Message every time I open a program

[arrow]

Every time I open most programs I am getting the "Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer?"

This is happening with most programs I run.

I am sure that I was not getting this a few weeks ago.

I have had to turn off User Account Control to stop this.

Any idea what might have caused this change.

 

[zigzag3143]

Every time I open most programs I am getting the "Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer?"

This is happening with most programs I run.

I am sure that I was not getting this a few weeks ago.

I have had to turn off User Account Control to stop this.

Any idea what might have caused this change.

Arrow hi and welcome

It is UAC. many of us find it onerous. I always turn it off.

Ken J+

 

[K3VL4R]

It looks like UAC got turned back on from that message, so you should check your settings again. I cannot tell you to turn it off because it is not recommended, but I turn it off because it is a nuisance to me.

 

[jfar]

I would turn it back on, but just leave it to the minimum setting.

 

[arrow]

OK I have changed it to "Never Notify" and it has stopped bugging me.....

 

[1Bowtie]

OK I have changed it to "Never Notify" and it has stopped bugging me.....

Just remember now when something installs you won't be notified and that can be a bad thing. From your first post it shows you are a beginer and you need all the help you can get. I advise you to turn uac on so you will atleast be advised something is trying to install on your comp, it's just a click and your done.

Smitty

 

[Dom]

You could just press the left arrow then enter very quickly. That's what I do.

 

[arrow]

From your first post it shows you are a beginer

Actually my first computer was a Commodore Pet on which I taught myself Basic. So not really a beginner. Just someone who does not understand why Windows 7 needs to warn me every time Word, Excel, Money, Photoshop etc starts.

Surely that can't be right. Vista didn't do that.

 

[housry23]

UAC was probably at the maximum settings. At minimum setting it warns a lot less. There have actually been tests that show that UAC is almost useless. It was an antivirus company that ran the test to prove that antivirus is still needed with Windows 7. Sophos exposed Windows 7 with no antivirus and no UAC to 10 virus's that were circulating at the time and 8 of 10 installed. With UAC enabled it blocked 1 more. So UAC is not as effective as Microsoft would allow you to believe. I always shut mine off, and most users would be fine with the minimum setting if they feel more secure with it on. The best antivirus is to know what you are downloading and installing on your computer. Know what websites you go to and what websites your kids go to. Monitor your kids computer usage and use Windows 7 built in parental controls to help minimize potential unwanted use and harm to your computer, especially if you have important documents and files you don't want to lose.

 

[Pentium3 FTW]

From your first post it shows you are a beginer

Actually my first computer was a Commodore Pet on which I taught myself Basic. So not really a beginner. Just someone who does not understand why Windows 7 needs to warn me every time Word, Excel, Money, Photoshop etc starts.

Surely that can't be right. Vista didn't do that.

Also make sure that you did not try to install the programs in compatibility mode, and make sure they are not running in compatibility mode and/or are not granted administrative privileges. Both of these would set UAC off; for example, I have to run Sim City 3000 with administrative priveleges so I can save my games. But every time the program starts, I have to give a yes/no answer to the UAC prompt. To check, go to the program files folder and go into the properties. Should be hidden somewhere in there.

 

[RedGalaxy]

One other thing to confirm before one has to resort to turning down UAC settings: Do look to see where the program file you are having trouble with is located on your drive!! That was my problem.

Background: three years ago I upgraded to Windows 7 64bit Professional from an XP computer. I liked the idea of being able to run legacy programs in compatibility mode but had never had a 64bit computer before and I didn't understand why there were both Program Files and Program Files (x86) folders on my c:/ drive. Being used to the old computer and not knowing which to use I did neither and just moved some programs directly into c:/ from an external hard drive using the tried and true cut and paste approach. So for e.g. I had a program file path that looked like this for my Family Tree Maker 16 program: C:/FTW . When I opened that program the first time I got error messages saying that the program was not designed for Windows 7 but pushed thru this till my program finally opened. I assumed that it was just a matter of playing with the compatibility settings (right click icon, click properties, select compatibility tab) to make it run OK and I did that. I still got the annoying "do you want the following program to make changes to this computer?" prompt every time I opened the program but it at least it would open and run so I was satisfied that what I had done was more or less working. I just resigned myself to living with the annoying prompt. It stayed that way for three years. Yesterday, I got fed up and went on line to find a solution and saw this post and others. First I tried playing with the permissions box to make it go away -- no joy.

Then on a whim I decided to clean up my program file lists and recalled that this and other program files were just sitting directly under the C:/ in the path. So I moving them into my Program Files (x86) folder, created a new shortcut icon and went to open the Family Tree Maker to make sure the shortcut was working. Wonder of wonders -- the annoying prompt had finally vanished. All while leaving the User Account Control settings at the recommended level.

For experts I suspect the proper location for the installation of programs is such a 'no brainer" that no one seems to have thought it worth mentioning on any of the forum pages related to this subject -- none I could find anyway. So, at the risk of stating the bleeding obvious I thought I would post my tip in the hopes of helping others who may have done things wrong when they were still learning the ropes of Windows 7 and are getting the annoying prompt.