3 Ways to Disable User Account Control (UAC) on Windows 11
Before you disable UAC, think twice about the security repurcussions
- While User Account Control is known to protect your PC from unwanted access, it can also be annoying to see the prompt whenever you try to open an app.
- Its main advantages include ensuring fewer programs run with administrator privileges, blocking malware from gaining unauthorized system access, and more.
- Therefore, before you disable UAC on your Windows 11 PC, make sure you consider the security issues that may come with it.
The UAC prompt on Windows 11 can annoy many, so you may want to disable the feature for uninterrupted workflow.
Whether you want to disable the do you want to allow this app to make changes prompt, or turn off the feature temporarily, we have some helpful tips for you.
Why are UAC settings necessary?
If you are planning to disable UAC on your Windows 11 PC, here are a few reasons why you should think twice before the action:
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- Inhibit malware infiltration – The UAC protects your PC from malware, thus helping organizations offer better-managed desktops.
- Offer security to non-administrator accounts – With UAC, you can run apps and tasks without administrator access with complete security. You can find out more on administrator vs elevated privileges accounts.
- Prevent the installation of unauthorized apps – The User Account Control blocks the automatic installation of unsafe apps and prevents any changes to the system settings.
- Allow login with a standard user account – UAC allows all users to log on to their devices using a standard user account.
- Run apps with administrator token – When you want to run an app with more than standard user rights, with UAC, you can run apps with their administrator token.
How do I turn off UAC in Windows 11?
1. Disable UAC in the Windows 11 registry
NOTE
- Press the Win + R shortcut keys to open the Run console, type regedit, and hit Enter to open the Registry Editor window.
- Next, navigate to the below path, and double-click on the EnableLUA DWORD.
- In the Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value dialogue, change the Value data from 1 to 0. Press OK.
Now, close the registry editor and restart your PC. The UAC settings should be disabled successfully now.
To enable the User Account Control Settings back again, follow the above instructions, and change the value data from 0 to 1.
For broken registry items in Windows 11, you can refer to our manual on how to fix the issue.
2. Turn off UAC for specific programs in Windows 11
- Go to Start, search for task scheduler in the Windows search bar, and click on the first result to open Task Scheduler.
- Right-click on Task Scheduler Library on the left, and select New Folder.
- You can then rename it as, for example, Disable UAC and press OK.
- Next, expand Task Scheduler Library, right-click on the new folder, and select Create Task.
- In the Create Task window, name the task something like turn off UAC for quick access, go to Security Options below, and select Run with highest privileges.
- Now, next to Configure for, select Windows 11 (or the OS you are currently running) from the drop-down. Click OK.
- Press OK again in the next prompt to proceed. Next, under Actions, click on New.
- Now, in the New Action dialog, select Start a program in the Action field, and click on Browse. You must select the target app’s .exe file.
- If using a laptop, you must also go to the Conditions tab and deselect Start the task only if the computer is on AC power. Press OK.
- Now, show the desktop on your PC and then create a shortcut for the target app.
You have now successfully disabled the UAC, so the next time you start the target app, you would not see the prompt.
To undo the action, and re-enable UAC, simply delete the created task and the folder.
3. Deactivate UAC with msconfig in Windows 11
- Press the Win + R keys to launch the Run console. Then type msconfig in the search bar and hit Enter to open the System Configuration window.
- Next, go to the Tools tab in the System Configuration window, select Change UAC Settings, and press Launch.
- This will open the User Account Control Settings window. Here, move the slider on the left to Never notify, and press OK to save the changes.
Once done, restart your PC, and now try opening the target app. It should open without the UAC prompt.
However, you can repeat the above instructions again, and in Step 3, move the slider back to Always Notify to turn the UAC back again.
Besides, you can also use msconfig to disable non-essential services in Windows 11, as explained in our post.
However, if you are planning to use legacy apps or an advanced user who wants to disable UAC on your Windows 11 PC but is unsure how to, the guide above should help you, if you want to enable UAC on Windows 10, you can follow our detailed post for quick guidance.
Let us know in the comments box below for any other queries on the User Account Control settings.
