Solved Disable UAC But Still Use Windows Apps?

milw0rm

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Hi Guys,

I have been using Windows 8 Pro 64bit version for a few months now and after a few teething problems I love it. I have disabled the UAC via the control panel, registry and the Local Security Policy editor etc... so now I don't get any popups at all. It's come to a point though where I now want to try out some of the apps but can't because without the UAC turned on I can't run any of them.

My question is is it possible to keep UAC turned off but still be able to run these apps?, I would love to know any tweak I can use to enable this but I won't compromise system stability for it.

If anybody could help me I would appreciate it!!

-cheers
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 64bit
Good question! I bet Brink knows how to do this!
 

My Computer

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  • OS
    Win 10 Pro 64bit
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    Home built Intel i7-3770k-based system
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    Intel i7-3770k, Overclocked to 4.6GHz (46x100) with Corsair H110i GT cooler
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    Corsair Air 540 with 7 x 140mm fans on front, rear and top panels
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    Corsair H110i GT liquid cooled CPU with 4 x 140" Corsair SP "push-pull" and 3 x 140mm fans
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    Corsair M65 wired
    Internet Speed
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    Windows Defender, MalwareBytes Pro and CCleaner Pro
    Other Info
    Client of Windows Server 2012 R2 10 PC's, laptops and smartphones on the WLAN.

    1GBps Ethernet ports
Sorry, but it can't be done.

Store apps just will not work if UAC has been completely disabled, or you are signed in to an "elevated" account (ex: built-in Administrator).

About all you can do is set UAC to "Never Notify" to minimize the amount of prompts.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5509-user-account-control-uac-change-settings-windows-8-a.html


Personally, I think a second to click on "Yes" to approve before letting something run elevated is a small price to pay for the added security it gives you. If UAC was disabled, then anything (ex: malware) could run elevated in the background with full access to the computer without you ever knowing about it. At least UAC gives you a fighting chance.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Brink, Thanks for checking on this. I figured that if anyone could do it, it would be you...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 10 Pro 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built Intel i7-3770k-based system
    CPU
    Intel i7-3770k, Overclocked to 4.6GHz (46x100) with Corsair H110i GT cooler
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z77 OC Formula 2.30 BIOS
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 2133 Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 980ti SC ACS 6GB DDR5 by EVGA
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, Corsair SP2500 speakers and subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27EA33 [Monitor] (27.2"vis) HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB (system drive)
    WD 6TB Red NAS hard drives x 2 in Storage Spaces (redundancy)
    PSU
    Corsair 750ax fully modular power supply with sleeved cables
    Case
    Corsair Air 540 with 7 x 140mm fans on front, rear and top panels
    Cooling
    Corsair H110i GT liquid cooled CPU with 4 x 140" Corsair SP "push-pull" and 3 x 140mm fans
    Keyboard
    Thermaltake Poseidon Z illuminated keyboard
    Mouse
    Corsair M65 wired
    Internet Speed
    85MBps DSL
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, MalwareBytes Pro and CCleaner Pro
    Other Info
    Client of Windows Server 2012 R2 10 PC's, laptops and smartphones on the WLAN.

    1GBps Ethernet ports
Sorry, but it can't be done.

Store apps just will not work if UAC has been completely disabled, or you are signed in to an "elevated" account (ex: built-in Administrator).

About all you can do is set UAC to "Never Notify" to minimize the amount of prompts.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/5509-user-account-control-uac-change-settings-windows-8-a.html


Personally, I think a second to click on "Yes" to approve before letting something run elevated is a small price to pay for the added security it gives you. If UAC was disabled, then anything (ex: malware) could run elevated in the background with full access to the computer without you ever knowing about it. At least UAC gives you a fighting chance.

