User Account Control (UAC) is a utility incorporated within Windows which improves security by allowing running an application only when approved by the administrator. This prevents any unwanted applications running in the background and harming the system. It was first implemented in Windows Vista, and its improved form is being used in Windows 7 now.
UAC was implemented for the purpose that users with limited administrator privileges can also be allowed to run programs based on their permission level. This feature was not available in previous versions of Windows, and created problems for many users.
To change your user account control, you will need to go to Control Panel, and then choose the option – User Accounts. From there, you will be able to change your user access control by choosing the option “Change User Account Control Settings”.
This new screen has four options. There is a slider through which you can change into a different option as your needs warrant.
1) At the top, there is the option for ‘always notify’. With this option turned on, you will be prompted every time you run an application, or some program tries to run.
This is for maximum security purpose, but somewhat irritating to have to allow legit programs each and every time. While the user access control checks for any suspicious activity by the application, the screen will darken until it gets approved by the administrator.
2) The second position is the default setting that comes with a new installation of Windows 7. This is recommended as it checks for applications which are marked as trusted, and those applications can be run without any prior notification. This option has enough security, while keeping the hassle down.
3) The third option is a bit more relaxed mode of security, which does not prompt for your permission once it has been granted. Programs will run smoothly until any tries to make changes to your system, in which case it will need to ask for administrator privileges.
4) The last option is the one marked “never notify”. This is not recommended at all, unless you are an experienced user, and have enough knowledge to identify programs which may be harmful for your computer, or you are already using separate software to look after this issue, like an antivirus or firewall. This option will never ask for your permission when running an application.
It is always recommended that you use the default settings, particularly for new users. Some of the actions that will trigger the user access control on default settings are –
- Running an application.
- Installing or uninstalling an application.
- Changing user account control settings.
- Changing windows firewall or update settings.
- Installing any device driver.
Some users may feel a problem while using windows with User Access Control turned on. It is mostly because when it checks the program, it will slow down other processes. And on slower computers, you may need to wait up to a full minute till the program starts responding, and the UAC “allow” or “deny” window pops up. So, once you become experienced on how this works, you may choose to disable the User Account Control, and manage the programs on your own.