By default, standard users on Windows can run programs with elevated privileges if they enter an administrator password when prompted by User Access Control (UAC).
However, this is not the only behavior that the UAC has for standard user accounts, and you can change it depending on how secure these accounts are and the environment the computer is in. We’re going to show you how.
The UAC Behaviors Available for Standard User Accounts
Unlike whenchanging UAC behaviors for administrator accounts, the behaviors for standard user accounts are a little more limited. According to theMicrosoft Learnwebsite, here are the behaviors you can choose and what they mean:
The default UAC behavior for standard user accounts isPrompt for credentials, but Microsoft recommends you change it toAutomatically deny elevation requests. That way, only users with administrator accounts can decide how the UAC behaves and make choices that will keep the computer safe.
How to Change the UAC Behavior for Standard Users in the Local Group Policy Editor
The easiest way to change the way UAC behaves for standard users is to tweak theUser Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard userspolicy. To do that,open the Local Group Policy Editorand follow the steps below.
The Local Group Policy Editor isn’t available by default on Windows Home. As such, check outhow to access the Group Policy Editor on Windows Homebefore continuing.
Keep in mind that only administrators can change the behavior of the UAC. If a standard user tried to change it using the Local Group Policy Editor, for example, they’d probably get anAccess deniederror message.
How to Change the UAC Behavior for Standard Users in the Registry Editor
If you’re looking for another way to change UAC behavior for standard users, or theLocal Group Policy is not workingon your computer, you can make changes in the Windows registry instead.
Before you do that, however, we recommend youcreate a system restore pointto protect your computer in case you make a mistake. Once you do that,open the Registry Editorand follow the steps below:
Now restart your computer to allow the changes to take effect.
Control UAC’s Behavior for Standard Users on Windows
UAC is an integral part of protecting your Windows computer from malicious programs that want to run with elevated privileges. While you can’t make it elevate programs without prompting, you can make it stricter by setting it toAutomatically deny elevation requests. And, as you can see, it is quite easy to do, whether you’re using the Local Group Policy Editor or the Registry Editor.
