The Great UAC Debate!

By Linkinfamous
in Microsoft (Windows)

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UAC  

1,412 members have voted

  1. 1. Do You Use UAC?

    • Yes
      477
    • Yes, On "Silent Mode"
      91
    • No (I use an Admin Account)
      496
    • No (I use a Standard Account)
      39
    • I don't use Windows Vista
      118

  2. 2. Have You Ever Been Saved By UAC?

    • Yes
      226
    • No
      932
    • I don't use Windows Vista
      106

Recommended Posts

Community Regular

NeoFyle

Posted
Posted

Personally I leave UAC on, because sometimes when I am working late at night, and sometimes if your doing something and making a system change, and ya kinda get that sleepy dazed feeling and ya do somethin' and then your like oh $__ck and then ya have to go and fix it. Thats why I just leave it on. I have the mentality if it ain't broke then don't fix it.

Just my two cents

Rookie

0vermind

Posted
Posted

Here's my opinion. UAC is a great idea if implemented correctly. Micrsoft could have made it only ask for programs that it doesn't know about or it could use like process library or check for signatures from trusted companies then if it doesn't know the company or the sig in currupt then it asks.

Personally though, I perfer it in silent mode for admins then anyone not knowledgeable about computers should be on a standard account where they will be asked.

Enthusiast

abshack

Posted
Posted

I want a unix style architecture. I'd rather update from command line with instructions in GUI and have to "sudo" administrative commands.

I think Vista should adopt a Control Panel like YaST in openSUSE. Vista could be so much better if it implemented "some" Unix-like components.

Community Regular

drumthrasher109

Posted
Posted
when does it get annoying? don't tell me when installing a program or something that affects a system folder. normal everyday use shouldn't prompt UAC to pop up.

It gets annoying when installing a program or something that affects a system folder.

Seriously, it just does. After days of using it and that popping up it gets annoying. Whenever you commonly use an application everyday that needs to be run with admin privilages, yeah it will get annoying. So I have it off. No harm done.

Apprentice

scuderiaconchiglia

Posted
Posted
It gets annoying when installing a program or something that affects a system folder.

Seriously, it just does. After days of using it and that popping up it gets annoying. Whenever you commonly use an application everyday that needs to be run with admin privilages, yeah it will get annoying. So I have it off. No harm done.

The program that "needs" admin privledges is the think that is annoying. (You do know there are ways to grant that ONE program the rights it needs, without having to turn of UAC.)

As for "No harm done." Maybe, but no protection then either. Sounds like POTENTIAL harm to me...

Gary

Grand Master

ozgeek

Posted
Posted

But UAC needs to have an absolutely good reason WHY it should be switched on. I have worked with the average joe/janes and they barely understand many dialog boxes that popup, not to mention the UAC popups. Even if the UAC messages are clear and consise, joes/janes don't know how to proceed from there, whether they should click Yes or No and call technical support or ask for help. Many joes/janes are known to just "guessily" click any buitton hoping to get the box away, posibily Yes to even "infected" software, eciplising the need of a "in your face" system protection. The system should be protecting itself silently and not interprut the user.

Grand Master

Julius Caro

Posted
Posted
UAC is by far the best feature of Vista. i honestly don't understand why anyone would have a problem with it. i guess they don't like to be in control.

if UAC is the best feature in Vista, then the world is doomed. UAC is a poor implementation of what other OSes do great (the whole "sudo" thing). The main problem is that the popups are annoying, because there's a prompt for every little action (although they've fixed most of that in SP1 and in the long term is not as annoying as people make it to be). In linux if you have a console and do a "sudo", u wont need to type the password again in the next sudo, (but you'll still need to do the sudo).

I dunno, it's a lot of things really.

I still wouldn't recommend disabling it

Grand Master

ViperAFK

Posted
Posted
But UAC needs to have an absolutely good reason WHY it should be switched on. I have worked with the average joe/janes and they barely understand many dialog boxes that popup, not to mention the UAC popups. Even if the UAC messages are clear and consise, joes/janes don't know how to proceed from there, whether they should click Yes or No and call technical support or ask for help. Many joes/janes are known to just "guessily" click any buitton hoping to get the box away, posibily Yes to even "infected" software, eciplising the need of a "in your face" system protection. The system should be protecting itself silently and not interprut the user.

even so it is more secure because uac does much more than just the prompt, such as IE's protected mode and launching processes by the lowest level by default making things still more secure.

Grand Master

Brandon Live Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
if UAC is the best feature in Vista, then the world is doomed. UAC is a poor implementation of what other OSes do great (the whole "sudo" thing). The main problem is that the popups are annoying, because there's a prompt for every little action (although they've fixed most of that in SP1 and in the long term is not as annoying as people make it to be). In linux if you have a console and do a "sudo", u wont need to type the password again in the next sudo, (but you'll still need to do the sudo).

I dunno, it's a lot of things really.

I still wouldn't recommend disabling it

Give me one reason why it is a "poor" implementation compared to other OSes.

It's certainly more user-friendly than the Mac or Linux, as it only prompts for consent (Yes / No), and doesn't make you type a password every time you need to elevate.

In Windows if you "sudo" (elevate) a command prompt, everything else you do in that command prompt will also happen with admin privileges, no prompts or special commands.

