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"How do I turn off that annoying User Account Control?"

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Hi, Aaron Margosis here. I'm not actually on the UAC team, but we're good friends and share a common passion about running Windows with least privilege.

Those of you who follow this blog are probably aware that there has been... well, let's say dissatisfaction ... (yes, that's putting it nicely)... with the current implementations of UAC. One of the frequently asked questions about Vista today is "How do I turn UAC off?", and even some "experts" suggest turning it off.

There are two ways to answer the question. There is the technically correct answer involving Local Security Settings, and then there is the better answer that Jesper Johansson recently posted on his blog that offers a compelling argument for leaving it on. If you're thinking of turning off UAC, read what Jesper has to say. Why? Because he's right! :-)

Comments

  • Anonymous
    June 26, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 27, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 27, 2006
    I love the UAC, it's your security! I think Microsoft shouldn't put a way to disable it.

  • Anonymous
    June 27, 2006
    Are there any cases that would require any software developer to run their IDE or compiler with full admin access?

    I have to admit I preach some pretty tough desktop security that even blocks stuff that isn't in Program Files or %systemroot% from running.  But this isn't the default security -- a limited user on XP or 2K can run something they download from the net, and a developer can compile something to My Documents and run it from there.

    This being the case, is there any reason for a developer to develop with admin?  Cases like the <a href="http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/halflife2/news_6076314.html">Half-Life 2 source code theft</a> could have been prevented if our Valve developer didn't run Outlook with admin.  Yet the mainstream media and the masses blamed Outlook for it.

    Maybe there's a need if you're developing a service and need to add and remove the service code using Instsrv.exe.  Why not have just one command prompt open with admin to install and control a service in development?  And what about device drivers?  Aren't modern devices supposed to support installation and removal without restarting the computer?  Or what about a much simpler solution of testing code on a machine other than the one you're developing on?

  • Anonymous
    June 28, 2006
    Jesper apparently stirred up things a bit with his latest post, Please don't disable security features,...

  • Anonymous
    June 28, 2006
    To answer the question in the title: see
    http://www.petri.co.il/disable_uac_in_windows_vista.htm

    ;-)

  • Anonymous
    June 30, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    July 04, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    July 14, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    July 17, 2006
    Yuhong Bao, the behavior you describe is possible. See this post on policy settings http://blogs.msdn.com/uac/archive/2006/01/22/516066.aspx. The policy that you want is "User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators" set it to No Prompt.

    - Alex

  • Anonymous
    September 16, 2006
    At first I had no issues with it. Then the more I used Vista the more I was annoyed with it.

    I think the whole system needs to be revamped. With linux you don't have to worry about increasingly annoying boxes everytime, why should I have to worry with it with MS?

  • Anonymous
    September 19, 2006
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    September 22, 2006
    I think that it is a good IDEA... But Annoying like...

    Is there a way to turn it off for program that have been installed and you know they are ok ?
    Thanks...

  • Anonymous
    September 24, 2006
    Its simple to turn of UAC. Just GOTO Control Panel , Classic View, Administrative Tools, Local Security Policy, Local Policies, Security Options, and you can turn off or customize how UAC works on your system. UAC is annoying if your a power user of your system and know what your doing. If you want protection by Nortons that dont keep you from using your PC without being annoyed with it. Now we can all work on the top of how to get MCE to work with ATI allinwonder TV Tuners

  • Anonymous
    September 24, 2006
    A simpliar way is to also goto control panel , user accounts , and you have the option to turn off uac, you might need to customize some features using the Secuirty Policies options. Anyone know how to get ATI All-In-Wonder X800L to work with media center. I figured out nearly ever other issue between software and hardware including MMORPGs how to get them to work now just need my ATI TV Tuner to work.

  • Anonymous
    November 06, 2006
    I have read posts on how to turn User Account Control (UAC, formerly LUA) in Windows Vista off. Others

  • Anonymous
    March 22, 2007
    The basic problem, is that Joe Average user is going to get used to those dadgum windies that keep poppin' up, is probably going to go a few months before he even knows that the acronym UAC has anything to do with his problem... ... and then is going to find a bunch of sites telling him he's a moron if he doesn't turn it off... ... and is going to end up thoroughly conditioned to just authorizing everything that pops up, completely defeating the purpose of UAC. Outgoing program control isn't anything new. And if you remove the "User" part (especially since Joe Average is probably going to have one, count them, one account on his computer anyway), that's all UAC is. The way other programs manage this, is very, very simple: REMEMBER WHAT PROGRAMS AND PROCESSES YOU'VE OKAYED ALREADY. The solution is too painfully obvious not to have been presented and shot down already.