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Managing Vista's User Access Controls

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PCQ Bureau
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Windows Vista draws a protective ring around sensitive areas of the system

using something called the UAC (User Access Control). Basically, when programs

that modify system level data (like the registry) are invoked, Vista's UAC

will throw up a login box asking for Administrator-level credentials. This is

particularly irritating if you are on your own PC or notebook or an

administrator trying to get the system configured. Thankfully, there is a simple

way around that does not require UAC to be turned off completely.

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This is a very old concept called 'Shortcuts'! Create a shortcut to the

desired program and edit its advanced properties to get it to run in

administrator mode. There is one more interesting side effect to running things

in the higher-privilege mode of UAC under Vista. Some new objects created (like

virtual drives) are visible only to that privilege level. Mapped drives created

inside an elevated shell are visible to the outside programs, but will require a

login to the remote server before they can be used. Let's examine each of

these also below.

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Create an elevated shortcut



Find the program you want to run with higher privileges (called UAC Elevation),
this can be another shortcut as well (such as those in your Programs menus).

Right click on it and select Send To>Desktop (create shortcut). You can

create the new shortcut anywhere, including a separate folder called 'Elevated

Shortcuts' created for this purpose. Now, navigate to your new shortcut and

right click on that to select Properties. On its 'Shortcut' tab, click on

the Advanced button and check the 'Run as administrator' option.

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Click on OK all the way out. Now every time you launch this shortcut, you

will simply be asked for permission to elevate (a simple Continue button)

instead of having to login with a password.

Special case: the command prompt



The command prompt is both a dangerous and a useful program to have an elevated
shortcut to. The reason is, you can then use it to launch any number of elevated

applications without needing to click on any more annoying Continue buttons or

login (on the local system). But, note that the



moment you close this command prompt, any mapped drives and virtual drives
(mounted through Virtual CD, Daemon Tools and so on) would cease to be available

through the Windows Explorer or other programs.

Create a shortcut and edit

its 'Advanced Properties' to get it to run as Administrator all the

time

Also, the drive letters are not released so one should take particular care

to unload these drives before ending the programs. Luckily, closing the command

prompt will not close any already open elevated programs that you launched from

that prompt.

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