Microsoft's efforts to make Windows 7 less annoying than Vista may also be making it less secure than its predecessor.
With Windows Vista, the operating system popped up a warning any time a major change was being made to the system, whether by the OS or by a third-party application. With Windows 7, users can choose how often to be notified, with the current default set to notify only when a third-party application is making a change.
Damned if you do and damned if you don't. People demanded secure, got Vista, hated the nagging. The odd thing is the only people who couldn't figure out how to turn the nagging off were the ones who both needed it and hated it the most.
With any form of security you "pays your Money, and takes your choice" As you say M$ are on a Lose / Lose with this particular one. Those people who know how important UAC, can be, and mostly accept the prompts as part of a secure system, are the ones most qualified to live without it. Those who need it are the ones who complain.
At least by providing a layered level of protection M$ are providing a better option than Vista's All or None approach.
Computer Type: PC/Desktop System Manufacturer/Model Number: ChillBlast - Custom to my design OS: Windows 11 Pro x64 [Latest Release and Release Preview] CPU: Ryzen 9 5950X, 3.8 - 5.2 MHz Motherboard: Asus Prime X570-Pro Memory: 64GB [2 x 32GB] DDR4 3200MHz Graphics Card: 4GB NVIDIA GEFORCE GTX 1650 Ti Sound Card: On-board SPDIF to 5.1 System + HDMI [5.1 system] Monitor(s) Displays: 32" UHD 32 Bit HDR Monitor + 43" UHD 4K 32Bit HDR TV Screen Resolution: 2 x 3840 x 2160 @60Hz Keyboard: Logitech Wireless MX Keys & K400 + others Mouse: Logitech Wireless MX Master 3S PSU: NZXT C750 80 PLUS Gold 750W Modular PSU Case: Workstation Case [Matt Black] Cooling: NZXT Kraken X63 280mm CPU Cooler +2x Quiet Case fans Hard Drives: 1TB M2 SSD OS, 500GB Fast Access SSD, 2 x 8TB Data + Various Externals from 1TB to 4TB, 10TB NAS Internet Speed: 920 MB Down 50 MB Up Browser: Chrome (always run latest Non-Beta) Antivirus: BitDefender Total Security Pro Other Info: Also run ...
Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
Samsung 10.2" tablet
Blackview TAB 8 4G Android Tablet c/w Keyboard
Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
Wacom Expresskeys Remote
Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
Shuttle Pro v2 Control
Computer Type: Laptop System Manufacturer/Model Number: Dell XPS 17 10750H OS: Windows 11 Pro x64 Latest RP CPU: Intel I7 10750H 5.0GHz Motherboard: Dell XPS Memory: 32GB [2x16GB] DDR4 2933 MHz Graphics Card: nVidia GTX1650Ti 4 GB GDDR6 Sound Card: Stock [Realtek] 4 Speaker Monitor(s) Displays: 17" IPS UHD+ Infinity Edge Touchscreen Screen Resolution: 3840 x 2400 Keyboard: Backlit + Various Logitech Mouse: Stock Track Pad + Logitech MX Trackball PSU: Stock Case: Stock XPS Aluminium & Carbon Fibre Cooling: Stock - Active Fan Control Hard Drives: 2TB M2 NVMe, 4TB External + various 500GB & 1TB External NVMe (also have access to spinner HDD from Internet Speed: 72 MB Down 18MB Up Browser: Chrome Other Info: Also run ...
Laptop - Quad 8GB - Windows 10 Pro x64
Nexus 7 Android tablet x2
10.2" tablet
Sony Z3 Android Smartphone
Wacom Intuos Pro Medium Pen Pad
Wacom Intuos Pro Small Pen Pad
Wacom Expresskeys Remote
Loopdeck+ Graphics Controller
Shuttle Pro v2 Control Pad
10TB NAS
It seems , on the lower settings at least, to only provide an illusion of protection - still that's no worse than XP - which didn't have anything like it.
