Windows 7 / Security and Privacy

How to Control UAC Using Application Properties

If the application does not run automatically with administrator credentials, you can rightclick the application and then click Run As Administrator. If you deploy an application to users, however, you should configure the application to prompt the user automatically if it does not run automatically with administrator credentials. To mark an application to always run with administrator credentials, follow these steps:

  1. Log on using administrator credentials but do not use the built-in Administrator account.
  2. Right-click the application and then click Properties.
  3. Click the Compatibility tab. If you want other users on the same computer to run the application with administrative privileges, click Change Settings For All Users.
  4. Under Privilege Level, select the Run This Program As An Administrator check box. Click OK. If the check box is not available, it means that the application is blocked from always running elevated, the application does not require administrator credentials to run, the application is part of the current version of Windows 7, or you are not logged on to the computer as an administrator.

You need to mark only applications that require administrator credentials but do not cause UAC to automatically prompt the user. You cannot set a privilege level for Windows features, such as the command prompt. Instead, you should always right-click them and then click Run As Administrator. Alternatively, you can create a new shortcut to the application. Then, view the properties of the shortcut, click the Shortcut tab, click the Advanced button, and then select the Run As Administrator check box.

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