So, this applies to both Vista and Windows 7.
I am wondering if anyone has any experience with the behavior of UAC when running as a power user vs. an administrator. I'll see if I can explain this.
Out of habit, as I'm sure many other folks do too, I run Windows with my primary account enabled as an administrator. I don't like having to dance through hoops or follow special steps to install apps or access files, etc and by in large I'm careful enough to not feel worried about the traditionally associated accidents while running in administrator mode (ie: deleting files, etc).
Also, as I'm sure many other people can attest to, I'm sick and tired of having to tell Windows it's okay to run a game or program for the 4,000th time. UAC doesn't behave like I expect it should, and it frustrates me daily. Many times I have said to myself "I'm just going to turn this shit off", and again I'm sure many others can sympathize. But that isn't the right response, and it stays on because it should work dammit!
How I would expect UAC to work is the first time I run an application, I have to tell Windows it's okay to run that program. Once it knows that I have approved the application, it should just run it, unless something about the program has changed that might constitute a risk. If I want to make a change to a system setting, I don't mind if UAC pops up and asks for permission to make a change. I just don't want to have to click "Yes" for the brazillianth time that yes, I really did intend to run Warhammer Online and it's okay for the computer to just do it.
The failure of UAC being so chatty is that as creatures of habit, eventually clicking Yes becomes a muscle memory action and if something really WAS wrong we would just click Yes and let it through because we've seen the message so many times before. UAC in it's current state is the equivalent of the boy who cried wolf.
By way of comparison, on my Mac, when I run an application for the first time, OSX warns me that the application was downloaded from the Internet and might pose a threat and asks if I want to run it anyway. Once I have accepted the risk and told the computer to run the program, I don't have to tell it again that it's okay. If I am trying to make changes to the system, I have to provide an administrator password before those changes can be made.
So this gets me thinking. Since I'm always running as an administrator, is it possible that Windows is just being bitchy because I'm "not doing it right"? If I set my user setting to be a power user, or even just a normal user, would Windows be smart enough to allow me to spot elevate my privileges when necessary to (properly) install an application, or make a system setting change, while not pestering me all the damn time with UAC pop-ups?
Does anyone have experience with this? Thoughts? Comments? I just downloaded RC1 and will be formatting my box this coming weekend and I think I'm going to try this out to see if it behaves differently. In the meantime, any input is appreciated.
I am wondering if anyone has any experience with the behavior of UAC when running as a power user vs. an administrator. I'll see if I can explain this.
Out of habit, as I'm sure many other folks do too, I run Windows with my primary account enabled as an administrator. I don't like having to dance through hoops or follow special steps to install apps or access files, etc and by in large I'm careful enough to not feel worried about the traditionally associated accidents while running in administrator mode (ie: deleting files, etc).
Also, as I'm sure many other people can attest to, I'm sick and tired of having to tell Windows it's okay to run a game or program for the 4,000th time. UAC doesn't behave like I expect it should, and it frustrates me daily. Many times I have said to myself "I'm just going to turn this shit off", and again I'm sure many others can sympathize. But that isn't the right response, and it stays on because it should work dammit!
How I would expect UAC to work is the first time I run an application, I have to tell Windows it's okay to run that program. Once it knows that I have approved the application, it should just run it, unless something about the program has changed that might constitute a risk. If I want to make a change to a system setting, I don't mind if UAC pops up and asks for permission to make a change. I just don't want to have to click "Yes" for the brazillianth time that yes, I really did intend to run Warhammer Online and it's okay for the computer to just do it.
The failure of UAC being so chatty is that as creatures of habit, eventually clicking Yes becomes a muscle memory action and if something really WAS wrong we would just click Yes and let it through because we've seen the message so many times before. UAC in it's current state is the equivalent of the boy who cried wolf.
By way of comparison, on my Mac, when I run an application for the first time, OSX warns me that the application was downloaded from the Internet and might pose a threat and asks if I want to run it anyway. Once I have accepted the risk and told the computer to run the program, I don't have to tell it again that it's okay. If I am trying to make changes to the system, I have to provide an administrator password before those changes can be made.
So this gets me thinking. Since I'm always running as an administrator, is it possible that Windows is just being bitchy because I'm "not doing it right"? If I set my user setting to be a power user, or even just a normal user, would Windows be smart enough to allow me to spot elevate my privileges when necessary to (properly) install an application, or make a system setting change, while not pestering me all the damn time with UAC pop-ups?
Does anyone have experience with this? Thoughts? Comments? I just downloaded RC1 and will be formatting my box this coming weekend and I think I'm going to try this out to see if it behaves differently. In the meantime, any input is appreciated.