How to Change User Account Control (UAC) prompt Behavior for Administrators 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 User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode security policy determines the behavior of the UAC elevation prompt for administrators.

The options are:

Policy Description
Elevate without prompting Allows privileged accounts to perform an operation that requires elevation without requiring consent or credentials. Use this option only in the most constrained environments.
Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop When an operation requires elevation of privilege, the user is prompted on the secure desktop to enter a privileged (ex: administrator) user name and password. If the user enters valid credentials, the operation continues with the user's highest available privilege.
Prompt for consent on the secure desktop When an operation requires elevation of privilege, the user is prompted on the secure desktop to select either Yes or No. If the user selects Yes, the operation continues with the user's highest available privilege.
Prompt for credentials When an operation requires elevation of privilege, the user is prompted to enter an administrator user name and password. If the user enters valid credentials, the operation continues with the applicable privilege.
Prompt for consent When an operation requires elevation of privilege, the user is prompted to select either Yes or No. If the user selects Yes, the operation continues with the user's highest available privilege.
Prompt for consent for non-Windows binaries (Default) When an operation for a non-Microsoft application requires elevation of privilege, the user is prompted on the secure desktop to select either Yes or No. If the user selects Yes, the operation continues with the user's highest available privilege.

This tutorial will show you how to change the User Account Control (UAC) prompt behavior only for administrators in Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.

You must be signed in as an administrator to change the UAC prompt behavior for administrators.

This will not affect the built-in Administrator account or standard users.



Contents

  • Option One: Change UAC prompt Behavior for Administrators in Local Security Policy
  • Option Two: Change UAC prompt Behavior for Administrators using a REG file



EXAMPLE: User Account Control (UAC) consent prompt
Change UAC prompt Behavior for Administrators in Windows-uac_consent_prompt.png






OPTION ONE

Change UAC prompt Behavior for Administrators 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: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode policy to edit it. (see screenshot below)

Change UAC prompt Behavior for Administrators in Windows-uac_behavior_for_administrators_secpol-1.jpg

3 Select the UAC behavior you want in the drop menu, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

Change UAC prompt Behavior for Administrators in Windows-uac_behavior_for_administrators_secpol-2.jpg

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






OPTION TWO

Change UAC prompt Behavior for Administrators using a 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

ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin DWORD

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 = Prompt for consent for non-Windows binaries (default)


1 Do step 2 (Elevate without prompting), step 3 (Prompt for credentials on secure desktop), step 4 (Prompt for consent on secure desktop), step 5 (Prompt for credentials), step 6 (Prompt for consent), or step 7 (DEFAULT - Prompt for consent for non-Windows binaries) below for what you would like to do.


2 Set UAC Behavior for Administrators to "Elevate without prompting"

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 8 below.

Administrators_UAC_Elevate_without_prompting.reg

Download


3 Set UAC Behavior for Administrators to "Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop"

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 8 below.

Administrators_UAC_Prompt_for_credentials_on_secure_desktop.reg

Download


4 Set UAC Behavior for Administrators to "Prompt for consent on the secure desktop"

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 8 below.

Administrators_UAC_Prompt_for_consent_on_secure_desktop.reg

Download


5 Set UAC Behavior for Administrators to "Prompt for credentials"

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 8 below.

Administrators_UAC_Prompt_for_credentials.reg

Download


6 Set UAC Behavior for Administrators to "Prompt for consent"

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 8 below.

Administrators_UAC_Prompt_for_consent.reg

Download


7 Set UAC Behavior for Administrators to "Prompt for consent for non-Windows binaries"

This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 8 below.

Administrators_UAC_Prompt_for_consent_for_non-Windows_binaries.reg

Download


8 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

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

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

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


That's it,
Shawn