Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows  

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    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows

    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows

    How to Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows
    Published by Category: User Accounts
    17 Jan 2022
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows


    When User Account Control (UAC) is enabled, Windows prompts for consent or prompts for credentials of a valid local administrator account before starting a program or task that requires a full administrator access token. This prompt ensures that no malicious software can be silently installed or run.

    With the Always notify or Default UAC setting enabled, your desktop will be dimmed and switched to the secure desktop when you get an elevation request by the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.

    A user that is a member of the Administrators group can log on, browse the Web, and read e-mail while using a standard user access token. When the administrator needs to perform a task that requires the administrator access token, Windows 10 automatically prompts the user for Y/N approval. This prompt is called an elevation prompt for UAC consent prompt.

    The user experience for standard users is different from that of administrators in Admin Approval Mode. The recommended and more secure method of running Windows 10 is to make your primary user account a standard user account. Running as a standard user helps to maximize security for a managed environment. With the built-in UAC elevation component, standard users can easily perform an administrative task by entering valid credentials for a local administrator account. The default, built-in UAC elevation component for standard users is the UAC credential prompt.

    See also: How User Account Control works (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

    The built-in Administrator account does not get the UAC consent prompt since it runs with full administrative privilege (elevated rights) by default.

    The User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account security policy controls whether the built-in Administrator account will be prompted by UAC just like any other administrator account.

    This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable User Account Control (UAC) for the built-in Administrator account in Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to enable or disable User Account Control (UAC) for the built-in Administrator account.



    Contents

    • Option One: Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator account in Local Security Policy
    • Option Two: Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator account using REG file



    EXAMPLE: User Account Control (UAC) consent prompt
    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows-uac_consent_prompt.png






    OPTION ONE

    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator account in Local Security Policy


    The Local Security Policy is only available in the Windows 7/8/10 Pro, Windows 7/8/10 Enterprise, and Windows 10 Education editions.

    All editions can use Option Two below.


    1 Open the Local Security Policy (secpol.msc).

    2 Expand open Local Policies and Security Options in the left pane of Local Security Policy, and double click/tap on the User Account Control: Admin Approval Mode for the Built-in Administrator account policy to edit it. (see screenshot below)

    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows-uac_prompt_for_built-in_administrator_secpol-1.jpg

    3 Do step 4 (enable) or step 5 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    4 To Enable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator account

    A) Select (dot) Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)


    5 To Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator account

    This is the default setting.

    A) Select (dot) Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)

    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows-uac_prompt_for_built-in_administrator_secpol-2.png


    6 When finished, close the Local Security Policy window if you like.






    OPTION TWO

    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator account using REG file


    The downloadable .reg files below will modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

    FilterAdministratorToken DWORD

    0 = Disable
    1 = Enable


    1 Do step 2 (enable) or step 3 (disable) below for what you would like to do.


    2 To Enable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator account

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Enable_UAC_prompt_for_Built-in_Administrator_account.reg

    Download


    3 To Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator account

    This is the default setting.

    A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

    Disable_UAC_prompt_for_Built-in_Administrator_account.reg

    Download


    4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    7 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn Brink






  1. Posts : 37
    10
       #1

    Hello Brink

    After i enabled UAC I can't open anything with run as admin privilege. Every time I open a program as admin an error occurred:

    a referral was returned from the server.
    Imgur: The magic of the Internet

    Any idea?

    Note: When i installed windows 10 I used built-in admin account So i haven't any user account on my windows. I just want the built-in admin account to be like a user account in Administrator group. Because i changed many thing in this user(built-in admin) So cant waste my time for creating a new user account and tweak it again.

    Thanks
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 8
    windows 10
       #2

    amymor said:
    Hello Brink

    After i enabled UAC I can't open anything with run as admin privilege. Every time I open a program as admin an error occurred:

    a referral was returned from the server.
    Imgur: The magic of the Internet

    Any idea?

    Note: When i installed windows 10 I used built-in admin account So i haven't any user account on my windows. I just want the built-in admin account to be like a user account in Administrator group. Because i changed many thing in this user(built-in admin) So cant waste my time for creating a new user account and tweak it again.

    Thanks
    just start->run->UserAccountControlSettings.exe

    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows-image.png
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 16,783
    Windows 10 Home x64 Version 22H2 Build 19045.4170
       #3

    amymor said:
    When i installed windows 10 I used built-in admin account
    I don't know how you managed to do this but it never gained you any advantages at all. The Built-In Administrator account is no more powerful than an Admin account that you create yourself.

    amymor said:
    I just want the built-in admin account to be like a user account in Administrator group.
    It is not like one.
    The Built-In Administrator account has undocumented limitations that vary across Windows 10 Versions.

    amymor said:
    Because i changed many thing in this user(built-in admin) So cant waste my time for creating a new user account and tweak it again.
    Creating & setting up a new (Admin) user account is the only alternative.

    Denis
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 37
    10
       #4

    jeffreywen said:
    just start->run->UserAccountControlSettings.exe

    Enable or Disable UAC prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows-image.png
    Not hepled. Never mind i fixed it.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 68,658
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #5

    amymor said:
    Not hepled. Never mind i fixed it.
    Great news. What turned out to be the issue?
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 v1803 Build 17134.48
       #6

    What about this?

    Code:
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
    "EnableLUA"=dword:00000000

    This works on my system. I think this may be left over Win8 stuff, but it works on Win10 still.

    EDIT: If I'm not mistaken this is the reg version of what disabling the policy does...?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 68,658
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #7

    TheArkive said:
    What about this?

    Code:
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
    "EnableLUA"=dword:00000000

    This works on my system. I think this may be left over Win8 stuff, but it works on Win10 still.

    EDIT: If I'm not mistaken this is the reg version of what disabling the policy does...?
    Hello,

    That would be the method to completely disable UAC below instead.

    Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 17
    Windows 10 v1803 Build 17134.48
       #8

    Ah my bad! Heh, I didn't read the title carefully enough. Time for bed i guess :P
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 1
    Windows 10 Pro
       #9

    Hello,

    I think Option 2 (change via Registry) is not correct.
    ValidateAdminCodeSignatures is responsible for "UAC - Only elevate executables that are signed and validated".
    The correct corresponding parameter is FilterAdministratorToken (DWORD). 0 - Disabled, 1 - Enabled.

    Today I had such an issue and the above seems to prove it for me.

    Thanks.

    P.S.
    Source - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...y-key-settings
      My Computer


 

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