We have a Windows server with Vista Workstations on we have installed some programs on the workstations via local admin the problem is that some of the programs wont work from the domain account they only work from an admin account how do we fix this?

You could try ...

For the folder for each application, add "Authenticated Users" and give them the "Write" permission.

"Won't work" - what are the symptoms?
An error from the application, or a UAC prompt for admin credentials?

You can use Process Monitor from Microsoft to see what registry & file access is going on when a user tries to launch the application, and check the log for access denied (compare with a "good" log from an admin using the application on the same machine).

Note that the local Administrator account is the _only_ account on the box that has a full access token when UAC is enabled - even other local admin and domain admin accounts will run with a limited user token. From the symptoms you state, it sounds like your application is doing something bad (at least in UAC terms) and until you "run as administrator" the application, or get a version that doesn't have the issue, or disable UAC, this will happen.