Hate Vista's UAC? Enough to Give It To....Norton?

Discussion in 'The Lounge' started by star17, Oct 20, 2008.

  1. star17

    star17 MajorGeek

    star17, Oct 20, 2008
    #1
  2. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Wow...that is scary, imo. What is scarier is that people who don't know a thing about computers will just do it.


    So, in other words, if you decide to uninstall Norton and not use it anymore, you are probably going to have a huge problem.
     
    LauraR, Oct 20, 2008
    #2
  3. studiot

    studiot MajorGeek

    Interesting.

    Have you tried it?
     
    studiot, Oct 20, 2008
    #3
  4. star17

    star17 MajorGeek

    Are you kidding? :-D
     
    star17, Oct 20, 2008
    #4
  5. Anon-15281db623

    Anon-15281db623 Anonymized

    Any Norton product is never coming near my computer, ever! :-D I don't mind the UAC, I maybe see it once a week when I run CCleaner, if that. Free AV Software is the way to go!
     
    Anon-15281db623, Oct 20, 2008
    #5
  6. augiedoggie

    augiedoggie The Canadian Loon - LocoAugie (R.I.P. 2012)

    I'll give it a shot just to see what gives as I can afford to lose my current install of Vista if it comes to that.
     
    augiedoggie, Oct 20, 2008
    #6
  7. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    I am not a Norton's fan. But a UAC with a remember freature would be nice.

    Had to kill the UAC on my Vista. Bugged me everytime I wanted to run AusLogic or CCleaner.

    But it is the Nortons. Very suspicious.
     
    Fred_G, Oct 20, 2008
    #7
  8. augiedoggie

    augiedoggie The Canadian Loon - LocoAugie (R.I.P. 2012)

    Well, it works as advertised and is easy like training a FW. My only concern would be is how easy/hard this may be compromised. May help those folks who know enough to turn UAC off but not enough to make sure they are otherwise properly protected. Now to go see how it uninstalls.
     
    augiedoggie, Oct 21, 2008
    #8
  9. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    I'll be curious to see if it changes everything back the way it should once you uninstall, augie. The whole thing seems suspicious to me.
     
    LauraR, Oct 21, 2008
    #9
  10. augiedoggie

    augiedoggie The Canadian Loon - LocoAugie (R.I.P. 2012)

    The removal was painless but this was just a standalone beta and I'm pretty sure they won't be offering this as a free product just out of their good hearts. I was hoping that MS would have taken this route back when Vista was still in beta as it's a nice compromise between XP's openness and Vista's UAC. However, MS was being raked over the coals about XP's lack of security ATT so it was decided to lock Vista down. Not a bad choice by MS but they were going to be bashed by someone no matter what they did, they couldn't win.

    I don't understand what you mean by 'suspicious'.:confused
     
    augiedoggie, Oct 21, 2008
    #10
  11. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Not yet thanks, while I do see the need for something like this to try an passify many in UACs alerts, I do also see the downside in allowing an application to control manage another, not used it as yet, but if it allows an updated application to not go through another check and have the user allow it again, this could open the door up to malware being installed via another unchecked route, yes you can just blindly click through UAC and infect yourself, but personally I dont like an app controlling this aspect.

    Have to laugh at this line

    Sorry but very nature of a prompt is appears without warning, next we'd want a prompt to prompt you your just about to get a prompt!

    I'd love no UAC prompts but what do we want enhanced security or not, tough decision for the devs to end up dammed if they dont and dammed if they do! Windows 7 will have UAC but in a less agressive form http://blogs.msdn.com/e7/archive/2008/10/08/user-account-control.aspx but also some of the UAC prompts can be removed if the 3rd parties develope their apps correctly, which is why over time less are prompting UAC.

    But this is the main part I dont like at all, too much open to corruption of a core system set of files from a 3rd party developer, and going on past tests while testing SP1 their where some security 3rd parties that if you uninstalled their apps they left files behind that broke Security Panel which could stop the Service Pack for installing, which brings me onto what will happen if UAC files are updated in a hotfix! what will happen when Vista SP2 is released?

    Also use if your not too worried about what this app is collecting on your user input! Would hazard a guess it wants external firewall access.
     
    DavidGP, Oct 21, 2008
    #11
  12. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Suspicious was the wrong word.

    Halo pulled the same statement out of that description that I did:

     
    LauraR, Oct 21, 2008
    #12
  13. bigbazza

    bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

    I thought I read somewhere that MS had a UAC "option" in Vista Ultimate. It provided an option between UAC fully on and UAC fully off? Anyone remember this, or use this? Bazza
     
    bigbazza, Oct 21, 2008
    #13
  14. DavidGP

    DavidGP MajorGeeks Forum Administrator - Grand Pooh-Bah Staff Member

    Hi Bazza

    Should be in all Vista versions in this menu location Control Panel > User Accounts and Family Safety >User Accounts and then in the list is Turn UAC on or off.

