UAC Shields appeared on desktop icons

[Stan250]

Recently my desktop icons for applications which are .exe files have now got blue and yellow UAC shields.
All rights for all users are assigned to these and have not changed. UAC level has not changed. The files have not changed. Scans by Avast and Bullguard show no viruses.
When I set UAC control to minimum, only one of the shields disappears on re-start and re-appears when UAC is set back to level 3 (default).
I have re-installed Windows 7 twice, the first time without a total wipe of the previous Windows 7, the shields re-appeared, the second time with a total deletion of all previous data of both partitions.
The shields have re-appeared. This time, the one which disappeared on lowering UAC remains afterwards, another has lost it's shield but when starting it up, it asks if I want to make changes to the computer, despite not having the shield. This is a mess.
I think that this may have started after installing a recent Windows update, which might explain 2 system restores on the first Windows 7 did not fix the problem as I understand that Windows updates relating to security cannot be uninstalled.
This has driven me to despair; I see fixes for removing the shields on each individual file but this looks like a some sort of Windows issue rather than an issue of actual permissions, so I would like to get to the root of the problem so that it reverses the issue and stops it from happening again.
Thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello Stan, and welcome to Seven Forums.

This is normal. Whenever a program will "Run as administrator" (elevated) when opened, it's .exe or shortcut icon will have a UAC shield overlay on it to indicate so.

 

[Stan250]

It did not happen before, yet the UAC level has not changed. Plus one of the .exe programs now has no shield but asks for permission.

 

[Brink]

I've noticed that there can sometimes be a delay before shortcuts will get the UAC shield overlay. It also depends on what your UAC settings were at the time. If set to "Never Notify" then you won't see the UAC overlay. If set to anything above that, then you will. Once the UAC shield does display, it will not go away no matter what you set your UAC settings to afterwards.

Please go ahead and post a screenshot of what it's prompting you with to see if it may be a Open File - Security Warning dialog instead.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/9733-screenshots-files-upload-post-seven-forums.html

 

[Gator]

Try this solution.. First, rename the original file for backup purposes.

1. Set on the option "View hidden files and folders" http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/394-hidden-files-folders-show-hide.html
2. Go to C:\Users\"username"\App Data\Local\ where IconCache.db file is.
3. Rename it (for example: IconCache1.db) or create a new folder there and put it inside.
4. Hide system files and folders again.

Then try this command

1. Make sure UAC (User Account Control) is disabled by moving its slider to the lowest position.
2. Open the Command Prompt. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html
3. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each line:
   taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local DEL IconCache.db /a shutdown /r

NOTE: The last command will restart your computer, so make sure you save your work BEFORE executing those 4 lines above!
If you ever experience the shield icon again (I believe that's impossible now), just repeat the third step. Good luck!


Solution found here along with others:
How to Remove UAC Icon Overlays (Blue-Yellow Shields) in Windows 7 - Super User

 

[Stan250]

Brink: "Once the UAC shield does display, it will not go away no matter what you set your UAC settings to afterwards."
Yes that is what I saw before re-installing Windows except one of them where the shield disappeared after lowering UAC
This time, the shields disappear after setting UAC to minimum. However when putting it back up, as I said, one of them has no shield but asks for permission...that's not right surely?

 

[Stan250]

Thanks Gator I will try that tomorrow (it's 3:20am here).

Is it a significant security risk to keep UAC on minimum?

 

[Stan250]

The odd thing is that the shields appeared without my changing UAC settings....I know this for sure as at the time I had never heard of them let alone how to change them, so these shields appeared on their own apparently. When I did find the UAC settings after the shields appeared, I found them on level 3, the default, meaning that in theory the shields should have been there all along.

 

[Brink]

Try this solution.. First, rename the original file for backup purposes.

1. Set on the option "View hidden files and folders" http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/394-hidden-files-folders-show-hide.html
2. Go to C:\Users\"username"\App Data\Local\ where IconCache.db file is.
3. Rename it (for example: IconCache1.db) or create a new folder there and put it inside.
4. Hide system files and folders again.

Then try this command

1. Make sure UAC (User Account Control) is disabled by moving its slider to the lowest position.
2. Open the Command Prompt. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html
3. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each line:
   taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local DEL IconCache.db /a shutdown /r

NOTE: The last command will restart your computer, so make sure you save your work BEFORE executing those 4 lines above!
If you ever experience the shield icon again (I believe that's impossible now), just repeat the third step. Good luck!


Solution found here along with others:
How to Remove UAC Icon Overlays (Blue-Yellow Shields) in Windows 7 - Super User

In addition, OPTION ONE in the tutorial below will help make it easier to reset the icon cache instead of doing it manually above.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
It would be nice to know which programs are effected please follow up on the inquiry

Yes lowering uac is a security risk when viruses/ maleware/ .... are around or happen to be downloaded unexpectedly which they usually don't give notice of their arrival
They will run like the wind without notice of uac to grant changes to files/ settings....

