Windows Vista Why I killed UAC

I know UAC (User Account Control) is an important security feature in Vista. It lets the user be aware of everytime a system change is about to be made- the screen darkens and a box pops up, "Do you really want to do this?"

On every computer I have or am expected to work on, I make a Windows Explorer shortcut and drag it to Quick launch, right beside the "show desktop" button. Every time I click that I get UAC. I made a shortcut for my "D" partition, which is where all my data is stored, and put it right next to the WE icon. No UAC. Same functions available, just opens in a different spot in the tree. I killed UAC because I got tired of confirming every time I wanted to access my files via WE and forgot and clicked the real WE instead of any of the other shortcuts I've made to within WE.

Is that dumb, or what? Why would Vista need my permission to open the file tree from the top and not anywhere in the middle? If I click WE, that means I want to look at files, not pause and confirm that I want to look at files. I'm the only user on this computer, and my IE security settings are a bit lower than Vista would like, but I'm betting I won't be seeking help in the malware forum just because UAC is disabled. (On the off chance there is a disaster, I'll make Dave a big pot of coffee and not worry about it anyway! )

If UAC is driving you bonkers, go to the Control panel> User Accounts and disable it. Vista will then ask you if you are sure you want to do this. Yelling, "For the love of God, why would I have clicked here if I didn't?!" doesn't help. Once you disable it, you may find Vista pausing occasionally, maybe "looking " for UAC, but then life moves on when Windows realizes it's value is null or whatever the setting is written in code.

So do you use UAC or not? If you do, why or why not? Any horror sories, warnings or anecdotes to share? Please tell me your experience with UAC.
Johanna

 

Start/Click the Picture/Select Turn UAC Off/Restart

 

You are opening a can of worms here!!!
So many different points of view. The answer, in my opinion, is not high tech but a matter of plain reasoning.
The UAC is not, as daily users seem to believe, an antivirus program. It is merely a warning that something is trying to run (an .exe) on your computer. It is now so easy, and well exploited on the web, as to how to circumvent this with a mouse click, that it has become a routine mouse operation in most cases. A good anti virus program performs the same task but even better. It checks the operation and decides from it's Dbase whether or not it is dangerous, and takes the appropriate action.
Another consideration is that hackers have a natural inclination, some kind of ego challenge, to try to break through any defense with the handle "Microsoft ".
In my own case, and it is your personal choice, the first thing I do on onstallation is to strip Vista of all the Microsoft defenses and, as I have done on all previous OS's, incorporate my own.
It may not work for everyone, I suppose, but in 25 years of using Computers, including quite a lot of browsing, I have never picked up a Virus of a serious nature. Admittedly some of those "mischievous " things have slipped through - more irritating than damaging.
It is my honest opinion that , with current brainwashing of daily users, through MS hype and from help sites, regarding the advantages of the UAC and Windows Defender. etc..
that they, the users, can be led into a more dangerous situation than just installing a good antivirus control and, possibly, a third party Firewall.

 

Hello My Friend

Johanna you can have the protection of UAC but shut it up.

UAC is a good thing. I used to turn it off myself.

To have UAC but shut its little mouth use TweakUAC in quite mode.

http://www.tweak-uac.com/home/

Mike

 

Hi, I use UAC but disable the secure desktop. I still get the prompts but the screen does not darken, which I find less intrusive.

The web page below explains how to turn off the secure desktop:

http://www.tech-recipes.com/rx/2141/vista_disable_secure_desktop_promp_elevation/

 

As well as switching UAC off I had to remove the IE 8 Beta because the DEP made it unusable, I couldn't even get to my own web site using the beta! It is supposed to be controllable, but I could find no way to prevent it from shutting IE down.
If anyone knows of a registry hack to disable DEP I would be very grateful.

Roger

 

There is no need for a registry Hack.
Open the Control Panel (Classic) and select System.
Over on the left click "Advanced System settings "
Select the Performance/Settings
Then select data execution prevention.

 

That is not possible - there is no way provided to switch off DEP that I can find. You can select 'Turn on for essential windows programs and services only' or you can exempt chosen programs from using DEP.
I was unable to add IE 8 Beta to the list to be exempted, and every time I tried to connect to my site DEP shut IE 8 down.
IE 7 works normally.

Roger

 

By following that procedure, I selected "Turn on DEP for ALL programs..etc.
I then added, from the path /program files\Internet Explorer (where my IE8 is installed) . IEexplore.exe.
Worked for me.
Otherwise, if you want to turn off the whole thing, do this:
Click Start
Click All Programs
Click Accessories
Right Click on Command Prompt
Left click on Run as Administrator
Click the Allow button if it asks you for permission
Type or copy and paste this into the command prompt window:
bcdedit.exe /set {current} nx AlwaysOff
Hit enter and you should see the confirmation: Operation Completed Successfully
Reboot and DEP should be off.

 

So I must accept that I am stupid.(Thankyou) I never had any problems with XP and it's "insecure" environment. What, pray tell, is UAC protecting you against that any good IS suite won't? I use Avast and it protects me just fine, without asking me questions.
It's a unneeded irritation. Good security should be under the hood and not in your face.

 

Start checking the malware removal forums around the net and you'll see plenty of them. Vista with UAC enabled might get lightly infected and is rather easy to clean with common scanners. With UAC disabled, they're sometimes as bad as it gets.

A good many good IS suites won't prevent or notify of changes made to the file system (system files and paths) or registry .... UAC can and will. Safe surfing is becoming harder and harder to achieve.

 

That is an interesting observation.
I am pretty well travveld around the forums. Could you indicate one where the statistics show that disabling the UAC is the direct cause of any increase in Viruses?
"Safe surfing is becoming harder and harder to achieve. " - I agree wholeheartedly!

 

Okay, Dave, you've never been wrong about anything involving computers (I had to get that clarification in!) so I will turn it back on, and use Arie's reg tweaks to tame it. But realistically, what are the chances for me getting infected just because UAC is off? You know how I use my computer, and you know my security settings. Is a relatively experienced user really at that much risk with UAC off?

Arie, when I read your link (good article, by the way!) I understood that you felt the same frustration with UAC as I did. I like the way you solved the irritation factor without compromising the security the UAC provides. I hope to keep seeing these reasonable solutions as Windows evolves.
Johanna

 

Okay, I'm only using the first tweak- and the first thing I did was click that WE icon. I got a prompt, but not a dark screen. The cursor had jumped to "yes" as default, and I didn't feel "interrupted ". UAC won't be such a PITA used this way. Thank you, Arie!

I didn't do the second tweak because that one seemed like it defeated the purpose of UAC too much.
Johanna

 

Well, I had UAC turned off, but after reading this thread, and the associated article, I decided to turn it on. I had to reinstall a couple of programs, because they install differently with UAC on versus off.

After using it for awhile, even with the tweaks, I see no value in it to me in my usage.

I do not use IE, in fact, IE does not have internet access granted by my firewall, so DEP mode in IE has no meaning.

I am the only user of this PC as well.

I turned it back off. I guess I am stupid.

 

LOL. I am not argumentative, for the record. Any ideas I have here are purely my own and of course, and I feel that all points of view have the right to be expressed, particularly when a knowledge seeker has made a direct enquiry on a particular aspect.
Yes Arie, I did read your article. I respect you views and ideas and do not consider you stupid because they disagree with mine. Unfortunately, there are so many similar reports out there, all rather hackneyed clones of each other, that I tend to operate according to my own experiences.
If the OP, or other contributors, wish to follow that balanced advice, or disregard, it is an individual choice.