Thanks for the information. While I agree with some of your points I'd still like the option to do so. I've never relied on UAC for malware detection, I use an anti-virus program for that.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 64bit
I agree. UAC is just a checkpoint Charlie for you to allow or deny programs to run elevated. It's not an AV or anti-malware program at all.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
Yes, UAC on it's own will not prevent anything bad from happening to your machine. But when you are sitting there working within an app and something happens and it says "Hey, I need to become Admin for a second"...you hopefully think "huh, wonder why this is happening".

I had a drive by download attempt to install a toolbar in my browser a couple of weeks ago. All of a sudden, while in my browser, UAC popped up. I was like, "WTF, I didn't launch anything am not running anything which should need to elevate", and I denied it. It kept me from getting something installed that I didn't want.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
So far, UAC has not stopped any "bad stuff" from getting on my test pc. No notifications were provided by it that I ever saw...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 10 Pro 64bit
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built Intel i7-3770k-based system
    CPU
    Intel i7-3770k, Overclocked to 4.6GHz (46x100) with Corsair H110i GT cooler
    Motherboard
    ASRock Z77 OC Formula 2.30 BIOS
    Memory
    32GB DDR3 2133 Corsair Vengeance Pro
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce GTX 980ti SC ACS 6GB DDR5 by EVGA
    Sound Card
    Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Titanium HD, Corsair SP2500 speakers and subwoofer
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG 27EA33 [Monitor] (27.2"vis) HDMI
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Samsung SSD 850 EVO 250GB (system drive)
    WD 6TB Red NAS hard drives x 2 in Storage Spaces (redundancy)
    PSU
    Corsair 750ax fully modular power supply with sleeved cables
    Case
    Corsair Air 540 with 7 x 140mm fans on front, rear and top panels
    Cooling
    Corsair H110i GT liquid cooled CPU with 4 x 140" Corsair SP "push-pull" and 3 x 140mm fans
    Keyboard
    Thermaltake Poseidon Z illuminated keyboard
    Mouse
    Corsair M65 wired
    Internet Speed
    85MBps DSL
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender, MalwareBytes Pro and CCleaner Pro
    Other Info
    Client of Windows Server 2012 R2 10 PC's, laptops and smartphones on the WLAN.

    1GBps Ethernet ports
So far, UAC has not stopped any "bad stuff" from getting on my test pc. No notifications were provided by it that I ever saw...

Did you have UAC set to "Always Notify"?

Unfortunately, when it comes to malware and viruses, nothing is bullet proof. UAC is just another tool to help. :(
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
I didn't really want this thread to become a discussion on how effective UAC is or not when it comes to security. I just don't like a "choice" being taken away from me or forced into doing something. Microsoft can't or shouldn't assume all users need protecting from themselves, I can see the benefits for new users but for seasoned veterans who are more than a little tech savvy UAC becomes a little more redundant. I now have to miss out on a key feature of Windows 8 because I made the choice not to use UAC, since I paid for the OS surely I should be the one telling it what to do and not the other way around?

On another note when I did enable UAC on it's most lowest settings I didn't get many prompts, I don't mind them so much it's the permissions issue I find very annoying. I was having problems just copying some files to another location on my hard-drive, I kept getting the "access denied" message. Is there any way around this?, then I may consider enabling UAC again.

