Overview

This article provides details on how to disable the User Account Control (UAC) on Microsoft Windows Servers and on personal computers, including desktop, laptops, and workstations.

Solution

The Microsoft Windows feature User Account Control (UAC) can interfere with this alternative credentials usage in GFI LanGuard and has to be disabled.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 

1. Select Start > Control Panel.
2. Select User Accounts > Turn User Account Control on or off.
3. Deselect Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer and click OK.
4. Reboot the machine for changes to take effect.

Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2

1. Select Start > Control Panel.
2. Select User Accounts > Change User Account Control settings.
3. Move the slider bar down to the Never notify selection and click OK.
4. Reboot the machine for changes to take effect.

Microsoft Windows Server 2012 / 2016

1. Select Start > Control Panel 
2. Click System Security
3. Under Action Center, choose Change User Account Control settings
4. Move the slider bar down to the Never notify selection and click OK
5. Reboot the machine for changes to take effect

Microsoft Windows Personal Computers

1. Type uac into the Windows Start menu.
2. Click Change User Account Control settings.
3. Move the slider down to Never Notify.
4. Click OK and then restart the computer.

Note: Alternatively on all Microsoft Windows versions that support UAC - fully disable UAC from PowerShell as follows:

1. Select Start > Run
2. At the Run window type the following command and click Ok

   powershell

3. Copy/Paste this command in the PowerShell prompt: 
   

   New-ItemProperty -Path HKLM:Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\system -Name EnableLUA -PropertyType DWord -Value 0 -Force

4. Reboot the machine for changes to take effect.
5. Make sure UAC is disabled by navigating to a restricted folder.
6. Select Start > Run
7. At the Run window type the following command and click Ok.
   

   C:\Windows\SysWOW64\Config

8. If the system doesn't prompt you for Administrative access - UAC has been successfully disabled.

Note: Often the UAC doesn't wholly get disabled in Server 2012 by merely selecting Never notify in the user interface.  Instead, you will have to follow the Windows Server 2012: Deactivating UAC article to disable it via the registry. 

Testing

With the setting above Microsoft Windows should not seek additional permissions when using alternative credentials in GFI LanGuard.