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Windows 10 User Account Control (UAC) dialogs can be frustrating. They add an additional step to the process each time you run an exe file or run a program as administrator. As a result, it's tempting to disable UAC in Windows 10 entirely, but you should understand the risks associated with such a change.
What is UAC in Windows 10?
User Account Control in Windows 10 is an integral part of the OS' security. When an app attempts to make changes to your PC, it steps in, asking for confirmation. Accepting allows the program to temporarily act with the full rights of the user: administrator rights.
Without UAC, it may be trivial for malware to compromise your computer. Applications will not require your approval to make changes to your system and may make modifications without your knowledge.
As a result, we can only recommend you disable UAC in specific circumstances. For example, if you have a user account with no administrative privileges and a separate admin account to perform any installation or configuration tasks.
If you're confident you'll be secure, this guide will show you how to turn off UAC in Windows 10 via the Control Panel, Registry, or Local Group Policy Editor.
How to Disable UAC in Windows 10 via the Control Panel
Disabling UAC via the Control Panel is the most user-friendly route and leaves little room for error. However, it's worth noting that you'll still need administrator rights to be able to do this. Switch to your admin account if you need to, or ask your IT department if you're in an enterprise or education scenario.
- Open Control Panel
Press Start and type “Control Panel“. Click the top result, “Control Panel”, in the Start menu.
- Click”User Accounts” in the Control Panel
- Click “User Accounts” again
- Press “Change User Account Control settings”
At this point, you'll need to accept a UAC prompt to make changes.
- Turn off UAC in Windows 10
In the User Account Control Settings window, you'll see a slider under the heading “Choose when to be notified about changes to your computer”. To disable user account control entirely, move the slider down until it says “Never notify”.
Click “OK” and agree to your final UAC prompt.
How to Turn off Windows 10 UAC via Registry Editor
Power users can disable user account control via the registry if they don't enjoy the control panel interface or have limited access to it.
- Open the Registry Editor
Press the Start button and type “Registry Editor”. Click the top result in the Start menu.
- Modify the “EnableLUA” DWORD
Disabling UAC via the registry is still quite easy. In its search bar, pasteComputer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System.
In the main pane, scroll down the list or press E on your keyboard until you find an entry called “EnableLUA”. Double-click it to open the DWORD editor and change the “Value data” field to “0”. If you don't have the DWORD value, you can create it yourself. Once you're done, press “OK” to save the changes and then restart your computer.
How to Disable UAC via the Local Group Policy Editor
Users with Windows 10 Pro or higher additionally have access to the Group Policy Editor, commonly known by its filename, gpedit. This performs similar changes to Regedit but offers a more safe and intuitive interface.
- Open gpedit
Press Start and type “gpedit”. Click the first result in your Start menu, which should read “Edit group policy”.
- Double-click the User Account Control policy
Navigate to “Windows settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options”. In the main panel, scroll until you find “User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode” if you'd like to turn off UAC.
- Disable User Account Control
Change the toggle from “Enabled” to “Disabled”. Press “OK” to disable UAC in Windows 10.
We covered the various methods to disable UAC today, but there are other User Account Control options that you may want to consider. Here's a full list (via Microsoft):
| Registry key | Group Policy setting | Registry setting |
|---|---|---|
| FilterAdministratorToken | User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the built-in Administrator account | 0 (Default) = Disabled 1 = Enabled |
| EnableUIADesktopToggle | User Account Control: Allow UIAccess applications to prompt for elevation without using the secure desktop | 0 (Default) = Disabled 1 = Enabled |
| ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin | User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode | 0 = Elevate without prompting 1 = Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop 2 = Prompt for consent on the secure desktop 3 = Prompt for credentials 4 = Prompt for consent 5 (Default) = Prompt for consent for non-Windows binaries |
| ConsentPromptBehaviorUser | User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users | 0 = Automatically deny elevation requests 1 = Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop 3 (Default) = Prompt for credentials |
| EnableInstallerDetection | User Account Control: Detect application installations and prompt for elevation | 1 = Enabled (default for home) 0 = Disabled (default for enterprise) |
| ValidateAdminCodeSignatures | User Account Control: Only elevate executables that are signed and validated | 0 (Default) = Disabled 1 = Enabled |
| EnableSecureUIAPaths | User Account Control: Only elevate UIAccess applications that are installed in secure locations | 0 = Disabled 1 (Default) = Enabled |
| EnableLUA | User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode | 0 = Disabled 1 (Default) = Enabled |
| PromptOnSecureDesktop | User Account Control: Switch to the secure desktop when prompting for elevation | 0 = Disabled 1 (Default) = Enabled |
| EnableVirtualization | User Account Control: Virtualize file and registry write failures to per-user locations | 0 = Disabled 1 (Default) = Enabled |
Before you make any of these changes, however, we recommend you read our existing literature on the Registry Editor. Learn how to safely use regedit and create an automatic registry backup so you're fully prepared.
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