Privacy and Security Change User Account Control (UAC) Settings in Windows 11

lexster · Oct 3, 2021

I'm one of those users that completely disables UAC. I've never used it as it is irritating at the very minimum. It's not needed as I run security software that does the same thing but in a much better way.

PerpetualCycle · Oct 4, 2021

lexster said:
I'm one of those users that completely disables UAC. I've never used it as it is irritating at the very minimum. It's not needed as I run security software that does the same thing but in a much better way.

Ditto. It doesn't provide any useful protection as far as I can tell. New executable? Well you probably downloaded it intending on running it and have got to decide whether you trust it or not. Based on what, mind scan? Then once you have launched it, as long as there are no immediate consequences, you will continue to do so, even if you update the executable I expect, but every time you do you have to jump through some pointless hoops. It might be useful if, on the first time you launched it, you had the choice to opt-out of UAC for that executable from then on.

Am I missing something?

Superfly · Oct 4, 2021

geneo said:
Ditto. It doesn't provide any useful protection as far as I can tell. New executable? Well you probably downloaded it intending on running it and have got to decide whether you trust it or not. Based on what, mind scan? Then once you have launched it, as long as there are no immediate consequences, you will continue to do so, even if you update the executable I expect, but every time you do you have to jump through some pointless hoops. It might be useful if, on the first time you launched it, you had the choice to opt-out of UAC for that executable from then on.

Am I missing something?

Do you have 3rd party app. that controls permissions.. like SU does on Linux?

Not being facetious.. but the point of control is malicious self-elevating processes.

ShamrockRig · Oct 4, 2021

geneo said:
Ditto. It doesn't provide any useful protection as far as I can tell. New executable? Well you probably downloaded it intending on running it and have got to decide whether you trust it or not. Based on what, mind scan? Then once you have launched it, as long as there are no immediate consequences, you will continue to do so, even if you update the executable I expect, but every time you do you have to jump through some pointless hoops. It might be useful if, on the first time you launched it, you had the choice to opt-out of UAC for that executable from then on.

Am I missing something?

Same here also, 3 years or so since i turned it off and ive yet to have an issue. Saved a few thousand left clicks though id image

Superfly · Oct 4, 2021

Devlin1888 said:
Same here also, 3 years or so since i turned it off and ive yet to have an issue. Saved a few thousand left clicks though id image

Nice for you.. but from a security point of view not the way to go...this is why MS instituted all the hardware-related security stuff in Win 11.. if everybody ran as standard user and employed proper firewall and AV we would live in milk and honey Windows-land.

ShamrockRig · Oct 4, 2021

Superfly said:
Nice for you.. but from a security point of view not the way to go...this is why MS instituted all the hardware-related security stuff in Win 11.. if everybody ran as standard user and employed proper firewall and AV we would live in milk and honey Windows-land.

Yeah im not one of those that need to be 100% text book correct at all times and enforce it on everyone i come across when discussing a topic, Have common sense and all the nasties dont get in anyway :)

lexster · Oct 4, 2021

Superfly said:
Do you have 3rd party app.

Nope. But then again, I'm not a hapless nitwit who navigates to " IShouldNotBeHere.com" clicks on and downloads everything that shows up on my browser. Of course I also run my browser with excellent security focused extensions as well.. Then there is the security suite I run that makes microsofts efforts look like amateur-hour.

UAC is annoying crap and always has been. Full stop.

PerpetualCycle · Oct 5, 2021

Culbrelai · Jul 7, 2022

Microsoft’s description of these settings and therefore this article is misleading. The “never notify” option does not turn UAC off. Setting the “EnableLUA” value to 0 does.

Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows

How to Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows

www.tenforums.com

Aenfa · Jul 16, 2022

Culbrelai said:
Microsoft’s description of these settings and therefore this article is misleading. The “never notify” option does not turn UAC off. Setting the “EnableLUA” value to 0 does.

Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows

How to Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows

www.tenforums.com

A side effect when having UAC fully disabled that way (and on Windows 10) is there's no longer any tips, etc on the lock screen. Not that it bothers me as such anyway.

FreeBooter · Jul 16, 2022

I code a batch script for anyone who wants to use it.

Batch:

:: Change User Account Control (UAC) Settings in Windows 10 or Windows 11


@Echo Off

Cls & Color 0E


:::
:::           ·   ·▐ ▄ ▄▄▄ .▄▄▄  ·▄▄▄▄▪  ·  ▪
:::             · •█▌▐█▀▄.▀·▀▄ █·██▪ ██   . 
:::           ▪   ▐█▐▐▌▐▀▀▪▄▐▀▀▄ ▐█· ▐█▌   ▪
:::            · ▪██▐█▌▐█▄▄▌▐█•█▌██. ██ .   .
:::           ▪   ▀▀ █▪ ▀▀▀ .▀  ▀▀▀▀▀▀•  ▪   
:::           ▄▄▄  ▄▄▄ . ▌ ▐·  .   ▄▄▌ ▐▄▄▄▄▌
:::           ▀▄ █·▀▄.▀·▪█·█▌▪     ██•  •██ 
:::           ▐▀▀▄ ▐▀▀▪▄▐█▐█• ▄█▀▄ ██▪   ▐█.▪
:::           ▐█•█▌▐█▄▄▌ ███ ▐█▌.▐▌▐█▌▐▌ ▐█▌·
:::              .▀  ▀ ▀▀▀ . ▀   ▀█▄▀▪.▀▀▀  ▀▀▀
:::        (ccc)2022 by {FreeBooter} @NerdRevolt https://discord.gg/pfmjUJX
:::
:::    /// ::: /// ::: /// ::: /// ::: /// :::



