Microsoft introduced User Account Control (UAC) in Windows Vista. UAC enables users to perform common tasks as non-administrators, called standard users in Windows (Vista and Windows 7), and as administrators without having to switch users, log off, or use Run As. A standard user account is synonymous with a user account in Windows XP. User accounts that are members of the local Administrators group will run most applications as a standard user. By separating user and administrator functions while enabling productivity, UAC is an important enhancement for Windows.
Disable UAC from the command line
%systemroot%System32cmd.exe /k %windir%System32reg.exe ADD HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem /v EnableLUA /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
Enable UAC from the command line
%systemroot%System32cmd.exe /k %windir%System32reg.exe ADD HKLMSOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem /v EnableLUA /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
A couple caveats
- Must be run with administrative rights. You could right-click on Command Prompt shortcut and select Run as Administrator.
- You may have to reboot for changes to take affect.
You can also enable or disable UAC from the Control Panel.