Love it or Hate UAC is here to Stay
When setting up new computers for clients, that have large software install requirements, I find it much easer to turn off or disable the user account control during the installation process. But please remember that turning off UAC can have security implications – So please think VERY carefully before turning this off.
NB: Remember to turn User Account Control back on before you let the User loose on there PC.
Disabling or turning off User Account Control
Follow the steps below to:-
Disable or enable User Account Control
(Must be logged in as local administrator)
- Click Start then click Control Panel
- In Control Panel, click User Accounts
- In the User Account window click User Accounts.
- In User Accounts window, click Turn user account control off or on
- If UAC is currently in admin approval mode, the UAC prompt will appear, click continue
- To disable UAC, clear the check box Use User Account Control to help protect your computer ‘or’ to enable UAC select the check box Use User Account Control to help protect your computer.
To Disable Admin Approval Mode
(Must be logged in as local administrator)
- Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Run, type secpol.msc in the Open text box, and then click OK.
- If UAC is currently active, a User Account Control dialog box will appear. Verify that the details presented match your request, and click Continue.
- In the Local Security Settings console tree, click Local Policies, and then click Security Options
- Scroll down and double-click User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode
- From the User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode Properties dialog box, click Disabled, and then click OK.
- Close the Local Security Settings window.
Disable UAC prompting for credentials to install applications
(Must be logged in as local administrator)
- Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Run, type secpol.msc in the Open text box, and then click OK.
- From the Local Security Settings console tree, click Local Policies, and then Security Options.
- Scroll down and double-click User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation
- From the User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation Properties dialog box, click Disabled, and then click OK.
- Close the Local Security Settings window.
Changing the elevation prompt behavior
(Must be logged in as local administrator)
1. Click Start, click Accessories, click Run, type secpol.msc in the Open text box, and then click OK.
2. From the Local Security Settings console tree, click Local Policies, and then Security Options.
3. Scroll down to and double-click User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators or User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users
4. From the drop-down menu, select one of the following settings
: No prompt, Prompt for credentials (this setting requires user name and password input before an application or task will run as elevated, and is the default for standard users), Prompt for consent (this is the default setting for administrators only)
5. Click OK.
6. Close the Local Security Settings window.
Have a play see how you get on with UAC it’s a great improvement for security within Windows Vista but it takes some real getting used to at first, let us know how you get on, problems etc.
NB: to turn back on just reverse the above procedures.
scottbelton@tiscali.co.uk