-cheers
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 64bit
More often than not, uac complaints are out of principal. I rarely see a uac prompt. As far as file permissions go, where are you trying to save files to? We had a few complaints at work on this, and it just boiled down to force of habit, versus having to put a file somewhere. Security forces ms to do stuff like this. They need a secure system, they are judged against others. And without a doubt, we are safer out of the box today than we were years ago when everybody ran as admin on XP.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Self-Built in July 2009
    CPU
    Intel Q9550 2.83Ghz OC'd to 3.40Ghz
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-EP45-UD3R rev. 1.1, F12 BIOS
    Memory
    8GB G.Skill PI DDR2-800, 4-4-4-12 timings
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA 1280MB Nvidia GeForce GTX570
    Sound Card
    Realtek ALC899A 8 channel onboard audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    23" Acer x233H
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    Intel X25-M 80GB Gen 2 SSD
    Western Digital 1TB Caviar Black, 32MB cache. WD1001FALS
    PSU
    Corsair 620HX modular
    Case
    Antec P182
    Cooling
    stock
    Keyboard
    ABS M1 Mechanical
    Mouse
    Logitech G9 Laser Mouse
    Internet Speed
    15/2 cable modem
    Other Info
    Windows and Linux enthusiast. Logitech G35 Headset.
More often than not, uac complaints are out of principal. I rarely see a uac prompt. As far as file permissions go, where are you trying to save files to? We had a few complaints at work on this, and it just boiled down to force of habit, versus having to put a file somewhere. Security forces ms to do stuff like this. They need a secure system, they are judged against others. And without a doubt, we are safer out of the box today than we were years ago when everybody ran as admin on XP.

I can't really remember what I was trying to copy but it was something from my downloads folder into another folder, it wasn't windows or any other "protected" folder. Eventually I just set permissions to allow the files to be copied, but I really didn't want to have to do that every-time I copied something and so disabled UAC again. I will probably look at workarounds for that issue and re-enable UAC again but just wondered if I could have my cake and eat it hence the thread.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 64bit
......On another note when I did enable UAC on it's most lowest settings I didn't get many prompts, I don't mind them so much it's the permissions issue I find very annoying. I was having problems just copying some files to another location on my hard-drive, I kept getting the "access denied" message. Is there any way around this?, then I may consider enabling UAC again.

-cheers

If you like, you could use the tutorial below to add "Take Ownership" to the context menu. It will help make it easier to take ownership and grant permission for your account.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2814-take-ownership-add-context-menu-windows-8-a.html
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
......On another note when I did enable UAC on it's most lowest settings I didn't get many prompts, I don't mind them so much it's the permissions issue I find very annoying. I was having problems just copying some files to another location on my hard-drive, I kept getting the "access denied" message. Is there any way around this?, then I may consider enabling UAC again.

-cheers

If you like, you could use the tutorial below to add "Take Ownership" to the context menu. It will help make it easier to take ownership and grant permission for your account.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/2814-take-ownership-add-context-menu-windows-8-a.html

Thanks Brink, seems that I have found a good balance now with the aid of that file. Here's what I did:

1. Enable UAC via a tool called TweakUAC which has a "silent" UAC mode.
2. Run that reg file.
3. Took full permissions on my C: drive.

So far everything seems to be working ok and I can run the store apps. I can also copy files between folders without any problems.

-cheers
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8 Pro 64bit
You're welcome. That's great news. :)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    64-bit Windows 10
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self built
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K OC'd to 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    OCZ Series Gold OCZZ1000M 1000W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Browser
    Internet Explorer 11
    Antivirus
    Malwarebyte Anti-Malware Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
UAC complaints

More often than not, uac complaints are out of principal. I rarely see a uac prompt. As far as file permissions go, where are you trying to save files to? We had a few complaints at work on this, and it just boiled down to force of habit, versus having to put a file somewhere. Security forces ms to do stuff like this. They need a secure system, they are judged against others. And without a doubt, we are safer out of the box today than we were years ago when everybody ran as admin on XP.

My company is moving to windows 8. We also use Sophos Endpoint Protection. My complaint is that since deploying Sophos requires UAC to be off, our users can't use any built in apps. Hence my reason for wanting a workaround. I have refused Windows 8 personally, but now with most of my users on it, I won't have a choice. I also have always turned off UAC since its introduction.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8
I personally have never liked UAC. I find it too restrictive, almost Mac-like. Unfortunately, Microsoft has an annoying habit of shoving protection down the throats of users who genuinely know better. My personal opinion is that a system administrator should be the Windows equivalent of a sudoer, no exceptions. If they're prone to installing malware and viruses, they probably shouldn't be the system administrator.

