Vista offers a new feature which is called User Account Control. User Account control separates user and admin functions in Windows Vista which increases security. It basically ensures that malicious programs can’t be run using administrative privileges without the administrator first accepting it. This is great if security is concerned but really painful if you are running programs on a daily basis that require administrative privileges.You can disable the User Account Control function completely which disables the complete security feature in Windows Vista. This has the advantage that you will not get prompted if you want to run or install programs that require admin privileges.

The second option would be to change the behavior in the Local Security Settings Microsoft Management Console. I will explain how to do both and start with the easier but more radical one: Disabling the User Account Control feature in Windows Vista.

Disabling User Account Control:

• Press Windows + R, enter msconfig and hit enter.
• Select the Tools tab
• Find Disable UAC / Disable UAP
• Click on Launch
• Restart the Computer

As I said earlier this is a very radical way. If you have the choice use the second method instead which leaves User Account Control enabled and tinkers just a bit with some settings of it.

Customizing User Account Control: (This is NOT available on Vista Home Premium)

• Press Windows + R, enter secpol.msc and hit enter
• Click on Security Settings
• Local Policies
• Security Options
• double-click User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for administrators in Admin Approval Mode
• choose Elevate without prompting
• click ok

This setting becomes immediately active. I suggest you try if it is working by launching AutoTRAX. It should now start without asking you for it

Here is a tip if you happen to work with the CMD prompt a lot. Right-click the command prompt shortcut in the Start menu and click ‘Properties’. Click ‘Advanced’ and then ‘Run as administrator’. Now when you open the command prompt, UAC will automatically prompt you for administrator privileges.

Here are a few methods you can use to elevate an application running with Administrator privileges. Now remember, some of these are not the easiest or most convenient ways to do things. They are only a few of the many options available.

• Just right-click on the icon and select ‘Run as administrator’
• You can click the Windows key and type in the name of the program, starting it with Ctrl-Shift-Enter key combo
• It’s possible to mark the tools requiring Administrator privileges by simply opening ‘File Properties’, then clicking ‘Compatibility’ tab, then ‘Run this program as administrator’
• It is possible to begin applications at an elevated level with an elevated command prompt. The UAC is hardly a bother at all.
• By going to C:\Windows\System32 and right clicking on taskmgr.exe, then selecting ‘Run as administrator’ you can now start any other application with admin rights already established.
• By resetting HKEY registrations, you can establish a group policy to mark applications as administrator enabled. The value that needs to be entered is RUNASADMIN.