By Hally | Last Updated
User Account Control (UAC) is a built-in security feature in Windows 10 that prevents unauthorized changes to your system. Adjusting UAC settings allows you to control when and how notifications appear when administrative changes are made. In this guide, we’ll walk you through different methods to modify UAC settings to fit your needs.
UAC helps protect your system from unauthorized changes by requesting administrative approval before running certain applications or making system modifications. When triggered, a UAC prompt appears asking for confirmation, helping to prevent malware or unauthorized access.
Step 1: Open Security and Maintenance in Control Panel/System and Security.
Step 2: Tap Change User Account Control settings on the left to continue.
Step 3: Move the scale up or down to choose when to be notified about changes to your computer, and click OK.
Tips:
1. By default, User Account Control will notify you only when apps try to make changes to your computer. And this setting is recommended if you use familiar apps and visit familiar websites, referring to the picture above.
2. If you move the scale to the top to select Always notify, you will be notified when apps try to install software or make changes to your PC and when you make changes to Windows settings. BTW, the setting is recommended if you routinely install new software and visit unfamiliar websites.
3. You can move the scale to choose the third option to ask User Account Control not to dim your desktop when notifying you about apps' up-coming changes to your computer if it takes a long time to dim the desktop.
4. Supposing that you don't want to be notified when apps try to install software and make changes to your PC and when you make changes to Windows settings, move the scale to the bottom to choose Never notify.
Step 4: Select Yes to finish.
For those comfortable making system modifications, the Registry Editor provides another way to alter UAC settings.
Step 1: Open Registry Editor.
Step 2: Navigate to the following location:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Step 3: Locate EnableLUA in the right panel.
Step 4: Double-click it and change the value to: 1 – Enable UAC; 0 – Disable UAC (not recommended).
Step 5: Finally, you can hit the OK button and restart your computer to apply the changes.
Step 1: Open Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2: On the left panel, click Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options.
Step 3: Go to the right panel and find the option-- User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode.
Step 4: Double-click it and choose your preferred setting.
Step 5: Click Apply, then OK to confirm changes.
Q1: Should I disable UAC in Windows 10?
Disabling UAC reduces system security, making your PC more vulnerable to malware and unauthorized changes. It is recommended to keep it enabled at least at the default level.
Q2: How can I restore UAC settings to default?
To restore UAC to its default setting, follow Method 1 and set the slider to the second-highest level, then click OK.
Q3: Why don’t I see UAC prompts?
If UAC prompts aren’t appearing, it may have been disabled. You can enable it using Method 1 or modify the EnableLUA registry entry in Method 2 by setting its value to 1.
User Account Control is a vital security feature in Windows 10 that helps protect against unauthorized system modifications. By following the methods outlined above, you can adjust UAC settings according to your security and usability preferences. For optimal protection, it is best to keep UAC enabled at the default setting.
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