Windows 10: interaction of UAC, discoverability, and network profile

After my last clean reinstallation of Win10 I had trouble access my NAS drives. I have everything working now, but I don't really understand what I did and how it works. And I know my future holds more clean installs so I want to understand what I did.

Some background:

• I'm paranoid so have my UAC set to it's highest value.
• Accessing my NASs seems to require using the "Private" network profile and setting "Make this PC discoverable".
• #1 prevents #2 so I lowered the UAC long enough to change the network settings and then set it back up.

1st question: Was the high UAC setting just preventing changing the network setting, or is it preventing something else in network discovery that will bite me in the future? I'm having trouble believing that lowering the UAC just long enough to change the network settings is actually all that was required.

2nd question: I'm not aware of doing anything other than setting "Make this PC discoverable", but suddenly I was using the "Private" network profile. Are these just two ways of saying the same thing, or did I have to do something more to switch to the "Private" profile?

3rd question: If "Make this PC discoverable" and using the Private network profile are not the same thing, which was needed to get network discovery of my NASs working. (Prior to changing the setting, Windows10 could see the devices on my LAN bu no SMB connection could be established.)

:)

 

"Make This PC Discoverable" switch missing

That switch only appears if your UAC setting is not at the maximum level.

Just put it back to the default setting, change the network's property to make the computer discoverable and then put UAC back to its maximum if you wish.

1 Start menu, Windows system, Control panel, User accounts, Change user account control settings

2 Start menu, Settings, Network, Wifi / Ethernet, Manage known networks, {select the network concerned}, Properties, Make this PC discoverable

Denis

 

How do you change a network name or location on Windows 10?

To set the location as private -

Firstly, you need to set UAC to its default level in Control panel, User accounts, Manage User account control settings.

You can then change it to a private network by setting it to allow the computer to be discoverable in Settings, Network, Status, Change connection properties, Make this PC discoverable.

You can then put UAC back to its highest level if you wish. [and the setting you just changed will no longer be visible]

Denis