Understanding UAC in Windows Vista

There has been a lot written about UAC (User Account Control) in Windows Vista. I have read many forum posts and blog comments where users have claimed UAC as an excuse for not wanting to upgrade to Windows Vista.

What computer users need to understand is that UAC is not a detriment but rather another tool that Microsoft has provided for our use with the Windows Vista operating system. Personally, I wish to know what is going on with my computer. I want to control what is installed, where and when. That is one reason why I have WinPatrol installed on my computer. It is also the reason I advise keeping UAC activated. You can prevent installation of a drive-by install of a malicious software through the use of UAC. I would find it very reassuring to receive the following UAC prompt:

An unidentified program wants access to your computer.

Another example of an advantage to UAC is that you can create standard user accounts for your children. By providing your children with standard user accounts, you will be able to control granting permission for them to install software on the computer.

Charlene Shepard is a writer on the Windows user assistance team at Microsoft, specializing in Windows security and networking. She has prepared an excellent Windows Help article on User Account Control, Understanding User Account Control in Windows Vista.

For locating at a later date, the article has, of course, been added to Windows Vista Bookmarks. Look under Features and Tutorials.

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