(Net session >nul 2>&1)||(PowerShell start """%~0""" -verb RunAs & Exit /B)



:_CHOICE

Cls & Mode CON  LINES=11 COLS=100 & Color 0E & Title Created By FreeBooter
Echo.
Echo.
Echo.
Echo        1 - For "Always notify me"
Echo.       
Echo        2 - For "Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer (default)"
Echo.
Echo        3 - For "Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my computer (don't dim my desktop)"
Echo.
Echo        4 - For "Never notify me"



Set /p input=:^>

If Not %input%==1 (Goto :_A) Else (Goto :_Always)

:_A
If Not %input%==2  (Goto :_B) Else (Goto :_Default)

:_B
If Not %input%==3  (Goto :_C) Else (Goto :_Dim)

:_C
If Not %input%==4  (Goto :_CHOICE) Else (Goto :_Never)





:_Always

Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "PromptOnSecureDesktop" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "EnableLUA" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin" /t REG_DWORD /d "2" /f
Exit





:_Default

Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "PromptOnSecureDesktop" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "EnableLUA" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin" /t REG_DWORD /d "5" /f
Exit





:_Dim

Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "PromptOnSecureDesktop" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "EnableLUA" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin" /t REG_DWORD /d "5" /f
Exit




:_Never

Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "PromptOnSecureDesktop" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "EnableLUA" /t REG_DWORD /d "1" /f
Reg.exe add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System" /v "ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin" /t REG_DWORD /d "0" /f
Exit

imanlien2020 · Jul 18, 2022

lexster said:
I'm one of those users that completely disables UAC. I've never used it as it is irritating at the very minimum. It's not needed as I run security software that does the same thing but in a much better way.

Exactly I do the same thing.

wimorrison · Jul 19, 2023

Chaps,

I don't want to change the level of UAC that I have already (which is 'notify me when an app tries to change something ...'), and that I happen to like as a level of warning. I simply want the dialogue that appears when UAC wants permission, a program wants to install or change a setting to always appear on top of any windows being shown, and not underneath other stuff being displayed.

It always shows on the taskbar, but because the taskbar is often hidden, and the dialogue doesn't appear on top of anything else that is onscreen I often miss the prompt.

Brink · Jul 19, 2023

wimorrison said:
Chaps,

I don't want to change the level of UAC that I have already (which is 'notify me when an app tries to change something ...'), and that I happen to like as a level of warning. I simply want the dialogue that appears when UAC wants permission, a program wants to install or change a setting to always appear on top of any windows being shown, and not underneath other stuff being displayed.

It always shows on the taskbar, but because the taskbar is often hidden, and the dialogue doesn't appear on top of anything else that is onscreen I often miss the prompt.

Hello,

Odd. Usually when you get a UAC prompt, the screen will dim with a transparent black background with the UAC prompt on top.

Do you see that?

wimorrison · Jul 19, 2023

I do when i click the program icon on the taskbar, but not unless I do that - it can even be under the program that is being installed!

Skettalee · Nov 4, 2023

I got a question. I noticed recently that I dont have any sound play when i get the UAC pop ups. It ALWAYS used to be there. Anyone else remember it? Ive even seen people talking about it online so i know im not crazy. I went to my system sounds and there is no UAC option in there to even go set it back again. Its gone now. I had UAC off for a while, but then i turned it back on. Is this just how it is now cause id really love a sound when that dialog pops up

BruceR · Nov 4, 2023

I got a question. I noticed recently that I dont have any sound play when i get the UAC pop ups. It ALWAYS used to be there. Anyone else remember it? Ive even seen people talking about it online so i know im not crazy. I went to my system sounds and there is no UAC option in there to even go set it back again. Its gone now. I had UAC off for a while, but then i turned it back on. Is this just how it is now cause id really love a sound when that dialog pops u

I get a sound. Check whether Start Menu, Search, Change system sounds, Program Events, Windows User Account Control, Sounds is set to (None). If so, change that to Windows User Account Control.wav

jctech2025 · Aug 8, 2024

Hi All,

I know this thread has been around for a bit, however I wanted to ask, is there a setting with UAC where you enforce the user to enter credentials to modify the ip address of the machine?

Thanks

Trying to learn · May 18, 2025

Hi Brink. :)
Is there a way to disable/turn off UAC for just one particular app, instead of for everything at once? I did the tutorial to restore classic Notepad and it works great -except that every time I want to open a new blank notepad file, a UAC window pops up. Can that be stopped so it will just open like normal?

UAC setting	Description
Always notify	Notify you when programs try to install software or make changes to your computer. Notify you when you make changes to Windows settings. Freeze other tasks until you respond. Note: This option is recommended if you routinely install new software or visit unfamiliar websites.
Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer (default)	Notify you when programs try to install software or make changes to your computer. Not notify you when you make changes to Windows settings. Freeze other tasks until you respond. Note: This option is recommended if you routinely install new software or visit unfamiliar websites, but you don't want to be notified when you make changes to Windows settings.
Notify me only when programs try to make changes to my computer (do not dim my desktop)	Notify you when programs try to install software or make changes to your computer. Not notify you when you make changes to Windows settings. Not freeze other tasks or wait for a response. Note: This option is only recommended if it takes a long time to dim the desktop on your computer. Otherwise, it's recommended to choose one of the options above.
Never notify (Disable UAC)	Not notify you when programs try to install software or make changes to your computer. Not notify you when you make changes to Windows settings. Not freeze other tasks or wait for a response. Note: This option isn't recommended due to security concerns.

Privacy and Security Change User Account Control (UAC) Settings in Windows 11

Change User Account Control Settings in Control Panel

Change User Account Control settings using REG file

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