Prevent standard users from getting the Windows 7 UAC / administrator password prompt
From a security standpoint, all Windows 7 users should typically run as "standard users": in case a virus infects your computer, it will only have the same privileges as you do, which in most cases will mitigate the damage. The downside of running as standard user is getting the UAC prompts for any action that requires elevated permissions (though you can always configure UAC setting to a lower level, or even turn off UAC promptsaltogether - definitely not recommended!) The other side of this equation is standard users who do not know the administrator's password they would need anyway: in that scenario, UAC prompts are not only (mostly) useless, but also an aggravation. This tutorial explains how to turn off UAC prompt for standard users, while keeping the same security settings (silent protection, in other words). This also prevents standard users from gaining elevated privileges even with administrative credentials!
From a security standpoint, all Windows 7 users should typically run as "standard users": in case a virus infects your computer, it will only have the same privileges as you do, which in most cases will mitigate the damage. The downside of running as standard user is getting the UAC prompts for any action that requires elevated permissions (though you can always configure UAC setting to a lower level, or even turn off UAC promptsaltogether - definitely not recommended!) The other side of this equation is standard users who do not know the administrator's password they would need anyway: in that scenario, UAC prompts are not only (mostly) useless, but also an aggravation. This tutorial explains how to turn off UAC prompt for standard users, while keeping the same security settings (silent protection, in other words). This also prevents standard users from gaining elevated privileges even with administrative credentials!
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