UAC prompts in Windows can be annoying at times. Here are the steps to turn off or disable UAC (User Access Control) in Windows 10 & 11.
Microsoft introduced a new User Access Control feature, starting with Windows Vista. Every time you or a program wants to install software or modify system files or settings, you will see a UAC prompt asking for your permission.
If you give the permission, the changes are allowed. Otherwise, Windows will block the operation. This is a basic yet good security measure.
For example, if you are trying to install or remove an antivirus software, since it is a significant change, Windows will show a UAC prompt. If you accept the prompt, the procedure will continue, and changes will be made accordingly. Otherwise, Windows will block the install or uninstall process. The same is true when changing essential system settings.
However, there will be times when the UAC prompts are excessive and annoying, like installing many software and drivers on a new system. You can quickly disable UAC (User Access Control) in Windows in those situations. The good thing is, it is pretty easy to do.
As always, I will show two easy ways to turn off UAC in Windows 10 and 11. Both methods are easy to understand and follow. Below are the exact steps you need to follow.
Warning: It is not recommended to disable user access control. Only follow the below steps when necessary and as a temporary measure.
The steps shown below work in both Windows 10 and 11.
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Disable UAC from Control Panel
Windows has a built-in User Access Control management tool. You can change UAC’s aggressiveness or outright disable it using this tool. The best thing about this tool is that you just move a slider to change or disable User Access Control.
Though the tool is easy to use, it can be challenging for uninformed users to find it in the Control Panel’s sea of options. So, let me show you where to find the User Access Control tool and how to change it.
- Open the Start Menu.
- Search for “Control Panel” and open it.
- Select “View by” > “Category” in the Control Panel.
- Click on the “System and Security” link. This is where all the security stuff lives.
- Under “Security and Maintenance,” find and click the “Change User Access Control settings” link.
- The above action will open the UAC tool.
- Grab the slider with your mouse and drag it down. The tool should show “Never Notify” under the slider.
- Click on the “Ok” button to save changes.
That is it. The changes are instant, and there is no need to restart.
From now on, Windows will not bother you with the UAC prompts. That is, you have successfully disabled UAC in Windows 10 and 11.
When you want to reset or enable user access control, open the user access control tool and drag the slider to the second top position. That is the “Notify me only when apps try to make changes to my control (default)” position. This is the default level for all Windows systems.
Turn off UAC from Registry
If the UAC tool method does not work or you are looking for an alternative way, you can use the Windows Registry Editor to disable user access control. All you have to do is change a single value, and you are good to go.
The only downside of this method is that it will not give you the control you see in the first method. i.e., the UAC tool. Nevertheless, back up the registry and follow the below steps.
- Open the start menu.
- Search for “regedit” or “registry editor” and open it.
- In the registry editor, please copy the below path, paste it into the address bar, and press Enter. This action will take you to the folder we need.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
- On the right panel, find the “EnableLUA” value. This is the key that controls User Access Control. Double-click on the value.
- In the Edit Value window, select “Hexadecimal” under Base. Next, enter “0” in the Value Data field and click on the “Ok” button to save changes.
- You will see a notification from Windows telling you that you need to restart the system to make the changes take effect.
- So, close the Registry Editor and reboot Windows. You can do that by right-clicking on the Start menu and selecting “Shut down or sign out -> Restart.”
After restarting, you will no longer see the UAC prompts. If you want to revert, go to step 5, change the value data back to “1,” and click on the “Ok” button. Don’t forget to reboot your system.
That is all. It is that simple to disable user access control in Windows 10 and 11. If you like this article, check out how to disable reserved storage to save space and different ways to lock Windows 10.
If you are stuck or need some help, comment below, and I will try to help as much as possible.