Windows 10: Hide or Show Administrators in UAC for Standard Users in Windows

How to: Hide or Show Administrators in UAC for Standard Users in Windows

How to Hide or Show Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users in Windows


When administrator account before starting a program or task that requires a full administrator access token. This prompt ensures that no malicious software can be silently installed or run.

With the Always notify or Default secure desktop when you get an elevation request by the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.

A user that is a member of the Administrators group can log on, browse the Web, and read e-mail while using a standard user access token. When the administrator needs to perform a task that requires the administrator access token, Windows 10 automatically prompts the user for Y/N approval. This prompt is called an elevation prompt for UAC consent prompt.

The user experience for standard users is different from that of administrators in Admin Approval Mode. The recommended and more secure method of running Windows 10 is to make your primary user account a standard user account. Running as a standard user helps to maximize security for a managed environment. With the built-in UAC elevation component, standard users can easily perform an administrative task by entering valid credentials for a local administrator account. The default, built-in UAC elevation component for standard users is the UAC credential prompt.

See also: How User Account Control works (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs

If you like, you can set a policy to control whether administrator accounts are displayed in the UAC prompt when a standard user attempts to run as administrator (elevate) an app. If set to hide, standard users will always be required to enter both the user name and password of a local administrator account to elevate instead of just selecting an administrator and entering their password.

This tutorial will show you how to always hide or show administrator accounts in the User Account Control (UAC) credential prompt for standard users in Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10.

*Warning You must be signed in as an administrator to hide or show administrator accounts in the UAC prompt.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Hide or Show Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users in Local Group Policy Editor
• Option Two: Hide or Show Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users using a REG file

EXAMPLE: Hide or show administator accounts in UAC credential prompt for standard users











OPTION ONE [/i] Hide or Show Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users in Local Group Policy Editor

*note The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in the Windows 7/8/10 Pro, Windows 7/8/10 Enterprise, and Windows 10 Education editions.

All editions can use Option Two below.
1. Open the Local Group Policy Editor.

2. In the left pane of Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
*Arrow Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Credential User Interface




3. In the right pane of Credential User Interface in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Enumerate administrator accounts on elevation policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)

4. Do step 5 (show) or step 6 (hide) below for what you would like to do.


5. To Show Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users
A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Enabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)

*note Not Configured is the default setting.

6. To Hide Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users
A) Select (dot) Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)




7. When finished, close the Local Group Policy Editor.





OPTION TWO [/i] Hide or Show Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users using a REG file

*note The downloadable .reg files below will add and modify the DWORD value in the registry key below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\CredUI

EnumerateAdministrators DWORD

(delete) = Show
0 = Hide


1. Do step 2 (hide) or step 3 (show) below for what you would like to do.


2. To Hide Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Do_not_display_administrators_in_UAC_for_standard_users.reg

Download

3. To Show Administrators in UAC prompt for Standard Users
*note This is the default setting.
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Display_administrators_in_UAC_for_standard_users.reg

Download
4. Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5. Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6. When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7. You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable User Account Control (UAC) prompt for Built-in Administrator in Windows
• How to Change User Account Control (UAC) Settings in Windows 10
• How to Change User Account Control (UAC) prompt Behavior for Administrators in Windows
• How to Change User Account Control (UAC) prompt Behavior for Standard Users in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Ctrl+Alt+Delete Secure Desktop for UAC prompt in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Dimmed Secure Desktop for UAC prompt in Windows

:)

 

Is there still reason to use standard user account in Windows OS?

Hi all!

Suppose I'm the only user of the computer. Suppose I have User Account Control activated. Is there or are there still reasons to create and use standard user account for everyday work? As far as I understand, with User Account Control active I have the permissions of a standard user even if I'm logged on as an administrator. If I use administrator account for everyday work does User Account Control give me EXACTLY the same level of protection from viruses and malware and from making accidental system-wide changes as standard user account with active UAC? I don't imply that UAC protects me from viruses and malware. I use proper antivirus software for that.

In other words, do I get the same level of protection when I use administrator account with UAC enabled and when I use standard account with UAC enabled? Is it true that UAC turns an administrator account into what is know as a protected administrator account, basically, an administrator account that runs with standard user account privileges? Or does standard user account with UAC enabled gives me yet higher level of protection over administrator account with UAC enabled?

 

Standard user account created shows Administrator on Windows 10

Hello,



Thank you for posting on Microsoft Community. We regret the inconvenience caused and will assist you in resolving the issue.



Before assisting further, I would like to ask you few questions:

• Are you logging in using a Microsoft account on any of the created two user accounts?
• Have you created 2 local account with administrative privileges on the computer?

Please be informed that Local user account as well as
Microsoft user account can be considered as Standard user account. A
Standard user account is the user account which do not have any administrative privileges.



It is possible to create two or more accounts with administrative privileges on computers running with Windows 10 operating system.



If you want to convert one of the user account as a standard account, I suggest you to follow the steps below and check if the issue is resolved.

• Press Windows logo key on the keyboard, type Control panel in the search box and select the top most search result.
• Select User Accounts and click on Change account type
  from the window.
• Click on the user account and select Change the Account type option.
• Select Standard and click on Change account type
  button from the window.
• Close the window and check if the changes are effective.

Write to us with the answers to the above questions and the status of the issue on the same post for further assistance. Your reply is most important for us to ensure we assist you accordingly.



Thank you.

 

Going from Standard User to Administrator on Windows 10

Hi,

Changing the permissions or level of access that the user profiles currently on your Windows 10 computer can be done in different ways. One possible way is through the use of the built-in option located in control panel. Before we proceeding with the steps
to resolve your concern, kindly provide answers to the questions below:

• The account that you're using on your Windows 10 computer, is that a local account or a Microsoft account?
• What were the steps that you performed to set your account as a standard user?
• Were there any error messages that showed up that requires admin privileges and that is the reason you want to switch your account back as an administrator?
• Which version and build of Windows 10 is installed on your computer?

We look forward to your response to our queries.

 

Is there still reason to use standard user account in Windows OS?

The only real difference is when a UAC prompt comes up in a standard user account instead of just having a yes or no button, it will ask for an administrator account username and password.

 

the User Account Control - UAC

Suggestion to read

• What is UAC (User Account Control) and why you should never turn it off
  
• User Account Control - Wikipedia
  
• User Account Control (Windows 10) | Microsoft Docs
  
• Change User Account Control (UAC) Settings in Windows 10 Windows 10 Tutorials