How to Change User Account Control (UAC) Levels
In this article I will talk very briefly about the User Account Control (UAC) levels and I will show you how to change them so that you will get the user experience you desire. As you will see, Windows 7 provides more options which should decrease the annoyance level Windows Vista users had.
Where To Find User Account Control (UAC)
You can find User Account Control by typing UAC in the Start Menu search box. Alternatively, you can find it in Control Panel -> System and Security -> Action Center -> Change User Account Control settings.
How To Configure User Account Control (UAC)
When you open the UAC windows, you will notice a slider which you can use to adjust its settings. By default, UAC is set to notify you only when programs try to make changes to your computer.
Aside from the default mode, there are three more UAC levels: Always notify, Notify only when programs try to make changes to my computer and Never notify.
If you move the slider bar all the way up, you will set UAC to Always notify. This setting is the most secure and it shows notifications each time you make changes to Windows 7 settings or when a program tries to install software or make changes to the computer. In comparison, this option is the equivalent of the UAC from Windows Vista.
If you move the slider two levels down from the top, UAC will notify you only when programs try to make changes to the computer without dimming your desktop. From a security point of view, this setting is slightly less secure than the default setting.
The last option for UAC is Never notify which is equivalent to turning off UAC. When using this setting, if you are logged on as an administrator, programs can make changes to your computer without you receiving any warnings. This is the least secure option and we sincerely recommend you not to use it.
Conclusion
As you can see from this tutorial, changing User Account Control levels is very easy. The main improvement is the fact that it allows multiple levels of customization, not only the On or Off options which Windows Vista had.
We are very curious to know which UAC level you are using and why, so don't hesitate to share this with us by leaving a comment. Do you prefer a bit of 'annoyance' for better security or the other way around?
Related articles:
What is UAC & Why You Should Never Turn It Off
Windows 7 vs Windows Vista: The UAC Benchmark
How to Edit User Accounts
How to Create or Delete User Accounts
The Control Panel - Switching Between the Classic & Category View
Comments
I'm running Vista right now,
I'm running Vista right now, and I like UAC as it is. With smart browsing habits, I'm able to use only an on-demand anti-malware application, rather than an active scanning solution. I like the performance boost I get from this, especially for games.
Really, after you get the system configured for the first time, UAC is a very low price to pay for the security you receive.
I couldn't agree with you
I couldn't agree with you more. After using Windows Vista since it's launch, i've quickly arrived to the conclusion that it is a very small price to pay for a lot more security and less headaches.
I find it useful, but the
I find it useful, but the lack of one thing makes it unacceptable. I should be able to say "always remember to let this file I'm saying to accept right now run, whenever this file is run again", so I don't have to have the stupid box pop up each and every time I run the same file. For instance, to run CCleaner, which I do a dozen times a day, I have to hit the stupid "let it run" each time -- if it had the option, like Zonealarm and other packages do, to let me click "always do this for this program", then I wouldn't have any complaints about it.
If there is an ability to do this, I have not found it in Microsoft Help, nor through web-browsing looking for instructions.
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