Signing applications to prevent UAC prompt
Is it possible to (authenticode?) sign an application to prevent UAC prompts? People start creating dirty hacks (SkipUAC ), service helper based applications or disable UAC completely. I don't think that's intended by Microsoft.
December 7th, 2009 3:47am

Hi Maniaxx, User Account Control (UAC) in Windows 7 helps prevent potentially dangerous software from making changes to your computer without your explicit consent. As you may noticed, there is no UAC setting for individual applications. However, if you are sure certain application is safe and which is frequently used, here is a workaround to run a specific application with administrative privileges without UAC prompts. We can create a shortcut for this application with elevated privileges. 1. Click Start, right click on Computer and choose Manage. 2. Click Task Scheduler on the left panel. 3. Click Create Task on the right panel. 4. Type a name for the task. 5. Check Run with highest privileges. 6. Click Actions tab. 7. Click New. 8. Browse to the program in the Program/script box. Click OK. 9. On desktop, right click, choose New and click Shortcut. 10. In the box type: schtasks.exe /run /tn TaskName where TaskName is the name of task you put in on the basics tab and click next. 11. Type a name for the shortcut and click Finish. Now, you can double click the shortcut to run the program, and the UAC window will not prompt. Hope this helps. Regards, Linda
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December 9th, 2009 9:42am

I'll try it. Thank you!
December 16th, 2009 4:22am

Linda: Hello! This suggestion works great for an Individual application, when I have administrative privilege to create and then run the task. Thanks! However, is it possible to create a task in the manner you describe while I'm logged on as an administrator on Windows7, which can then be run by any users of the PC (even guests)? -Scott
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June 22nd, 2010 4:18am

Hello Linda, "... However, if you are sure certain application is safe..." Most, very most of all application are safe. This is the normal case. But UAC is designed as this is not the normal case with the result, that UAC in so many situation steals your time, makes your work harder. I had so many situations where not a malware or virus breaked my work, no, THE GREATE UAC was standing in the way to finish my work. In my opinion, effort to handle UAC in daily works is relative high, its benefits low.
December 14th, 2010 8:33am

sorry chinaski , you only say this because you never used a standard user account ;) Do the same steps under XP when you get the UAC prompt in Windows Vista/7 and what the ugly error message "Access denied". What is darder? Accept a UAC prompt or do the ugly "RunAs" operations in XP?"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/
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December 14th, 2010 10:23am

The work around of creating a task does not help when the program is to be lauched by Windows, for example a program that is associated with a file type. Another idiotic source of frustration courtesy of the mediocre MS.
December 26th, 2010 2:07pm

Can you explain this more? What are you trying to do?"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/
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December 26th, 2010 2:28pm

Every time I install a program that needs to run under XP compatibility mode to run correctly, UAC is launched. I can either turn it off which defeats the benefit of having windows 7. Using the shortcut is not a help as the program is associated with certain filetypes (image files) so the user tries to open an image file associated with the original exe file the dreaded UAC launches.
December 26th, 2010 2:42pm

yes, remove the shortcut and create a shortcut which runs the Task: schtasks.exe /RUN /TN "Taskname" "A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/
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December 26th, 2010 2:49pm

I turned off the local security policy to automatically elevate for administrators or admin mode but I hope this is not the same as turning off UAC.
December 26th, 2010 2:54pm

Why are you not following the steps Linda gave you?"A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/
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December 26th, 2010 3:07pm

Linda's advice worked great for my uac problem. Thanks
January 7th, 2011 11:20am

This solution does not work for enterprise level applications being deployed to hundreds/thousands of users. Is there any way that is more enterprise?
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January 13th, 2011 5:23pm

this solution only works if your user is part of the admin group."A programmer is just a tool which converts caffeine into code" CLIP- Stellvertreter http://www.winvistaside.de/
January 13th, 2011 6:30pm

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