Proficient

bradavon

Posted
Posted (edited)

WOW I cannot believe so many people would prefer risking security by using an an Admin Account instead of UAC Enabled but in Silent Mode. How is UAC annoying when in Silent mode? It's the prompts that are annoying, everything else about UAC is anything but annoying.

Why even bother with Vista if you're going to disable it's biggest improvement? Personally I found UAC in it's Active State so annoying it drove me round the bend but in Silent Mode it's perfectly usable.

As annoying as UAC is (and in it's pre-SP1 state it's a nightmare) having to type a password too would be even more annoying. I'm yet to upgrade to SP1. I'm deliberating waiting until it's on Microsoft's website.

You do know there are ways to grant that ONE program the rights it needs, without having to turn of UAC.

I do. It's a very handy feature, you certainly don't need to disable UAC to achieve it.

So far though only 4 programs I've installed I have to Run as Admin and then 2 of those have since had upgrades fixing the problems.

p.s - Is a Standard Account the same as XP's Limited Account approach? I.e - It's more locked down than Vista with UAC enabled.

Edited by bradavon
Mentor

EnzoFX

Posted
Posted (edited)

I'm all for what UAC does, But I too think it's implementation is not as intuitive as it could be. Think of it in terms of the average user, they get a dialog from the software they're trying to install, stating "this wizard will install x, do you want to continue" Most ppl, this is when they click, "next, next, next." But the point is, they know they're installing it, they know they WANT to install it. But then there's this other box that takes over, from windows, that asks if they want to continue...

That to me feels ridiculous, Maybe both can be implemented into one wizard. Or whatever wizard is used, tells UAC that the user wants to install the software, thus let UAC do its thing, in the background, does that make sense?

What I'm personally wondering is what this UAC silent mode does, I have vista installed on 2 computers here. One is for gaming, and some games always get the "UAC continue?" Box, when launching. Isn't it suppose to be a first run deal?

Can I disable the UAC prompts, while still having it on? protecting, etc... Sorry if its an odd question.

I still think OSX seems simpler, well because, it doesn't do everything that UAC does. Most programs, to install, are a simple "drag the icon to your apps folder." The user wants to install this, hence them dragging it to their apps folder...

The only time I get that password prompt, is when osx is installing updates, which is about once a month or less. I do not get it during the installation of the average program (though I probably got it while installing office).

Edited by EnzoFX
Grand Master

Linkinfamous

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I still think OSX seems simpler, well because, it doesn't do everything that UAC does. Most programs, to install, are a simple "drag the icon to your apps folder." The user wants to install this, hence them dragging it to their apps folder...

The only time I get that password prompt, is when osx is installing updates, which is about once a month or less. I do not get it during the installation of the average program (though I probably got it while installing office).

MSI4 has the capability for apps that can be installed without Admin privileges, but I doubt we'll see these kind of things used at all until Vista's market share surpasses XP.

On that note, where does Microsoft recommend installing such apps? AppData\Local?

Proficient

bradavon

Posted
Posted
Most ppl, this is when they click, "next, next, next." But the point is, they know they're installing it, they know they WANT to install it.

You cannot account for those people who click OK/NEXT without reading the window first but at least you're making a newbie aware what they're about to do could have repercussions, although I cannot out what they could be with changing the PC time, for most people anyway.

The UAC window is very good at getting a newbies attention.

What I'm personally wondering is what this UAC silent mode does, I have vista installed on 2 computers here. One is for gaming, and some games always get the "UAC continue?" Box, when launching. Isn't it suppose to be a first run deal? Can I disable the UAC prompts, while still having it on? protecting, etc... Sorry if its an odd question.

I'm afraid not, unlike other security prompts Microsoft have added to Windows there is now "Remember this" tick box for UAC prompts. Yes you can get UAC's security but without the prompts. It's called Silent Mode:

http://www.tweak-uac.com/

MSI4 has the capability for apps that can be installed without Admin privileges, but I doubt we'll see these kind of things used at all until Vista's market share surpasses XP.

Why do you say that? Apps shouldn't need Admin rights in XP either.

Mentor

Pablo2008jedi

Posted
Posted

I used Windows Vista x64 for a short time on my home PC (old hardware)

I had UAC set at default (i.e. always on)

Appart from the initial setup, I had no real issues, the only few issues I had was with some games, games that had not been properly written with vista in mind (i.e. they wrote files to the "Programs Files" folder) those games had to be run as administrator that propmpts UAC.

UAC is good to have, but its very annoying to have the screen fade out (and sometimes going blank for a few seconds) Thats my only gripe.

btw I'm now back to XP as I had stability issues (I still ge then om XP too :p ) but some things crashed too often on Vista, I did think I would hate Vista but I didn;t mind.

A new PC has been purchaed ..YEAH!!! ... and it comes with Vista home premium...well see if I "upgrage" to XP :p

Veteran

Dc'1

Posted
Posted

I use "Silent Mode" :) since I'm too scared to turn it fully off lol. It really annoyed me because it pops up when I do ANYTHING :( which was especially annoying because I installed a second HDD and wanted to move some files and folders on to it.

Grand Master

Linkinfamous

Posted
  • Author
Posted
I use "Silent Mode" :) since I'm too scared to turn it fully off lol. It really annoyed me because it pops up when I do ANYTHING :( which was especially annoying because I installed a second HDD and wanted to move some files and folders on to it.

If it was doing that, then the permissions on your second hard drive were set wrong. It's a very simple matter to fix, you just give "Users" access to the areas you want.

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