Vista - Help debug UAC intermittent promts

I've started having a problem with UAC. The system should prompt the user
when an attempt is made to perform a task that requires administrative
privileges. This is only working intermittently for me. Sometimes when I
start a task the expected prompt is not issued. I can get the prompt to
display by launching the task manager (CNTL-ALT-DEL, start task manager). I'm
not seeing any items in the event viewer and wasn't able to find anything in
my searches. Can anybody help me debug this?

AMD X64 4200+
2GB ram
Vista Ultimate OEM version

> I've started having a problem with UAC. The system should prompt the user
> when an attempt is made to perform a task that requires administrative
> privileges. This is only working intermittently for me. Sometimes when I
> start a task the expected prompt is not issued. I can get the prompt to
> display by launching the task manager (CNTL-ALT-DEL, start task manager). I'm
> not seeing any items in the event viewer and wasn't able to find anything in
> my searches. Can anybody help me debug this?

Which task is this failing on? Did it just start to fail or did it never
work? What are the privileges of the account you use to log on to the
computer? Have you made any security changes to the OS?

"Jesper" wrote:

> Which task is this failing on? Did it just start to fail or did it never
> work? What are the privileges of the account you use to log on to the
> computer? Have you made any security changes to the OS?

This fails when I launch certain programs or install software. For example
this morning I downloaded the update to Acronis True Image and started the
install. Everything appears normal and the installation comes to a stop. No
messages are displayed on the desktop. I hit cntl-alt-del and select the
start task manager option and the screen goes dark and the UAC message about
giving the program permission appears. I allow the install and the rest of
the install goes fine.

As for the privileges I am logged on with my account that has administrator
privileges.

I have not made any changes to the security settings. The only change has
been a restore from a backup image after one of the drives in my raid 0 array
crashed. The backup was to a different drive in the system in a non-raid
configuration. The problem began at this time so it may be related somehow to
the restore.

> This fails when I launch certain programs or install software. For example
> this morning I downloaded the update to Acronis True Image and started the
> install. Everything appears normal and the installation comes to a stop. No
> messages are displayed on the desktop. I hit cntl-alt-del and select the
> start task manager option and the screen goes dark and the UAC message about
> giving the program permission appears. I allow the install and the rest of
> the install goes fine.

Sorry, I don't get the flow. When you start the install do you sometimes get
a UAC elevation message and sometimes not? When you hit the SAS
(CTRL+ALT+DEL) and there is a UAC message, is that message asking you to
launch Task Manager or the installer? If it is the installer, and you did not
get prompted before you hit CTRL+ALT+DEL then something is broken on your
system.

> I have not made any changes to the security settings. The only change has
> been a restore from a backup image after one of the drives in my raid 0 array
> crashed. The backup was to a different drive in the system in a non-raid
> configuration. The problem began at this time so it may be related somehow to
> the restore.

Could be, but I don't understand why. If it is, I'd call support. They could
walk you through debugging it.

"Jesper" wrote:


> Sorry, I don't get the flow. When you start the install do you sometimes get
> a UAC elevation message and sometimes not? When you hit the SAS
> (CTRL+ALT+DEL) and there is a UAC message, is that message asking you to
> launch Task Manager or the installer? If it is the installer, and you did not
> get prompted before you hit CTRL+ALT+DEL then something is broken on your
> system.
>

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The flow goes like this:
Launch a setup file
Program begins installing and hangs
I initiate an unsolicited cntl-alt-del followed by selecting start task
manager
Starting the task manager causes the permission message to be displayed to
give permission to the program to be installed.
Installation continues normally after the allow selection is made

This only seems to happen during installation of software. The message is
displayed normally when I try to access something like regedit.

> Sorry if I wasn't clear. The flow goes like this:
> Launch a setup file
> Program begins installing and hangs
> I initiate an unsolicited cntl-alt-del followed by selecting start task
> manager
> Starting the task manager causes the permission message to be displayed to
> give permission to the program to be installed.
> Installation continues normally after the allow selection is made
>
> This only seems to happen during installation of software. The message is
> displayed normally when I try to access something like regedit.

It sounds to me as if the OS somehow queues the prompt and does not show it
until something else tries to prompt. What would happen if instead of SAS you
launch RegEdit? Do you get a prompt for RegEdit or for the installer?

What happens if you right-click the installer and select "Run as
administrator..."?

what sometimes happens is the UAC prompt is not brought forward, but is behind the current window.
check the Task Bar to see if the prompt is showing there.

mikeyhsd@sport.rr.commikeyhsd@sport.rr.com

"Rich B" <RichB@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:3F9155DA-60AF-40C7-9FE2-3644C116685D@microsoft.com...


"Jesper" wrote:


> Sorry, I don't get the flow. When you start the install do you sometimes get
> a UAC elevation message and sometimes not? When you hit the SAS
> (CTRL+ALT+DEL) and there is a UAC message, is that message asking you to
> launch Task Manager or the installer? If it is the installer, and you did not
> get prompted before you hit CTRL+ALT+DEL then something is broken on your
> system.
>

Sorry if I wasn't clear. The flow goes like this:
Launch a setup file
Program begins installing and hangs
I initiate an unsolicited cntl-alt-del followed by selecting start task
manager
Starting the task manager causes the permission message to be displayed to
give permission to the program to be installed.
Installation continues normally after the allow selection is made

This only seems to happen during installation of software. The message is
displayed normally when I try to access something like regedit.

In article <3F9155DA-60AF-40C7-9FE2-
3644C116685D@microsoft.com>, in the
microsoft.public.windows.vista.security news group, =?Utf-
8?B?UmljaCBC?= <RichB@discussions.microsoft.com> says...


> Sorry if I wasn't clear. The flow goes like this:
> Launch a setup file
> Program begins installing and hangs
> I initiate an unsolicited cntl-alt-del followed by selecting start task
> manager
> Starting the task manager causes the permission message to be displayed to
> give permission to the program to be installed.
> Installation continues normally after the allow selection is made
>
> This only seems to happen during installation of software. The message is
> displayed normally when I try to access something like regedit.

Any chance that you've got your taskbar set to autohide
and that the prompt for elevation is actually appearing on
the taskbar but isn't causing the taskbar to popup like it
should?

--
Paul Adare
MVP - Windows - Virtual Machine
http://www.identit.ca
"The English language, complete with irony, satire, and
sarcasm, has survived for centuries without smileys. Only
the new crop of modern computer geeks finds it impossible
to detect a joke that is not clearly labeled as such."
Ray Shea