how do I disable numerous confirmation windows in vista?

[Esan]

Each time I install a program or when I open the device manager in vista, it
asks for my "administator" confirmation before it opens or performs that
particular task. I know that the standard user account is supposed to
supress these dialog windows, but I did not notice any difference between
the two account types. My question is do you know how to disable this option
in vista, or to turn it down a notch?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Do you mean UAC?
Go to MSCONFIG
Tools tab
Scroll down to "Disable UAC"
Highlight it and click "Launch"
Click OK and reboot.

What build of Vista?
UAC has been better with each build of Vista.
I leave UAC enabled on RTM and I have no problems with it.
Do you really want to disable a tool that is intended to help protect the
computer?

 

[Chad Harris]

They're by design. You're supposed to "get used to it." You can turn UAC
off if it bothers you that much by going to Msconfig. But the trade off is
one of security.

Of course these were inevitable
www.tweak-uac.com/

http://www.tweak-uac.com/what-is-tweak-uac/

For some UAC context,

User Account Control Overview
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa906022.aspx

Getting Started with User Account Control on Windows Vista
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa906021.aspx

User Account Control Technet
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905108.aspx

UAC Team Blog
http://blogs.msdn.com/uac/

CH

 

[Esan]

Using Windows Vista Business here, build 6000 (final, RTM)
Do you experience the same amount of confirmation boxes in your build, i.e.
opening device manager, deleting particular files, installing software from
trusted companies etc.

It's not really a big problem, it's a matter of becoming a routine, each
time I open device manager I expect this popup first. I don't see an option
anywhere to disable some of these popups, not all for the sake of security,
or to turn it down a notch.. Don't know if it's possible though.

"I leave UAC enabled on RTM and I have no problems with it"

Meaning, personally or you don't experience these popups in your build?

 

[Daze N. Knights]

I get the same popups as you describe, too, while I am using Vista
Business RTM.

 

[Dale]

What do you think would happen if a piece of malware got onto your PC and
tried to open Registry Editor? I want to see a popup box every time any
administrative application or function is executed. If I know I was doing
something admistratively, I don't have to give the box much thought; I read
quickly and click OK. If I am doing something new or not doing anything
that I expected to need admin privilege, then I pay more attention and
wonder why I got that box. That is exactly how it should be and, at least
in my opinion, exactly how it works.

Dale

 

[Roscoe]

Do you mean UAC?
Go to MSCONFIG
Tools tab
Scroll down to "Disable UAC"
Highlight it and click "Launch"
Click OK and reboot.

What build of Vista?
UAC has been better with each build of Vista.
I leave UAC enabled on RTM and I have no problems with it.
Do you really want to disable a tool that is intended to help protect the
computer?

I do. You risk carpel tunnel with the UAC on.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Perhaps you do, but not me as you suggest.
carpel tunnel caused by UAC is totally ridiculous.
UAC is not an issue for me since I seldom see it.
The few time I see it are appropriate and not any real inconvenience.
As I said before, it is far less common in the RTM than the early Betas.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

With RTM. I see the UAC pop ups, just not often enough to be a concern.
With some of the early Betas of Vista I felt I needed to disable it because
it was constantly coming up.
I do not do the items you mention often enough to really be an issue for me.
Disabling UAC just to eliminate a perceived inconvenience is like killing a
fly with a shotgun, you are potentially endangering your computer
needlessly.

 

[Chad Harris]

They're by design. You're supposed to "get used to it." You can turn UAC
off if it bothers you that much by going to Msconfig. But the trade off is
one of security.

Of course these were inevitable
www.tweak-uac.com/

http://www.tweak-uac.com/what-is-tweak-uac/

For some UAC context,

User Account Control Overview
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa906022.aspx

Getting Started with User Account Control on Windows Vista
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa906021.aspx

User Account Control Technet
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsvista/aa905108.aspx

UAC Team Blog
http://blogs.msdn.com/uac/

CH

 

[Esan]

What build is your RTM exactly? And what do you mean you don't do the items
that I mentioned? You don't install, remove or replace some of the files on
your system. I'm a little bit confused now, because it says my system is
build: 6.0.6000 Vista Business, however I got the feeling that you don't get
as much pop-ups, implying to be a different build or at least there seems to
be some differences between the different Vista versions. What is your
version? Anyway, I don't consider the UAC to be a big problem, just
wondering if there are differences between the Vista versions of the same
build...

PS. Just now I uninstalled a Microsoft game and wanted to remove the
remaining folder in my "program files". In addition to the UAC pop-up, I had
to give premission to an extra pop-up having something to do with
"destination folder". Some of you experience the same effect?

 

[Chris]

Creating an option to turn it off is a complete security vulnerability to be exploited so I am really wondering how many installs and uninstalls this guy is doing to imply this?
Sounds like fishing for exploits instead of real user issues?

Perhaps you do, but not me as you suggest.
carpel tunnel caused by UAC is totally ridiculous.
UAC is not an issue for me since I seldom see it.
The few time I see it are appropriate and not any real inconvenience.
As I said before, it is far less common in the RTM than the early Betas.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

I am using Vista Ultimate.
There is only one build of RTM and that is 6000, the same as you, anything
else is a Beta or other prerelease.

I see the UAC message when I open Device Manager.
But I am not constantly opening it so the few times I get the UAC message is
not an issue for me.

