Comments on: What’s New in Windows 7: User Account Control (UAC)

By: Thrawn

Thrawn — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:19:08 +0000

I’ve just encountered UAC on Windows Server 2008, and I can see valid uses for it (ie blocking something that was installed without my knowledge). I have two gripes:

- It needs a safe list. You should be able to tell it, “I trust this program; don’t ask me about it again.”

- Sometimes, it blocks things without asking, causing programs to fail mysteriously. For example, with UAC on, a local administrator can’t log into SQL Server without using ‘Run as Administrator’.

Are these improved in Windows 7?

By: Axlin

Axlin — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 08:13:22 +0000

I’ve been using Windows 7 for the last week or so and I do have to say that I like the direction they’re going in with UAC. The ability to customize UAC was one of the things that Vista’s UAC most definitely needed. My only one remaining gripe, however, is that I really wish they would require you to enter an administrator *password* like in *nix systems instead of simply clicking a cancel/allow button. That way you’re also protected from malicious use of a computer when the malicious user has physical access to the computer.

By: Greg Swift

Greg Swift — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 21:19:30 +0000

I am running 32bit and 64bit Windows 7 on my new HP laptop and both are very nice. To me the 32bit version feels a little less solid than the 64bit installation. I only issue I have so far and this applied to both versions, is Windows 7 cannot come up with a driver for my SMbus controller so it does not function normally. Everything else about Win 7 is very cool.

By: Backlin

Backlin — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 17:22:49 +0000

I would like UAC a lot better if it asked whether or not to install programs, not when the program attempts to make changes to Windows.

By: John Chorley

John Chorley — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 08:05:26 +0000

I personally don’t need Windows 7, I have Vista and it runs just fine on my system. I do how ever like the features you covered, such as the changing the desktop background every so often (refer to the program desktoptopia). But a few features arn’t really enough for me to upgrade to windows 7. If they made it free (which I dobut) for Vista users then I would upgrade.

But anyway I’m happy to see that you like Windows 7 (after all that trouble with your video card), Hope to see you go over some more features in Windows 7, I must say it has me wondering.

By: Geenome

Geenome — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:29:54 +0000

I totally agree with you Chris. I have used Win7 only a couple of days, but already it’s looking good. I do prefer the Vista Media Centre better than the Win7 MCE. I don’t like the font they have used. I’m still trying to get used to the MCE menu system being lower than Vista’s one (menu was in the middle of screen.
But it has been so good as far as the revamped UAC. I have only had UAC pop up 3 maybe 4 times, usually regarding what program I was installing.
So far, I would give UAC a 8 out of 10.