    Still wouldnt advise turning it off, but this is a user preference...
     
    DavidGP, Oct 21, 2008
    #14
  15. Kestrel13!

    Kestrel13! Super Malware Fighter - Major Dilemma Staff Member

    I don't mind the extra click involved with the UAC at all...but I wouldn't fancy letting anything Norton related loose on my PC :eek
     
    Kestrel13!, Oct 21, 2008
    #15
  16. musksnipe

    musksnipe Guest

    I disabled the UAC about 2 weeks after I got Vista.
    I hate being asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?" :tas

    No problems, with whatever it is actually 'sposed to protect me from.
    But then I'm the only user.
     
    musksnipe, Oct 21, 2008
    #16
  17. studiot

    studiot MajorGeek

    If you ask me, UAC is nowhere near strong enough.

    If it had any real teeth half the world would not have suffered from the recent Nvidia, Realtek and Nero debacles.

    In any event UAC has 9 levels of control settings rather than just on or off, but most users don't set it up properly.

    Whilst Windows Defender is not the world's best anti spyware program, it does contain Software Explorer which can lock things down pretty tightly. It can even prevent Microsoft stuff (eg msconfig) from running.

    Oh and it should also be remembered that Norton was the company that used a rootkit as part of its AV.
     
    studiot, Oct 21, 2008
    #17
  18. Fred_G

    Fred_G Heat packin' geek

    "In any event UAC has 9 levels of control settings rather than just on or off, but most users don't set it up properly."

    Where are those options at StudioT? All I see are options to turn it on or off. I like Vista, but still get lost at times.:-D
     
    Fred_G, Oct 21, 2008
    #18
  19. bigbazza

    bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

    Halo, what I meant to explain that I read that there is a separate file in Vista Ultimate that will allow users some control over what programs pop up for confirmation (Run, Y/N?). I was not asking how to turn UAC on or off.

    Maybe it relates to Studiots' quote? (only in Ultimate and / or Business?)

    Have you heard of this option? Bazza

    ===

     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2008
    bigbazza, Oct 23, 2008
    #19
  20. studiot

    studiot MajorGeek

    Yeah I think it's only business and above

    start>search>typein
    secpol.msc
    Local Policy>Security Options
    Select a UAC policy to see or modify all 9 options
     
    studiot, Oct 23, 2008
    #20
  21. bigbazza

    bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

    Yeah, I thought it was only Business and / or Ultimate. :cry :(
    Pity MS just ignored the best selling Vista Home Premium. Shows their contempt for us poorer folks. They would have got much more good press for Vista, and lots less complaints about UAC, IMO.

    Google search results on secpol.msc search, for additional info.
    http://www.google.com/custom?hl=en&...O-8859-1&q=secpol.msc&btnG=Search&sitesearch=

    Bazza

    ===

     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2008
    bigbazza, Oct 23, 2008
    #21
  22. bigbazza

    bigbazza R.I.P. 14/12/2011 - Good Onya Geek

    From http://www.vistax64.com/vista-security/71215-uac-vista-home-premium-hmm-no-secpol-msc-2.html Scroll down the posts until you find the quote.

    I haven't ried it. Just found it. :major

    If you try it, let us know how it performs. :) Bazza
     
    Last edited: Oct 23, 2008
    bigbazza, Oct 23, 2008
    #22
  23. LauraR

    LauraR MajorGeeks Super-Duper Administrator Staff Member

    Sounds like it's effectively the same as disabling the UAC. How would the UAC be helping you if there aren't any pop ups notifying you of whatever changes are being made?:confused
     
    LauraR, Oct 23, 2008
    #23
  24. studiot

    studiot MajorGeek

    Sorry to disabuse you Bazza, but you still won't have full control.

    There are plenty of system files it won't let you edit.

    Try to rename something in \windows\inf.

    Even the super administrator doesn't have file ownership,you need this to set permissions.

    I also found the the net user administrator active:yes command doesn't work properly on all Vista systems. It says done but the all important making the Administrator account show up in the login screen does not necessarily happen.

    I had to use Linux to break into the Fujitsu laptop I am having so much fun with, to get to an administrator account.
     
    studiot, Oct 23, 2008
    #24
  25. Horsey

    Horsey Sergeant

    I let that carbuncle of an AV loose on this machine for 4 years in a row, thinking it was helping - boy, was I wrong! :-D
     
    Horsey, Oct 28, 2008
    #25

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