Vista User Account Control

[Callisto]

Hello, just a quick question regarding this feature on Vista, as I'm still really new to using the OS.

I still use all the standard safety precautions, FireFox w/ NoScript/AdBlock, run daily scans, don't click on stupid shit, etc...I was just wondering, how effective is the actual UAC feature? When it's on it's somewhat annoying as it pretty much gives you a popup prompt every time you press a button to do anything, but if you turn off aside from giving you more annoying warnings often that it is turned off, I have to wonder how much of a safety risk turning it off is anyways.

Is it even an effective tool against something like a keylogger virus were one somehow to make it past NoScript?

Edit: For clarity, I had turned it off to install all my normal stuff like FFXI/PhotoFiltre and other applications as it really slowed down installing things, though I turned it back on afterwards.

[#686578]

Short answer is no.

[Callisto]

Short answer is no.

Thanks, if it's not going to do much more than my normal precautions it really is seriously fucking annoying to leave on.

[#686578]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but yeah that's exactly right. With all the precautionary measures you seem to have taken it doesnt look like UAC would help you at all. (I've never known a case where it's helped anyone, does anyone know of a test where an unprotected Vista Machine was put on a network and see how long until it was hacked?)

[Kaisha]

My question to you: Do you even read what it is the UAC is warning you about, or do you just click Allow because you're tired of the damn OS prompting you for every fricken' application process, including ones that came with the OS itself?

If it's the latter, then no, it won't help you at all.

[Octavious]

Someone can correct me if I'm wrong, but yeah that's exactly right. With all the precautionary measures you seem to have taken it doesnt look like UAC would help you at all. (I've never known a case where it's helped anyone, does anyone know of a test where an unprotected Vista Machine was put on a network and see how long until it was hacked?)

http://www.infoworld.com/article/08/03/ ... est_1.html

Vista actually held up quite well, lol@mac dropping so fast after safari was installed (not surprised). Also, as far as I know the Vista UAC would protect against a keylogger unless the keylogger could pipe through something you approve. If anything access the internet and you don't allow it Vista's UAC will popup allow/disallow and halt internet traffic until you answer. The UAC does break Windower as it'll close it and throw an exception (it happened to me when I was using X-Win to do Unix work for class during FF).

I use XP on laptop, Vista on my Desktop (where I play FF), and I can say Vista isn't that bad. If you have a machine that can run it it's quite nice. Notice I said that can run it, not a 'vista capable' machine, i'm talking a 2gb RAM PC. Digg had an article on Vista today that was interesting as well, link below.

http://gizmodo.com/5019908/ten-reasons- ... t-that-bad

I would compare Vista's reputation to that of the PS3, more stigma than reality. If anything Vista's far more secure at its base, and with the proper setup is very nice. Oh, and don't use norton/mcaffe on vista, they're kind of funky with WindowsDefender, i use TrendMicro, but there's many other nice Vista Virus Protection software. You could always stick with windows defender as a backup but it doesn't do virus protection, only adware/malware blocking rather than fixing them, iirc.

[Snowknight26]

Short answer is no.

Actually, its very effective; There was an article at PCWorld or somewhere where it stopped every virus/rootkit/trojan they threw at it.

However, in your position, I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid, you can turn it off.

[Amele]

I had no issues getting windower to work with UAC - you need to run the app directly and not the prelaunch gui. you also need to give the app admin access (properties> run as administrator)

UAC is good to have but I would disable the secure desktop portion of it to make it play nicer with directx.

not saying you do this; but I always find it ironic when people move to vista because it's "more secure" and then the first thing they do is disable the primary feature that's making it more secure in the first place.


tl;dr: reconfigure UAC sure; disabling should be last resort.

[#686578]

Short answer is no.

Actually, its very effective; There was an article at PCWorld or somewhere where it stopped every virus/rootkit/trojan they threw at it.

However, in your position, I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid, you can turn it off.

However, in your position, I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid, you can turn it off.

[Snowknight26]

His question was whether it is effective, not whether he should be using it.

[#686578]

His question was whether it is effective, not whether he should be using it.

Is it even an effective tool against something like a keylogger virus were one somehow to make it past NoScript?

Short answer is no.

[quote=What you said in a belittling fashion specifically pointed towards me in an effort to somehow say 'you're wrong' all the while saying the same thing I am but in a longer format, which if you would have noticed I was trying to avoid by specifically saying 'short answer']Actually, its very effective; There was an article at PCWorld or somewhere where it stopped every virus/rootkit/trojan they threw at it.

However, in your position, I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid, you can turn it off.

Short answer is no.

Actually, its very effective; There was an article at PCWorld or somewhere where it stopped every virus/rootkit/trojan they threw at it.

However, in your position, I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid, you can turn it off.[/quote:35aqsj0w]

However, in your position, I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid, you can turn it off.

However, in your position, I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid, you can turn it off.

I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid, you can turn it off.

I doubt it will help much. As long as you aren't stupid.

I doubt it will help much.

No.

[Cephius]

Hey enough, stick to answering the question, this section is not for these silly arguments.