VISTA User Accounts

[RainFox]

What's up everyone? Need help understanding something. I know VISTA doesn't encourage you to run your machine in the FULL administrator mode, which is to help prevent malicious software from silently installing and causing infections on you machine. And thats why you run as a standard user with administration privileges, with the User Access Control security component prompting you for permission when you're performing a administration task. But what I don't understand is why would I need to be worried about running in the full admin mode, or even disabling the UAC security component as a standard user when my firewall would not allow malicious software from silently installing on my machine. Whats the point of the UAC, or not running in the Admin mode when you have a firewall protecting you from the the same harmful stuff? I mean that's what the firewall is there for in the first place right?
Thanks

 

[Luke]

Well your firewall won't block everything, when you download files froma site there could be a trojan horse tagging along with it onto your computer, so if this happens you won't get infected.

 

[KSoD]

Some viruses and that are attached to things like ActiveX which you will allow to install. So the UAC will ask you AFTER you give permissions for the ActiveX to install if you want to install the applications. A firewall wouldnt. It would see that you gave permission for this to come thru and isntall teh virus. While the UAC prmopts you to install the app after you allow ti thru with your firewall.

Yes the UAC is a pain in the rear. Yes it needs to be better. Yes even i turn it off. But i am a PC enthusist and have many years of how to keep my PC safe. If you feel that you can keep your PC safe then turn it off.

 

[RainFox]

Well guys thanks alot for the info, I understand whats going on now with the UAC and the firewall.