How to Make UAC Less Annoying

User Account Control (UAC) was first introduced in Windows Vista and has been present in the OS since. It allows you to grant administrative rights on a selective basis, so you don’t have to stay logged into an unsafe admin account all the time. UAC was infamous for pestering you every five seconds in Vista, but you can tone it down in newer Windows versions, too.

First, pay a visit to the UAC menu (when logged in as an admin). Type uac into the Start Menu and choose Change User Account Control Settings. You’re able to choose from four levels of alert here.

The most secure, like the Vista default, will always notify you when you try to make changes to Windows settings (such as changing the time or editing Windows Firewall options). The default level, one below the top, doesn’t notify on Windows settings changes, but will ask for permission to install software.


The third level of security is the same as the second, but doesn’t dim your desktop for the UAC prompt. This makes it easier to click Yes without thinking, so be careful with it. Finally, the bottom level turns UAC completely off. This is a terrible idea, as it allows any program to run with admin rights without confirmation.
If you use certain programs all the time that ask for UAC confirmation , you can create a whitelist to bypass the prompt.

We recommend choosing between the middle two levels for UAC security, and creating this whitelist. This gets UAC out of your way where you don’t need it, while still allowing it to protect you as it’s designed to.