RUNASADMIN"
"D:\\websites\\xampp-control.exe"="RUNASADMIN"

I then deleted the entries that were present, which all were 'RUNASADMIN', this removed the 'run as administrator flag'

I then re-added the xampp control panel to 'run as administrator' and serached for that which then appeared in the new following location (note local machine):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers

I cannot also delete these further entries because it comes up with the error so i will recommend running a registry checker. You probaly should be runnign as an adminstrator to delete some of these settings in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

I have exported the second itteration of the key:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Layers]
"C:\\Program Files\\VLC\\vlc.exe"="DISABLEUSERCALLBACKEXCEPTION"
"C:\\Program Files (x86)\\HP\\Digital Imaging\\Fax\\Fax Driver 0.6 Base\\hppfaxprintersrv.exe"="DISABLEUSERCALLBACKEXCEPTION"
"D:\\Documents\\Projects\\internet tv\\MaxTV2.0.5\\MaxTV2.0.5.exe"="WINXPSP2"
"D:\\Documents\\My Software\\Programs (not diagnostic)\\Divx, DVD, MPEG, CODECS, CD Burning Optical Image Mounting\\Converters\\avs\\AVS Video Converter v8.5.1.551 and AVS.All.Products.Activator.2014.MPT\\avs4you.all.products.activator.2014.(v1.3)-mpt.exe"="VISTASETUP RUNASADMIN"

I searched for another program (C:\Program Files (x86)\HP\Digital Imaging\Fax\Fax Driver 0.6 Base\hppfaxprintersrv.exe) that i founds in the list and it pointed me to

HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-3967016955-2814433979-2222813177-1000\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\AppCompatFlags\Compatibility Assistant\Persisted