Windows 7 UAC Issue

[blackhawk1928]

Hi,
I'm reinstalling the OS (Windows 7 Home Premium), for my grandfather. Trying to make it more secure, I enabled the hidden admin account, went into it and made a password, then made his account a regular standard user. Therefore, everytime he tries to install a program it would promt for the admin password, or change anything for that matter. IT worked fine, but now all of a sudden, when I try to do something in his account, the UAC promt comes up, but no windows to input the password, just a Yes and No button. The Yes button is also greyed out...a bug perhaps or an error of mine?...

I also, did go to cmd and did "control userpasswords2" in which I switched his account from homegroupuser/standard user to just "Standard User". Now I'm completely locked out of everything...can't change anything at all, let alone go back into the hidden admin account, because I hid it back and now it gives me access denied when I want to renable it....why won't the promt come up for the admin password, as if its a bug.

 

[John_VanKirk]

Hi there,

Unusual functionality. When you boot up, at the logon screen, can you put in the true Admin username and password, to access the system, not your GF's username?

Also did you by chance make a "reset password" disk initially when you set up the accounts for the computer?

 

[blackhawk1928]

Well I found a way around. I got into safemode, logged into the admin account, and then set my grandfathers account back to administrator. Everything is better now that Im not locked out entirely. However, I still can't get the promt to work properly. If I make him a "Standard User". The password promt just doesn't come up upon trying to do any sort of action requiring admin rights, just the UAC window with the Yes and No button. Its as if the admin promt dissappears or i disabled it somewhere lol.

I didn't make any password reset disks, and now yes, I can use the the real hidden admin account, but putting in the password I set for it earlier.

 

[John_VanKirk]

Hi again,
Great, now that you can get into the system, go to User Accounts in the Control Panel, and you can make a Password Reset Disk, upper left. Then you don't have to worry if password problems recur!

Also for your GF's account, choose it, and click on Change User Account Control Setting.

There you can see if setting the UAC slider to a less restrictive point may solve the problem. I think for a regular account, you only have 2 choices, the top and second to top (not 100% sure) but you may solve the issue there. Even setting it lower, then back to it's pressent position may reset the settings properly.

Other thing you can do for evaluation, is to create a separate Standard User there, and see if it acts the same as your GF's account. You can just delete the new Account profile there when done. If you find something "amis" with his User account (MS calls it corrupted!), you can create a New standard user account for him, slightly different name, and then delete his old one.

Hope that helps

 

[blackhawk1928]

Thank you. I'll try that and see how it goes. The new account method.

 

[sminlal]

When UAC just prompts with YES or NO instead of a password, it means the account you're using has administrative privileges.

UAC only works if a program requests privilege elevation - not all programs do this. For example if you try to use commands that require admin privileges in the Command Prompt window they will simply fail. To use admin commands in a command prompt window you need to open the window by right-clicking on the Command Prompt icon and choosing "Run As Administrator" If other programs don't work properly under a standard user account then you can do the same thing - right-click on them and choose "Run As Administrator".

 

[blackhawk1928]

The Window does have a YES and NO option, but the YES is greyed out...

 

[sminlal]

This thread seems to suggest that this happens when the built-in administrator account is disabled....?

http://www.sevenforums.com/system-security/60855-uac-control-password-prompt.html

 

[pjmelect]

Have you tried disabling UAC and then restarting, then enabling UAC and then restarting?

 

[blackhawk1928]

Oh wait, I did hide the admin account after I was done, maybe this was the problem...i'll try renabling it.
Smilnal, you maybe right.

 

[blackhawk1928]

Yes, I enabled the admin account back and the promts came back. I thought it was always enabled, just simply invisible. Oh well, I switched his account to admin anyway. He'll find a way to mess it up no matter what account he has haha.

Cause once he sees that admin account, he'll try to log in wondering what it is. Once he figures out it has a different password, he'll get angry cause its his computer and everything. I found it easier to just accept the fact that I have to reinstall his OS like every few months cause he messes it up by editing everything and clicking everywhere.