User Access Control
aliases:
- UAC
A Windows 10 feature that requests credentials for tasks that require privilege elevation from the current user.
UAC prompts the user for 150 seconds. If there is no response, the request is automatically denied.
Key Concepts
When a user logs in, there are two access tokens that can be created, depending on what the user is. If the user is a standard user, the standard user access token is created. If the user is an administrator, both a standard and an administrator access token is created.
Should the user attempt to perform a privileged task, UAC will prompt the user for the login credentials of an administrator. Should an administrator attempt to perform the same privileged task.
These two modes are called admin approval mode and credential prompting mode.
UAC can be configured to change it's sensitivity to privileged tasks.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Always Prompt Me | The most secure option. UAC will always prompt the user for credentials or admin approval when performing tasks, such as: - installing/uninstalling software - making changes to the computer - making changes to Windows settings |
| Changes to Computer Only | UAC will only prompt when a privileged task will make changes to the computer itself. |
| Never | UAC is disabled. Privileged tasks attempted by standard users will be automatically denied. |
| No Secure Desktop | Remove the background dim when prompting. Slightly less secure, since you can interact with other programs while the UAC prompt is still open. |
| #VIII |