No UAC Prompts & Desktop Gadgets

[VegasDen]

In that we are Beta testing Ultimate there are built-in controls for UAC you won't find in "lesser" versions. One is called "Elevate without prompting".

What this means is you can leave your UAC settings as they are now but not get popups whenever you do anything....which means you can have your Gadgets and (in appearance) not have UAC.

How to change the elevation prompt behavior for administrators

1. Click Start, click Accessories, click Run, type secpol.msc in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. From the Local Security Settings console tree, click Local Policies, and then Security Options.
3. Scroll down to and double-click User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators.
4. From the drop-down menu, select the following setting:
• Elevate without prompting (tasks requesting elevation will automatically run as elevated without prompting the administrator)

5. Click OK.
6. Close the Local Security Settings window.

It works (only in Ultimate)....but be very very careful about what you install after you change these settings.

 

[johngalt]

Now, remember, kids, this will make your system *more* vulnerable as all apps will be able to elevate themselves without you ever seeing a prompt - and that includes malware.

 

[dmex]

The UAC prompts are barely even existent on Windows 7, they only show during installation and launch of a limited few amount of 3rd party applications...

I dont see the point of automatic elevation, the risks far outway the gain since their are hardly any prompts to see as it is.

 

[johngalt]

OK, then install and run eVGA Precision and let it run at startup - and then do the same for any other app that a) wants to run at startup and b) requires elevated privileges to run.

If you have 3 of these such apps, you have 3 UAC warnings when booting - every single time - or when logging in - every single.

I can *easily* see the need for this.

Now, personally, I'd rather see the prompts, even if it is 10 per day, than to make my system more insecure - but for others who need to not have those prompts block them I can understand the need for it.

Another scenario - remote desktop operation - UAC prompts are not *by default* clickable from mote remote desktop type apps, are they?

 

[limneos]

One question to all these:

Has anyone ever seen a UAC notification popping during an actual malware or virus activity?

 

[VegasDen]

I agree with John as I was getting "boot prompts" with Gigabyte's Easy Tune. But, also in agreement, I hate making my machine a bit less secure.

What would be a nice feature (for administrators) would be to select a specific program and tell Windows "it's ok" to disable the prompt for it. Then, UAC would still prompt for new "violations". In fact, I sent this suggestion in to MS.

 

[johngalt]

One question to all these:

Has anyone ever seen a UAC notification popping during an actual malware or virus activity?

Not that I have seen, but at the same time I always have antimalware software handy....

I agree with John as I was getting "boot prompts" with Gigabyte's Easy Tune. But, also in agreement, I hate making my machine a bit less secure.

What would be a nice feature (for administrators) would be to select a specific program and tell Windows "it's ok" to disable the prompt for it. Then, UAC would still prompt for new "violations". In fact, I sent this suggestion in to MS.

Interstingly enough, I made the same suggestion lol....

I worded it as an "exception list" that allows certain apps to elevate without prompting unless the app has changed.

 

[Mark]

I have it off for that reason, whenever I boot I have prompts for Xfire and Core Temp wont even start so I loose that protection for the sake of 2 programs at start up, it's a bit of a trade off but I just want it to work the way I want it.

 

[petrossa]

i have a registry tracer running, does a reg check every 10 mins. So with UAC every 10 mins the prompt pops up.
To get my gadgets loaded, i boot up with uac on wait for the gadgets to load and then disable UAC.

 

[Excavator]

Hello VegasDen,
It didn't work for me. I went down through tree to User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode and Elevate without prompting was already selected.

Do I need to get it out of Approval Mode somehow?



petrossa, your method seems to be the only way that works right now.


Everyone else, By the time I click on an install, I've already put a little consideration into the consequences. I don't need UAC warning me about doing something I've already thought about... and really, that's all it does isn't it? It's not like UAC can actually prevent any damage.

 

[petrossa]

I can spare everyone the effort, the method i posted is the only one that works, apart from replacing sidebar with the vista version.

As for me the coolest part was to have gadgets in the Opera widget style that is a real drawback.

I am currently trying to get win 7 sidebar to work in vista, see how that goes

update:

cool works like a dream, no UAC issues at all....