Windows UAC Has it been useful?

Calabi

Calabi

Calabi

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I'm just wondering whats the deal with the Windows User Account Control. I mean in over two years of having it on I havent come across a single case where its flagged up something odd or protected me against. All its flagged up is stuff that I've instigated myself.

Has anyone come across a case where its notified you about something odd, thats accessing your computer without your permission?
 
gillywibble said:
UAC always has been and always will be, a complete waste of time.
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I wish I'd have known that sooner. I've been constantly annoyed with this from playing games. It pops up about three times in a row sometimes, and every time I play some games.

Well new Windows 7 install now and have it disabled so will see how dangerous it is.
 
Keep it on.

You can safely ignore most of the stupid recommendations to turn it off in this thread.

Just got hit by nasty virus! (http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18437483)

Broken Hope said:
Just out of interest, was UAC enabled or disabled?
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opethdisciple said:
disabled
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Azza said:
I got this the other day, no idea where from using Firefox. I don't have UAC enabled because I just find it a pain in the ass most of the time.
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You get the idea.

If you want to discover the real benefits, have a read of http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=18371333
 
I have a script blocker. But does that thread really prove that UAC is effective, the virus could have circumvented the UAC.

I guess if there's enough people saying they never got a virus with UAC activated then a few on the other side saying they have then it must be effective.

Even so does effective have to be so annoying. Computers are supposed to help us. Not annoy me with several questions every time I ask it to do something.
 
Always the first thing that I turn off on a new installation. Never had a problem with viruses/spyware since using windows 7 RC, just have peerblock, comodo firewall and ESET nod 32 AV installed.

EDIT:

Seems that article that I did have has completely changed :confused:
 
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I don't understand what people do that requires any UAC interaction on a regular basis.

The only time it bothers me is if I want to install a new program, or if I need to run an existing program with elevated permissions. And then it's just a simple click and type Admin password to continue. Hardly intrusive.
 
Was a huge thread on this a couple months back, in fact there is every couple months. Interspersed with people having problems after turning it including some people most would consider technically astute.

The truth is it doesn't matter how much you know there's always zero day exploits and new ways of mimicking parts of a system. On the other hand the problem with UAC isn't it popping up, it's it popping up every time. Once you've given permission for a task to run as an admin it asks you every time instead of remembering - but if it did remember then someone would find a way to poison that cache too :) Conversely, anything that isn't an installer these days (and has been coded as such) doesn't need uac at launch with the odd exception e.g. games don't need admin rights unless they're very old ones or been coded as old ones.

Moral is you just can't win.
 
mrbell1984 said:
Can't believe people are saying UAC is useless. It's anything but.
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+1, I think it's brilliant. It's saved my parent so much hassle on their PC too but most of all I like the reassurance which comes with it. I don't see it often enough to consider it an annoyance.

One of the best additions to the Windows OS in many years.

Bottom line however is that an OS is only ever as secure as the person using it.
 
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