I do not delete file very often so UAC is not an issue there either.
While Vista is new, I am installing software but even now that is less and
less so UAC is not an issue.

A typical user will not do any of those things very often so UAC will
probably not be an issue for them

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org

 

[Esan]

Ok, lets say I want to delete a remaining folder from my "program files"
after incomplete uninstall, which is usually common/normal. Anyway, this is
what I need to confirm before the folder is eventually placed in the
"Recycle Bin":

Press "Delete" button = Are you sure you want to move this folder to the
"Recycle Bin"? (Ok, this dialogbox can be turned off)

Confirm with "Yes" = Destination Folder Access Denied: "You need to confirm
this operation"?

Confirm with either "Continue", "Skip" or "Cancel" = User Account Control:
"Windows needs you permission to continue"

Confirm with "Continue" or "Cancel" = Folder finally moved to "Recylcle
Bin".

Is the second step normal?



Creating an option to turn it off is a complete security vulnerability to be
exploited so I am really wondering how many installs and uninstalls this guy
is doing to imply this?
Sounds like fishing for exploits instead of real user issues?

Perhaps you do, but not me as you suggest.
carpel tunnel caused by UAC is totally ridiculous.
UAC is not an issue for me since I seldom see it.
The few time I see it are appropriate and not any real inconvenience.
As I said before, it is far less common in the RTM than the early Betas.

 

[William]

You really do not want to do that. UAC is for your protection against things being installed in the background without your knowledge. Keep the UAC defaults and live with the minor annoyance of granting permissions. 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'

Each time I install a program or when I open the device manager in vista, it
asks for my "administator" confirmation before it opens or performs that
particular task. I know that the standard user account is supposed to
supress these dialog windows, but I did not notice any difference between
the two account types. My question is do you know how to disable this option
in vista, or to turn it down a notch?

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

They're by design. You're supposed to "get used to it." You can turn UAC
off if it bothers you that much by going to Msconfig. But the trade off
is
one of security.

Of course these were inevitable
www.tweak-uac.com/

http://www.tweak-uac.com/what-is-tweak-uac/

All this appears to do is the same thing I mentioned in the thread "Do this
instead of disabling UAC'.

ss.

 

[Synapse Syndrome]

You really do not want to do that. UAC is for your protection against things
being installed in the background without your knowledge. Keep the UAC
defaults and live with the minor annoyance of granting permissions. 'An
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'

 

[Jimmy Brush]

Hello,

Ok, lets say I want to delete a remaining folder from my "program files"
after incomplete uninstall, which is usually common/normal. Anyway, this
is what I need to confirm before the folder is eventually placed in the
"Recycle Bin":

Press "Delete" button = Are you sure you want to move this folder to the
"Recycle Bin"? (Ok, this dialogbox can be turned off)

Confirm with "Yes" = Destination Folder Access Denied: "You need to
confirm this operation"?

Confirm with either "Continue", "Skip" or "Cancel" = User Account Control:
"Windows needs you permission to continue"

Confirm with "Continue" or "Cancel" = Folder finally moved to "Recylcle
Bin".

Is the second step normal?

Yes... The second step is the windows shell (a potentially untrusted
program) informing you exactly what didn't work and that you need to use
your admin power in order to do it.

If you decide you want to use your admin power to do it, the shell instructs
Windows that it wants to use your admin power, which results in the UAC
component of Windows (a secure, trusted part of windows) displaying the
"Windows needs your permission to continue" screen.

The first part is the program explaining to you in detail the problem ("The
door is locked and you need a key to get in"), the second part is the
operating system itself asking you for pemissions ("Do you want to unlock
this door?").

So ... why are these seperate?

Well, when Windows talks to you directly thru a UAC prompt, it doesn't want
to display any information that it cannot confirm for itself. For example,
if any (possibly malicious) programs could display any information they
wanted on a UAC prompt, then they could very easily misrepresent themselves
and mislead you into clicking continue.

This works well most of the time, since UAC prompts are usually opened when
a user requests something specific to be done, so the user is aware of what
they are doing when it pops up and what will happen if they click continue.

However, when using the windows shell, the additional information/prompt
screen is necessary, because without it, you would not know exactly what
file or operation it is requesting permission to accomplish. You would know
that you requested to delete a folder in program files, but you wouldn't
know exactly what file/folder is needing permission, which may affect your
decision on whether to approve the action or not.

It would be nice to combine these two prompts into one, but if Microsoft did
that, then they would have to allow any (potentially malicious) third-party
program to do the same thing, which would not be desirable.

 

[Esan]

Ok, that makes sense then. I also noticed that the second step, or perhaps
the third can be password protected. Do you know how to enable this
password. My administrator account login is already password protected.

 

[Jimmy Brush]

By default, when logged in as an administrator, you only need to select
'Continue' to approve an application to use administrator power.

If you would prefer to be forced to enter a password to allow an application
to use administrator power, you can change the following setting:

- Click start
- Type: Local Security Policy
- Press enter
- Expand Local Policies
- Click Security Options
- Double-click "User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for
administrators in admin approval mode"
- Select "Prompt for Credentials"
- Click OK

This change takes effect immediately.

--
- JB
Microsoft MVP - Windows Shell/User

Windows Vista Support Faq
http://www.jimmah.com/vista/