As Brink has said it's Normal
Cheers.
Cheers.

 

[Gator]

Try this solution.. First, rename the original file for backup purposes.

1. Set on the option "View hidden files and folders" http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/394-hidden-files-folders-show-hide.html
2. Go to C:\Users\"username"\App Data\Local\ where IconCache.db file is.
3. Rename it (for example: IconCache1.db) or create a new folder there and put it inside.
4. Hide system files and folders again.

Then try this command

1. Make sure UAC (User Account Control) is disabled by moving its slider to the lowest position.
2. Open the Command Prompt. http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/783-elevated-command-prompt.html
3. Type the following commands, pressing Enter after each line:
   taskkill /IM explorer.exe /F CD /d %userprofile%\AppData\Local DEL IconCache.db /a shutdown /r

NOTE: The last command will restart your computer, so make sure you save your work BEFORE executing those 4 lines above!
If you ever experience the shield icon again (I believe that's impossible now), just repeat the third step. Good luck!


Solution found here along with others:
How to Remove UAC Icon Overlays (Blue-Yellow Shields) in Windows 7 - Super User

In addition, OPTION ONE in the tutorial below will help make it easier to reset the icon cache instead of doing it manually above.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/49819-icon-cache-rebuild.html

Nice link Brink. Thanks

 

[Stan250]

ThrashZone:
"It would be nice to know which programs are effected please follow up on the inquiry".


I have only re-installed two of the previously affected programs so far both of which are affected again: The control panel for FTX Central, which is the scenery control panel from ORBX and the other is the Estonia Migration Tool start-up which allows flight simulator FSX programs to be installed into Prepar3d when they think they are going into FSX.

I think what must have happened is that this laptop, which is 3 weeks old, came with the UAC setting on lowest (I noticed it was on lowest when I re-installed Windows 7). Later on, something must have happened to increase the setting to level 3, which caused the shields to appear (possibly a registry cleaner I used).
This installation, I increased the level to 3 which must have caused the shields to appear.
Will report back on the fix suggested in a day or two as I am going on a trip tomorrow.
Many thanks for all your fast and attentive responses!....much appreciated.

Edit: The Prepar3d program itself, whilst being a .exe, has never had the shield on the shortcut regardless of the level of UAC.

 

[Stan250]

I did the icon re-build and the only change was that the migration tool had the shield added to it, which had disappeared after lowering and then raising back the UAC level...although it still requested permission without the shield. I also did the last option offered...adding the .exe key to the registry.

Some of the .exe programs have no and have never had shields. The ones which do now, did not before and I am uncertain that when they didn't, that the UAC was on the lowest level.
ORBX NZMF is a .xml, the others are all .exe.
I don't know what to do now.

 

[Brink]

It goes back to what I originally posted. This is normal and is done by design in Windows. If they "Run as administrator", then they will have the UAC shield overlay on the icon. If they don't, then they eventually will.

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...ed-desktop-icons-post2979903.html#post2979903

 

[Stan250]

I just don't understand this...the Nvidia control panel is able to make considerable changes to the way this computer works and has no shield, yet the NZMF allows me to choose whether or not I want to see dandelions by the runway at a tiny airport in the south island of New Zealand and I have to give it special permission to do so.
A vice-like MS grip which makes no sense appears to have descended on my computer.
Can I change these individually somehow?

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
You can stop adjusting your uac settings and leave it at the recommended level
It's a little shield why make a fuss about it :/
Use small icons and you can't probably even see them
Cheers.

 

[Stan250]

From what I can see, none of these programs have ever run as administrator.

 

[Stan250]

Hi,
You can stop adjusting your uac settings and leave it at the recommended level
It's a little shield why make a fuss about it :/
Use small icons and you can't probably even see them
Cheers.

It means that every time I want to use these icons I don't just go to the program, I have to go through the permission process...greyed out screen, pop up box. If it was just the appearance it would not matter.

And as for leaving the UAC settings alone....well it was the manufacturer tech support who advised me that the shields should disappear when lowering the level; when they didn't, he told me that there was something wrong, which I have been trying to fix since then.
So there is no need to be rude to me and to take that kind of attitude just because I am trying to get my computer to run smoothly as it did before. Please don't respond to any further posts I may make Thrashzone.

 

[Brink]

From what I can see, none of these programs have ever run as administrator.

If you get a UAC prompt when you run a program, it's asking you Yes/No to allow the program to "Run as administrator".

 

[ThrashZone]

No real tech is going to tell you how to put your machine at more risk via your inquiry "Is this a security risk lowering uac settings" Yes it is,
Cheers and good luck nothing is wrong,
Cheers.