So, NickN's guides for setting up FS discuss disabling UAC straight away.Can someone with experience in the matter discuss just how (or how not) disabling UAC benefits performance both for FS and Windows in general?I'm not super paranoid about my computer, and if there are definite advantages to disabling, then by all means I will. I just dislike the concept of removing what appears to be a halfway reasonable layer of security unless there will be measurable gains.Thanks!

No views even?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_Account_Control

No views even?

UAC is just a pain in the A, it's an attempt to help provide high security but it only acts as a complete nuisence. I turn mine off straight away, as for performance you probably wont see any major change but if you look at all the services that monitor what's going on in windows then you can get some increase in performance.I've only recently discovered Alacrity which is a program that shuts down selected services, I did manage to up my average frame rate by upto 10FPS using it, the only problem with it is it takes a long time to load up but it does help, in fact it has helped with a sound issue I get with crackling while flying, when I load up using Alacrity I don't seem to get the problem so there is obviously some service interfering with my sound.So while one little change like turning off UAC might not make much difference if you do some selective service shutdowns things can improve.CheersMart.

Consider UAC a move to CYA on the part of MSFT.Cheersjja

Well, UAC will even prevent some files from being edited if they happen to be in a "critical" folderFor example, by default FSX & FS( install to \Program Files...\ folder.If you load a new aircraft livery, it is supposed to create a new [fltsim.X] section in the relevant "aircraft.cfg" file.Not so under UAC, because the \Program Files...\ folder is a no go for direct editing from the OS perspective.Some add-ons that have their configuration file in that heavily protected folder, will suffer the same fate. You will not be able to change the program options (because of write file access privilege denial)That's one of the reasons people recommend installing the simulator to C:\ (or any other drive leter)Put it that way, if your machine is used for business and you are only flying occasionally, keep UAC enabled.If you are a hard core simmer, the first thing you should do after installing Windows 7 or Vista, is to disable it.I don't know about the impact on performance, but in the world of software, the less checks (assuming UAC is disabled) you perform the faster the software (Windows) will run.Gerald R.http://www.multicrewxp.com

First thing I do when setting up a pc is disable UAC & also the Program Compatibility Assistance Service as both of these cause nightmares when installing add-ons.

For me UAC is a security protection measure similar to virus protection. I don't like it, but I use it. My PC is connected to the Internet, and it is not exclusively used for flight simulation. For example, while performing an image search, I can't guarantee that I won't click on the one that could load a file to my PC with the intent to do harm. I simply don't want to run that risk. Regards,Dave Vega

UAC in a nutshell, is for the your typical computer-illiterate user... the people that buy off the shelf PC's etc. UAC protects the users from themselves LOL

My UAC has been disabled for over 1 1/2 years with no virus,yet.I installed and use Microsoft Security Essentials(free)....

simply - yes it does affect performance overall. ANYTHING that steals CPU time foreground or background is stealing CPU time from FSX. Will you get an instant 10% jump if FPS? Of course not, but tweaking FSX is about fine tuning a lot of small things to collectively improve the whole thing.As far as danger - just a little common sense is a whole lot better than any UAC unless you are completely computer illiterate.If you are just flying around online there is no need for UAC. If you likwe to visit sites that might be considered risky, turn it back on but honestly - UAC will not help except in the simplest way.Vic

The question I think has been answered above, UAC can take control of FSX installs and add-ons and cause trouble. There are no performance enhancements either way.I understand everybody’s needs are different; I have UAC enabled on the kid’s computer for added protection because daddy wants to fly not fix puters. Sometimes I do chuckle however over some needs of certain users. By the very nature of asking a question in a forum like this I deduce the computer is used for gaming. I then ask myself what is the user attempting to protect; his time maybe? What is so important on a gaming rig that a simple reformat and install won’t cure? The world will not end if you have to reformat trust me. I had one guy respond back to me on those questions that he also used his PC for business, to which I thought he was a bit of a Dodo bird for having a game on a business machine but hey, who am I. I would be far more concerned with a game screwing up my mission criticle stuff far before UAC protecting something.At the end of the day push “yes” on UAC to install program and you are pouched anyway so UAC does not provide any real protection.I surf some unscrupulous type websites but I am smart enough not to say yes to install their exe. Don’t need UAC for that. Beleive me if anybody is getting a dose here it will be me.I do run under a firewall both physical and software and do run a good antivirus program.If I were an IT person we would not be having this discussion because you would not be putting a game on a work computer and I would have all the unscrupulous websites locked out from your use. Not what we are here for.