Windows Vista User Account Control (UAC).

The majority of viruses, worms and trojans execute computer commands and change operating system settings in the background without your knowledge. Windows Vista introduces User Account Control (UAC), a security feature that helps prevent these unauthorized changes by asking you permission to perform the action.

Let's take a look at an example.

Open Vista Control Panel. Click Start, Control Panel.

Double click Parental Controls.

Windows Vista's UAC dialog box appears. Similar to the screen shot below. Parental Controls is a security feature built into Windows Vista that can effect how users use the computer.

Windows UAC needs to confirm that you want to perform this action and the request for this action is not a result of hackers or crackers. If you requested this action, you would press continue.

User Account Control is enabled by default. It is not recommended that you disable this feature.

Why you should not disable UAC.

All operating systems listen and respond to user commands. Commands can be a result of a click, an action, a result of an action or a process. When hackers or crackers attack your computer, they are trying to execute a command on your computer without your knowledge. Since all operating systems listen to commands from the currently logged on user, there is no way for the operating system to identify whether the command originated from user or executed code not authorized by the user. This is why Windows Vista UAC is such an important security feature.

Many Windows user like to run their user accounts within the administrators group. This give them more flexibility and control of their operating environment. Like installing software and managing certain operating system features.

With previous versions of Windows desktop operating systems, user accounts within the administrators group by default had full control over essential operating system files. They could open human readable system files, edit them and save them. Which meant, any unwanted malicious software could potentially do the same without your knowledge while you were logged on.

Windows Vista UAC security has locked down many of these problems.

Let's try edit a system file as an example to get a better idea of what I mean.

Create a new user and make sure the user is in the administrators group.

Log on with your newly created user.

Open My Computer, and open the following folder path.

c:\Windows\System32\Drivers\etc\

Under the above path, you will see a file called, Networks. Double click on the file, the "Open With" dialog appears. Select "Notepad" and click Ok.

When the file opens, you will notice on the second line there is only one character "#". On the second line add your name to the end of the file.

So the second line looks like this.

# Your Name.

Now click on the File menu and click save. The error dialog box will appear as below.

Now click OK.

The "Save As" dialog box is shown. Let's save that file with a different name under the same location. In the File Name, type "network2" and click save. 

A permissions notifications error message is displayed. Remember this is not an error, this is a security violation or you can call it a security feature.

Click No, Click Cancel. Close the Networks File, when the Save dialog box appears, click "Don't Save".

In order to successfully edit this file(or any other important editable system files), you need to explicitly give the appropriate permissions to the user or disable the UAC feature. Most of us do not need to edit any system files, so we do not need to concern ourselves with this security feature. What you do need to know is that this feature is implemented.

This is a very important security feature within Windows Vista. All important system files are protected. Complete peace of mind security.

How to enable or disable UAC.