Keep Vista's User Account Control on guard duty

Well, Microsoft has finally come clean about the real motivation behind Vista's User Account Control feature. As Tom Espiner's reports from the recent RSA Conference in San Francisco, Microsoft UAC Program Manager David Cross admits that UAC was designed to annoy users.

Espiner quotes Cross telling the security-conference audience that negative user reaction was the only way to coax independent software vendors to update their applications for Vista. As fewer programs violated Vista's rules, users would have to click through fewer UAC prompts.

I'd feel worse about being manipulated by the biggest corporation in the world if UAC weren't such a good idea, though less-than-perfectly implemented. It's true that disabling the feature may allow a balky application or process to work, but too many important Vista features rely on UAC.

To change your UAC setting, press the Windows key, type user accounts, and press Enter. Click "Turn User Account Control on or off," and check or uncheck Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer."

Alter Vista's User Account Control setting via the User Accounts Control Panel applet.

(Credit: Microsoft)

You get more granular control over UAC's behavior via the Local Security Settings. To access these options, you must be logged in as an administrator, and the PC must not be on a domain. Press the Windows key, type secpol.msc, and press Enter. (Note that the Local Security Settings aren't available on all Vista PCs.)

The eight UAC settings are found under Local Policies > Security Options. You can find more about these settings on Microsoft's Windows Vista TechCenter, but I'll save you the time and trouble: you're better off leaving the settings as they are. UAC is far from perfect, but it's better than computing with no UAC at all.

If you're experiencing a UAC-related problem, Microsoft offers a list of potential solutions on its Help and Support site. For everyday computing, you're better off with UAC than without it.

Tomorrow: low-tech Office alternatives.

[RobAustin]

Why? You mention that too many important Vista features rely on UAC, but don't mention what they are. If UAC was designed to get software makers to write better code, and that is working then why should I suffer thru UAC? When I moved a shortcut in my start menu to a custom folder I created I had to click thru 4 UAC warnings. What is the benefit of that? I bought a Dell XPS series laptop and found out later that I could not reload it with XP because Dell would not release a driver set for XP so I am stuck with Vista. I can live with that, but I?m a little disappointed that I won't get to use XP sp3. What is UAC doing to benefit me?

[Dalkorian]

RobAustin asks a good question:

"What is UAC doing to benefit me?"

It's teaching you that you don't deserve to own your own computer. It's teaching you that you aren't smart enough to deal with your computer. It's teaching you that M$ knows best, not you.

It's teaching you to look at alternatives. I have no need whatsoever for annoyances like UAC. None. I couldn't even turn it on if I tried. Wanna guess why? Hint: Ubuntu.

UAC is the whip that's cracking your back. Vista is your slave name. Obey your master! No, don't run north to the land of the free!!

[Dalkorian]

Bah - UAC is less than useless to me. Linux has this right and has had for years, M$ wouldn't know security if it bit them where they sit down (funny because it usually does). Trust me, I'm *MUCH* better off without UAC than I ever would be with it. UAC is nothing but the whip at your back, reminding you that your slave name is fista and you have no choice but to obey your cruel master (M$, who now owns your machine). The only real answer to UAC is to run as quick as you can from the plantation that's enslaved you and head for the land of the free. Linux comes quickly to mind (it's easily installed on your current box), Apple has a decent walled garden that isn't nearly as cruel a slave driver (personally I like OSX, but I can understand why some have issues with it after the beating M$ has given them, it is pretty closed after all despite using lots of open source software).

[gsmiller88]

I call shenanigans! UAC sucks and Microsoft has realized this so they are placing the blame on someone else like they always do!

[aka_tripleB]

I don't mind UAC much. However, I constantly change things in task scheduler and wish I could disable UAC just on that.

[doreilly]

Here's an excerpt from the UAC entry on Wikipedia that summarizes the Vista features that rely on UAC:

"It is possible to turn off UAC while installing software, and reenable it at a later time.[19] However, this is not recommended since, as File & Registry Virtualization is only active when UAC is turned on, user settings and configuration files may be installed to a different place (a system directory rather than a user-specific directory) if UAC is switched off than they would be otherwise.[20] Also note that Internet Explorer 7's "Protected Mode", whereby the browser runs in a sandbox with lower privileges than the standard user, relies on UAC; and will not function if UAC is disabled.

Here's the link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Account_Control

Dennis

[0zSpit]

i'm just trying to figure out why linux and mac tards always come to pc boards to tell everyone they have linux or mac. maybe they're trying to get others to not do the same stupid mistakes they've done by switching to linux or spending an ungodly amount of money on a mac and finding out a pc does 10 times more. but, i've turned my uac off. i haven't noticed any difference in anything. anyone else think that linux looks like a little kid just opened a new box of crayons and started drawing? and then forgot to color all the drivers when he thought he was finished? i just like to make fun of linux people, they're the trailor park of the OS community...