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You Encounter Unexpected Behavior When You Perform Tasks as a Standard User and UAC Is Disabled

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Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

Symptom

You log on to a computer running Windows Vista or Windows 7 as a standard user and then try to perform one of the following actions:

  • Right-click a program or a task, and then click Run as administrator.

  • Start a program or a task that usually requires elevated administrator permissions to continue.

When you perform either of these actions, the task may not be completed successfully, and unexpected behavior may occur. The unexpected behavior may include the following:

  • The User Account Control dialog box does not appear as expected. You are not prompted for the administrator password to continue.

  • You do not receive an error message that states that you do not have sufficient permissions to perform the action.

Cause

This issue may occur when a user who is a member of the Administrators group turns off the User Account Control feature, and then logs on as a standard user. When you try to perform a task, the task runs by using standard user permissions, even if you try to run the task by using the Run as administrator option.

Resolution

To fix this issue, turn UAC on.

To turn UAC on in Windows 7

  1. Log on to a computer running Windows 7 as an administrator.

  2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

  3. Click User Accounts, click User Accounts, and then click Change User Account settings.

  4. Move the slider bar up from the Never notify setting to the setting of your choice, and then click OK.

  5. In the User Account Control dialog box, click Yes. The User Account Control dialog box should now appear when any user tries to perform a task that requires elevated or administrative credentials.

To turn UAC on in Windows Vista

  1. Log on to a computer running Windows Vista as an administrator.

  2. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.

  3. Click User Accounts, click User Accounts, and then click Turn User Account Control on or off.

  4. If you are prompted for an administrator password or for confirmation, type your password, or click Continue.

  5. Select the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box, and then click OK.

  6. When you are prompted, restart the computer. When the computer restarts, the User Account Control dialog box appears when any user tries to perform a task that requires elevated or administrative credentials.