Solved Windows 7 UAC and Run as Administrator

[Brink]

What do you mean? Sorry but I'm really confused.

Do you mean that without the shield icon, you can never run the file as admin?

What does it mean when you open a file (without the shield icon) and it shows the Open File - Security Warning?

No shied icon just means that the program will not "Run as administrator" by default when you run it. You can still manually right click on it and click on "Run as administrator".


Click on the link below for more on the Open File - Security Warning prompt.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/124367-open-file-security-warning-unblock-file.html

I don't think I can explain it any better than this. If you would try a shortcut that has a UAC shield icon and one that doesn't on it, then you will get a better feel for it.

 

[kevindd992002]

So technically ALL applications that has no shield icon will prompt you an open-file security warning?

 

[Brink]

No. You would get a Open File - Security Warning with a file that you had saved to your computer from and external source like the internet, another computer, etc..... instead. You would just manually unblock that file to not get the warning anymore for it.

I icon without a UAC shield just means that he app will not "Run as administrator" unless you right click on it and click on "Run as administrator".

 

[kevindd992002]

Alright, I think I understand now. So an icon with a UAC shield means that it runs as admin as default even without right-clicking and choosing run as admin. I hope I got it all right

 

[kevindd992002]

One last question. For programs/applications that are designed to "run as administrator" by default, they ALL should exhibit the UAC shield icon, right?

 

[Brink]

Correct on both.

 

[kevindd992002]

Great. Thanks much for these information and sorry for being persistent on all these

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Kevin.

 

[kevindd992002]

Hi again. What if I have an exe file that has NO SHIELD ICON but when I double-click on it it prompts me with UAC, will it run as administrator if I click YES on the prompt?

Or is it that all exe fiiles with NO SHIELD ICON will have an Open-file security warning?

Because the things is with or without the shield icon, opening a file ALWAYS shows the UAC prompt. So what then is the difference of having or without having that shield icon if you ALWAYS get the UAC prompt?

 

[Brink]

Hello Kevin,

If a program's icon has the UAC overlay shield on it, then it means that the program will prompt you to allow or deny it to "Run as administrator" first.

If a program's icon doesn't has the UAC overlay shield on it and you get a UAC prompt, then it usually means that the program's exe file does not have a valid "digital signature", has an "unknown publisher", may be harmful to your computer, etc.... The UAC prompt will tell you what it is for though.

 

[kevindd992002]

So that means whether it has the UAC shield or not, as long as it prompts you the UAC prompt and you click Yes it is automatically ran as administrator?

In that case, is there even a way to run the program as NOT ADMINISTRATOR? Because when you click No in both cases of the UAC prompt it doesn't run the file.

 

[Brink]

No. Only if it had the UAC shield on it would it "Run as administrator" if approved in the UAC prompt.

Yeah, if you click on NO, then you basically just denied the program from running.

 

[kevindd992002]

So if a program doesn't have the shield and I click Yes on its UAC prompt, basically what is the effect?

 

[Brink]

You are just allowing it to run normally unelevated (not run as administrator) despite it being flagged by UAC as being from say an "unknown publisher". Of course you must be an administrator to be able to allow it to run though. That's all.

If you like, you can read the information at the links below to get very detailed descriptions of UAC and the different prompts it gives you.

• User Account Control Step-by-Step Guide
• Mark Russinovich on Windows 7 UAC - Windows Security Blog - The Windows Blog
• User Account Control: Inside Windows 7 User Account Control
• User Account Control - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[kevindd992002]

You are just allowing it to run normally unelevated (not run as administrator) despite it being flagged by UAC as being from say an "unknown publisher". Of course you must be an administrator to be able to allow it to run though. That's all.

If you like, you can read the information at the links below to get very detailed descriptions of UAC and the different prompts it gives you.

• User Account Control Step-by-Step Guide
• Mark Russinovich on Windows 7 UAC - Windows Security Blog - The Windows Blog
• User Account Control: Inside Windows 7 User Account Control
• User Account Control - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Thanks. Last question though, so all program without the UAC shield will always present an Open-File security warning prompt?

 

[Brink]

Only if they have an "Unknown Publisher" or no "Digital Signature", and have not been unblocked.

 

[kevindd992002]

Only if they have an "Unknown Publisher" or no "Digital Signature", and have not been unblocked.

Ok, got it. Thanks

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Kevin.

 

[kevindd992002]

Oh, another question came up to mind. What is the difference between running a program as administrator and non-admin?

 

[Brink]

Basically just as it sounds.

You "Run as administrator" to have the program run with full access to the computer like an administrator would have.

Non-admin, would be the same as what a "standard user" would have access to. Just their account and nothing else.