--- title: User Account Control Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users (Windows 10) description: Describes the best practices, location, values, policy management and security considerations for the User Account Control Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users security policy setting. ms.assetid: 1eae7def-8f6c-43b6-9474-23911fdc01ba ms.reviewer: ms.author: dansimp ms.prod: w10 ms.mktglfcycl: deploy ms.sitesec: library ms.pagetype: security ms.localizationpriority: medium author: dansimp manager: dansimp audience: ITPro ms.collection: M365-security-compliance ms.topic: conceptual ms.date: 04/19/2017 --- # User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users **Applies to** - Windows 10 Describes the best practices, location, values, policy management and security considerations for the **User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users** security policy setting. ## Reference This policy setting determines the behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users. ### Possible values - **Automatically deny elevation requests** This option returns an “Access denied” error message to standard users when they try to perform an operation that requires elevation of privilege. Most organizations that run desktops as standard users configure this policy to reduce Help Desk calls. - **Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop** This is the default. When an operation requires elevation of privilege, the user is prompted on the secure desktop to enter a different user name and password. If the user enters valid credentials, the operation continues with the applicable privilege. - **Prompt for credentials** An operation that requires elevation of privilege prompts the user to type an administrative user name and password. If the user enters valid credentials, the operation continues with the applicable privilege. ### Best practices 1. Configure the **User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users** to **Automatically deny elevation requests**. This setting requires the user to log on with an administrative account to run programs that require elevation of privilege. 2. As a security best practice, standard users should not have knowledge of administrative passwords. However, if your users have both standard and administrator-level accounts, set **Prompt for credentials** so that the users do not choose to always log on with their administrator accounts, and they shift their behavior to use the standard user account. ### Location Computer Configuration\\Windows Settings\\Security Settings\\Local Policies\\Security Options ### Default values The following table lists the actual and effective default values for this policy. Default values are also listed on the policy’s property page. | Server type or GPO | Default value | | - | - | | Default Domain Policy | Not defined| | Default Domain Controller Policy | Not defined| | Stand-Alone Server Default Settings | Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop| | DC Effective Default Settings | Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop| | Member Server Effective Default Settings | Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop| | Client Computer Effective Default Settings | Prompt for credentials on the secure desktop| ## Policy management This section describes features and tools that are available to help you manage this policy. ### Restart requirement None. Changes to this policy become effective without a computer restart when they are saved locally or distributed through Group Policy. ### Group Policy All auditing capabilities are integrated in Group Policy. You can configure, deploy, and manage these settings in the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) or Local Security Policy snap-in for a domain, site, or organizational unit (OU). ## Security considerations This section describes how an attacker might exploit a feature or its configuration, how to implement the countermeasure, and the possible negative consequences of countermeasure implementation. ### Vulnerability One of the risks that the UAC feature tries to mitigate is that of malicious programs running under elevated credentials without the user or administrator being aware of their activity. This setting raises awareness to the user that a program requires the use of elevated privilege operations, and it requires that the user supply administrative credentials for the program to run. ### Countermeasure Configure the **User Account Control: Behavior of the elevation prompt for standard users** to **Automatically deny elevation requests**. This setting requires the user to log on with an administrative account to run programs that require elevation of privilege. As a security best practice, standard users should not have knowledge of administrative passwords. However, if your users have both standard and administrator-level accounts, we recommend setting **Prompt for credentials** so that the users do not choose to always log on with their administrator accounts, and they shift their behavior to use the standard user account. ### Potential impact Users must provide administrative passwords to run programs with elevated privileges. This could cause an increased load on IT staff while the programs that are affected are identified and standard operating procedures are modified to support least privilege operations. ## Related topics - [Security Options](/windows/device-security/security-policy-settings/security-options)