Illustration: Gordon McAlpin

User Account Control is that annoying popup (more prevalent in Windows Vista than Windows 7) that you see every time you perform an action that modifies Windows in a significant way. Sure, it’s there for security purposes, but it can get seriously irritating after awhile. Luckily, it can be turned off completely.

Before we proceed, I should note that User Account Control is important for some users. It offers protection against running or installing executables that may harm your PC, and offers password protection in case someone else is using your account without your knowledge.

That said, to turn off User Account Control or make it less frequent:

1. Click Start
2. Click Control Panel
3. Click User Accounts
4. Click Change User Account Control Settings
5. Drag the slider to an appropriate level
6. Click OK when done

You’ll see this notice far less often, if at all, depending on your settings. Note that other users or your Guest account will not be affected.