Strange M$ are refusing to acknowledge it as a flaw, perhaps not, sales is what they are after.
Perhaps reintroducing the secure desktop element would still allow the prompts to be set to a less annoying level and provide a good level of security.
Unfortunately, Norton UAC Tool - brilliant for Vista - gives a superb combination of protection and prompt levels , won't install on 7.
This is what it does :
The Norton UAC tool allows an application to run with silently-elevated privileges only in a specific context, one previously approved by the user with the "don't ask again" check box selected.
This means that there is a difference between regedit.exe launched from the start->run box, regedit.exe originating from a shortcut double-click, and regedit.exe launched from a double click on a .reg file (and the context actually changes with each .reg file), and regedit.exe launched by an application (malicious or not).
Given the contextual awareness of Norton UAC tool's automatic responses, the Norton UAC tool provides a usability improvement over Vista's default UAC prompts, while maintaining obvious security improvements in the Vista kernel (such as isolation, file/registry virtualization, and user interface privilege isolation) that are all disabled when UAC is disabled.
Sounds complicated, but it is child's play to use.
One freebie I use alot and like to help monitor any start up add on's and similar is WinPatrol..WinPatrol - Free software downloads and reviews - CNET Download.com Runs or guards from any program trying to change certain aspects of my system and is pretty relaible (And even barks when you click his Icon lol).
System Manufacturer/Model Number: Dilithium Computers/Engineering (Myself) Star date 42.739285.5432.9 OS: Win7 Ultimate x64 on Desktop / Win7 Ultimate x86 on laptop / Win7 x86 Starter on Netbook CPU: AMD Phenom 965 X4 3.4Ghz cpu Black Edition Motherboard: Gigabyte 790XT Memory: 12 Gb DDR3 Graphics Card: Nvidea Gforce GTX 470 Sound Card: Onboard Realtek hi-fi Monitor(s) Displays: Lg 3D led 23" Screen Resolution: 1920x1080 Keyboard: Logitech wireless K350 Mouse: Inferno gaming mouse PSU: OCZ 700W GameXstream Case: Artec 10000 Cooling: On board + many case fans Hard Drives: Loads maxstore sata 1 & 2/ loads of partitions + 1Tb Hitachi sata 2. 256Gb Crucial ssd. Internet Speed: Talk talk. 10Mb Other Info: My PC was hand built with matchsticks. xbox 360 controller. Printers,fax.........
i'll put my other hat on now. one of the big beefs from the system/network administrators point of view has always been the inability to with confidence lock down a microsoft based system. the trade off being that some accessability was necessary for the network based systems to perform their tasking. personally, I want to know every time some app, especially a third party app attempts to make a change to a system. third party software publishers do a whole lot less testing than they did even six or seven years ago. i find it amazing what some applications attempt to do once installed having what seems an inordinate inherant right to by default gain accessabiltity to your platform. mobile computing compounds that, where we need survey non secure platforms regularly because business users tend to do one thing and say another despite warnings from consultant on the dangers of turning a blind eye but still retaining network wide access. occasionally we have been forced to play hardball, and end users tend not to like it. our own network, well, if it wasn't installed in shop, your chances of getting onto the network are zero. business machines are just that, vids and mp3's and pics of your dog belong on ipods. if software is making changes, i want to know why. unfortunately, where software providers, including microsoft fail in this regard is the lack of documention regarding the consequences of loading a particular piece of software. you only in a network environment make that mistake once.
Last edited by ittech; 31 Jan 2009 at 12:24.
Reason: correction
Never seen this message before but I can't get around it. All I did was reboot for a game and this popped up.
I've gone into bios and secure boot is greyed out.
How do I get around this?
Running win 7 64 bit with an Asus x99-A motherboard. Specs updated below
Hello all,
Soon I will install Windows 7, I like to share my printer.
The printer should be used by a Windows XP computer.
I read some treads in this forum about how to share the printer, but I was wondering if sharing everything without a password is a good practice?
Thanks upfront for...