How to toggling UAC on/off quickly, eg. using command line, in Windows-7?

9

7

I'm writing codes which relates to UAC and need to turn it on/off very often.

So that I'm looking for a way to turning it on/off quickly, prefer to use command line.

Please share if you know how to.

ps.

It would be lovely if the solution does NOT require to reboot.

Nam G VU

Posted 2011-01-01T04:33:01.187

Reputation: 10 255

there's a way to script it, but it requires a reboot....i have to go digging if i'm going to find it. it's a regkey toggle i researched a while back. – RobotHumans – 2011-01-01T04:38:21.320

Are you just using this code for personal use? Any application that goes around making changes to UAC settings is not going to make users happy. I would never install an application that makes changes to my UAC status unless I specifically told it to. – nhinkle – 2011-01-04T18:49:07.570

@nhinkle Yeah, I use it for my own, in debugging task only. – Nam G VU – 2011-01-05T03:49:49.713

Answers

11

Run the following commands with Administrator privileges:

  • Disable UAC

    %windir%\System32\cmd.exe /k %windir%\System32\reg.exe ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v EnableLUA /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
    
  • Enable UAC

    %windir%\System32\cmd.exe /k %windir%\System32\reg.exe ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System /v EnableLUA /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
    

Sparx

Posted 2011-01-01T04:33:01.187

Reputation: 1 667

@TuxRug UAC disabling is possible without reboot. try my answer. Seems to be an extra key, that asks for prompt. – pulsarjune – 2014-07-18T06:51:09.490

6Unfortunately, enabling/disabling UAC will require a reboot no matter what you do. UAC makes Windows behave differently internally, not just to the user. – TuxRug – 2011-01-01T04:57:26.047

Though still need to reboot, I'll choose yours command to be the selected answer. Please update to note about running the command under priviledge mode & separate the two answers as two different approuches. Your answers are currently mixed & messy – Nam G VU – 2011-01-04T14:47:50.740

Sure. Just FYI - approaches, typo in your comment. – Sparx – 2011-01-04T17:59:27.483

3

Ready for me to blow your minds with a hidden "feature"...

To disable UAC for all subsiquent commands in the same session--i.e. if you close the particular script or CMD sessions it resets and you just have to set it again to disable temporarily:

SET __COMPAT_LAYER=WINXPSP3

Chris K.

Posted 2011-01-01T04:33:01.187

Reputation: 39

Does not work on Windows 2016 server – langlauf.io – 2017-07-04T08:43:00.490

2

As an aside - If you are a computer administrator, and you still want to keep UAC for standard users, there’s an easy way to turn it off for administrators only.

Just open Local Security Policy from Administrative Tools in the Control Panel.

Then go to Local Policies > Security Options.

Scroll all the way down and find where it says something like: USER ACCOUNT CONTROL: Behavior of elevation prompt for administrators in Admin. Approval Mode;

Double-click it and then click the drop down list and change it to “elevate without prompting.”

UAC should no longer annoy administrators.

Sparx

Posted 2011-01-01T04:33:01.187

Reputation: 1 667