Please check your facts before making blind comments such as this.

JM: Mac OS might have a similar feature to UAC, but I have used Mac OS X for a while, along with Windows, and Mac OS by far has littler questions than Windows. It pretty much only asks questions when they are needed, and it would only ask the question once (ie. not through three or four questions when installing one program.)

Windows Defender isn’t a firewall, it’s a spyware scanner. Disabling it has no effect on the firewall.

Please check your facts before making blind comments such as this.

The only folly I would point out is the windows defender point, you need a firewall on your computer, period. Yes I would recommend using one other than windows defender, but make sure it is a good one (zone alarm is my preference, their newest suite is astounding). BUT, there aren’t many other choices out there for people running 64 bit Vista or XP. So make sure your are on a platform with better options before you go bulling your pants and bending over in a subway restroom while blindfolded.

Sure, when you personally change something on your system – of course you’re asking it to happen. The problem is that the operating system doesn’t distinguish between you and some software pretending to be you. So when “Mr Malware” comes along and starts making changes, you’ll never know about it (if you turn off UAC).

You might turn around and say that “I only want my computer to do directly as I ask” … but I think most of us would be taken aback by how much functionality we’d lose (things that go on in the background automatically, using your credentials).

I doubt very much that it would be the first thing that power-users would disable – they should have a better appreciation of it’s impact on the security of their system. To recommend to your readers to open themselves up to potential security threats, is poor advice IMHO.

Microsoft get rapped for being the bane of all evil, but in fairness, the latest Mac OS does exactly the same and we never hear complaints about this.

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Other advise about removing the heaps of junk that get put onto computers (new and old) is sound though. This can make a major difference.

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In response to “ajay” (above) – I completely agree with his sentiment. However, part of the problem is that manufacturers now ship vista almost as defacto, even on computers that don’t quite cut it. For example, I own a marvellously tiny Sony Vaio vgn-ux … that ships with vista. Problem is thtat it’s not really man enough for the job of running aero-effects. It does work with them, but I’d rather have a more responsive machine – hence they’re turned off.

If u disable this feature then better use Windwos XP or even window 98. Why to switch to Vista????????????