WEBVTT

00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:07.040
if you're a Windows user you've probably seen that message pop up a fair number

00:00:04.720 --> 00:00:11.120
of times perhaps right when you're about to load up one of your favorite games

00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:16.720
web browsers or other programs but why does Windows insist on bothering

00:00:14.240 --> 00:00:22.320
you like this i mean you clicked on the program you obviously want it to run

00:00:21.119 --> 00:00:26.720
don't you well it turns out this is actually a

00:00:24.560 --> 00:00:31.840
rather important feature and i'm not talking about something microsoft wants

00:00:28.320 --> 00:00:31.840
you to think is important

00:00:32.239 --> 00:00:37.280
it's called user account control or uac

00:00:35.280 --> 00:00:41.360
and believe it or not it can save you a ton of headaches you see back in the

00:00:39.440 --> 00:00:46.399
days when we were running older versions of Windows up to and including xp the

00:00:44.480 --> 00:00:51.280
operating system would just run a program when the user asked it to

00:00:49.039 --> 00:00:55.280
and while this seems like the way things should be it was actually a massive

00:00:53.840 --> 00:01:00.239
security hole by default all programs were given

00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:03.039
privileges by Windows and i don't mean like

00:01:01.199 --> 00:01:07.040
a little bit of extra RAM for being well behaved but rather programs could

00:01:05.040 --> 00:01:11.439
essentially run whatever code they wanted after they were started

00:01:09.439 --> 00:01:17.040
now oftentimes this wouldn't cause any problems if an innocuous program like a

00:01:14.080 --> 00:01:22.400
word processor was behaving properly the issue is that this also meant that a

00:01:19.680 --> 00:01:27.360
poorly coded malfunctioning or even malicious program could cause serious

00:01:25.280 --> 00:01:31.680
problems by making changes to the operating system

00:01:28.880 --> 00:01:36.720
so starting with Windows vista microsoft took away privileges from programs that

00:01:34.320 --> 00:01:41.600
weren't an integral part of the os and started directly asking users if they

00:01:39.439 --> 00:01:45.439
wanted to allow a program to make any changes instead of just

00:01:43.200 --> 00:01:52.759
letting it happen without any input and although many features included in vista

00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:52.759
were ill-conceived and later scrapped

00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:59.759
user account control ended up sticking around

00:01:57.119 --> 00:02:04.079
the most obvious benefit of uac is that if a malicious program tries to mess

00:02:01.840 --> 00:02:09.440
with your system you'll get a pop-up before it can make any changes which you

00:02:06.240 --> 00:02:11.280
can use to deny it access but

00:02:09.440 --> 00:02:14.800
many other things can result in Windows saying to a program

00:02:12.800 --> 00:02:19.680
just what do you think you're doing and asking for your approval so installing

00:02:17.440 --> 00:02:24.879
drivers altering many system-wide settings defragmenting a hard drive or

00:02:22.400 --> 00:02:29.360
even changing the contents of a folder that the operating system protects like

00:02:27.040 --> 00:02:33.840
program files will raise the suspicion of Windows and cause a uac prompt to

00:02:31.680 --> 00:02:37.760
appear asking for administrator privileges

00:02:35.120 --> 00:02:41.440
so these are the privileges that we talked about a few minutes ago that

00:02:39.519 --> 00:02:45.280
older versions of Windows just gave out like candy

00:02:43.200 --> 00:02:50.480
and another feature of uac called virtualization even creates special

00:02:48.000 --> 00:02:55.200
virtual folders for programs without administrator privileges if they try to

00:02:52.720 --> 00:02:59.440
write to an actual protected folder like program files to prevent important

00:02:57.200 --> 00:03:04.080
applications from getting corrupted so it's not surprising that when you try

00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:09.200
to install new software you might see a uac prompt or even two since program

00:03:06.720 --> 00:03:13.120
installers often have to make changes to files and settings that Windows consider

00:03:11.360 --> 00:03:16.720
sensitive and if you're setting up a new pc well

00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:22.319
it can be annoying since you probably have a lot of applications drivers and i

00:03:19.120 --> 00:03:25.040
mean even hardware to install so like

00:03:22.319 --> 00:03:29.760
we get it and it's especially irritating to deal with uac when you're opening or

00:03:27.200 --> 00:03:34.400
installing programs but we definitely recommend against

00:03:32.080 --> 00:03:38.799
disabling it doing this could allow malware to run in the background

00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:43.280
completely undetected and besides many modern programs are now written with uac

00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:46.879
in mind and don't just assume that Windows will give them administrator

00:03:45.040 --> 00:03:52.000
privileges so it's becoming more and more common to see programs that will

00:03:48.879 --> 00:03:53.920
run just fine without uac approval

00:03:52.000 --> 00:03:58.560
the most important thing though is if you do leave it enabled make sure you're

00:03:56.480 --> 00:04:02.159
actually using it leaving it on only to just click yes

00:04:00.640 --> 00:04:05.840
every single time without reading the prompt isn't going to help you much it's

00:04:04.400 --> 00:04:10.640
kind of like getting a smart video doorbell and then just buzzing in the

00:04:08.080 --> 00:04:13.680
crazed looking guy with the knife speaking of knives don't cut away from

00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:17.919
this video before i tell you about our sponsor if you've ever been in the need

00:04:15.519 --> 00:04:21.680
for a quick video clip for b-roll or an after effects template or motion

00:04:19.440 --> 00:04:25.600
background check out storyblocks we've used them here on techwiki and it's

00:04:23.360 --> 00:04:29.840
really simplified our workflow clips are easy to find and you can download as

00:04:27.280 --> 00:04:33.600
many clips as you want at a low cost to test in your project whether it's a

00:04:31.280 --> 00:04:37.440
youtube video or a video background for your website so instead of letting your

00:04:35.680 --> 00:04:41.520
creative needs take a back seat due to budget constraints or scrambling because

00:04:39.520 --> 00:04:46.080
a client made a last minute change use storyblocks as affordable high-quality

00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:49.759
footage rather than like going and trying to find someone to shoot it for

00:04:48.080 --> 00:04:53.199
you we're gonna have them linked in the video description

00:04:51.360 --> 00:04:56.400
so thanks for watching guys like dislike check out our other videos leave a

00:04:55.040 --> 00:05:01.040
comment if you have suggestions for future fastest possibles and don't

00:04:58.880 --> 00:05:07.759
forget to subscribe it's like really really important

00:05:04.400 --> 00:05:10.000
the most important thing you'll do today

00:05:07.759 --> 00:05:13.479
unless you brush your teeth oral hygiene is very important