How to Turn off (UAC) User Account Control in Windows 2008 (R2)

If you are new to Windows Server 2008, then you are probably wondering why you are getting “Permission Denied” errors when attempting to even open your C drive folder. To help prevent malicious software from silently installing and causing computer-wide infection, Microsoft developed a feature called User Account Control. To get around these errors, you can simply disable the “User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode” security option.

To disable this feature, follow these steps, or simply let us know and we will take care of it for you:

Turning off UAC

Use the following procedure to disable UAC entirely.

To perform the following procedure, you must be able to log on with or provide the credentials of a member of the local Administrators group.
Important: Turning off UAC reduces the security of your computer and may expose you to increased risk from malicious software. Microsoft does not recommend leaving UAC disabled.

To turn off UAC

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click User Accounts.
3. In the User Accounts window, click User Accounts.
4. In the User Accounts tasks window, click Turn User Account Control on or off.
5. If UAC is currently configured in Admin Approval Mode, the User Account Control message appears. Click Continue.
6. Clear the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box, and then click OK.
7. Click Restart Now to apply the change right away, or click Restart Later and close the User Accounts tasks window.

Disable Admin Approval Mode

Use the following procedure to disable Admin Approval Mode.

To disastrongle Admin Approval Mode

1. Click Start, click All Programs, click Accessories, click Run, type secpol.msc in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. If the User Account Control dialog box appears, confirm that the action it displays is what you want, and then click Continue
3. From the Local Security Settings console tree, double-click Local Policies, and then double-click Security Options.
4. Scroll down and double-click User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode.
5. Select the Disabled option, and then click OK.
6. Close the Local Security Settings window.

Turn off User Account Control in Windows 2008 (R2)

In Windows 2008

1. Click Start, and then click Control Panel.
2. In Control Panel, click User Accounts.
3. In the User Accounts window, click User Accounts.
4. In the User Accounts tasks window, click Turn User Account Control on or off.
5. If UAC is currently configured in Admin Approval Mode, the User Account Control message appears. Click Continue.
6. Clear the Use User Account Control (UAC) to help protect your computer check box, and then click OK.
7. Click Restart Now to apply the change right away, or click Restart Later and close the User Accounts tasks window.

Here is the Microsoft Office Article: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc709691(WS.10).aspx

In Windows 2008 R2 or Windows 7

Using Registry:  Click here

Using GUI:  Follow below steps or in windows explorer bar just type “Control Panel\User Accounts\User Accounts” & press enter – it will take you there. Even in Windows 7 old Vista command works “UserAccountControlSettings.exe“