My main motivation for disabling UAC is to allow the use of programs such as Microsoft Flight Simulator X which frequently write to otherwise-protected system files and are therefore wholly incompatible with UAC.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1
The UAC is another level of protection. If you turn it off, you don't know what might be trying to run in the background. At least this way, if something tries to run, you can see that & if it's something you have no idea about, you can investigate it before it gets a chance to run.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Win 7 32, Win 7 64 Pro, Win 8.1 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    It's a Dell, Dude.
    CPU
    Intel Caffinated Core Duo
    Motherboard
    Father is bored too.
    Memory
    4 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVidia something-or-another
    Monitor(s) Displays
    24" HD TV/Monitor/Alternative Dimensional Viewing Portal
    Screen Resolution
    Fuzzy after a couple drinks
    Hard Drives
    2 or 3, depending on if it's a night they're arguing about having a "split personality crisis" because I partitioned the drive.
    Case
    Don't get on my case....man
    Cooling
    Scotch on the rocks on the weekends..
    Keyboard
    Mad Catz Cyborg V7. Or maybe Cyborg Catz Are Mad At V7's??? I know it lights up...far out.
    Mouse
    currently being stalked by the cat...
    Internet Speed
    Never fast enough...
    Browser
    Defeated by Mario...wait...OH...BRowser...
    Antivirus
    Various
UAC actually bricked my OS when I re-installed 10 after upgrading from 7 (lots of crud made the system too slow upon upgrade). I also got the read only error, and could not remove the setting even though it was associated with files on completely separate hard drives to that of windows, nne of which were ever set as read only by me; all I wanted to do was re-file things from one drive to another and tidy up my filing system, but UAC deems that dangerous apparently so it added an irremovable read-only setting to everything. The take ownership reg-edit wouldn't work for some reason. I tried taking ownership the win 7 and XP way in safe mode and it all went completely tits up after that. Even the command prompt commands to remove settings from entire contents of directories wouldn't work, and it just got worse and worse the more I tired to fix it. All because I tried to work with UAC (it was on one of the lower settings)! By the end I was locked out cmd, msconfig, even updating my antivirus was impossible; this is not added protection!

I ended up having to install win 10 for the third time, disabled UAC the moment I had antivirus and malware protection up to date and ran every installation as admin and elevated the .exe. as well. So far only the odd problem here and there which is always to do with Windows not anything else. Programs will stop working after updates which is why I moved to bot revolt - it's pretty much identical to peer blocker except a paid version is available and PB is no longer supported and will repeatedly break on win 10 (I've had to re-install it 3 times in 3 months, I gave up eventually!), with one of those large lists too add a bit more protection. Also internet explorer will still work but Edge won't with no UAC, you just have to dig out the shortcut - but then they're both pants anyway so who cares!

So far installing and running everything as admin, including games, I've even got old games like Vampire Masquerade to run too on steam, I would prefer to work with UAC but alas, it keeps giving me reasons to hate it.

It does seem daft that no apps will work without it though, I didn't think I'd use them anyway but why hard code the UAC in to the apps themselves? Or do they rely on something useful that UAC does? Cos so far it's just given me headaches.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10
Actually the apps know nothing of UAC and neither does the Windows system that runs them. The issue is that apps, by design, will not run under an elevated Admin level account. Disabling UAC is simply the means of achieving that full time elevated account. For the same reason apps will not run with the built in Administrator account. Apps were designed to be secure and not running under an elevated account is a big part of it.

Do not rely on your AV product to protect you from infections. Malware is designed with the goal of evading even the best AV products with the latest updates, and they often succeed. UAC in itself will not protect you from malware. It is another layer of protection, another hurdle that malware must overcome before it can do it's work. It is war between malware and the products that fight it. Most experts agree that malware is winning, and it is only expected to get worse in the future. In this war you need all the advantages you can get.

Security (in anything) always has it's price and that price is often paid in loss of convenience
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
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