What does UAC stand for?
UAC stands for User Account Control. The Windows feature that runs even administrators with standard rights and prompts for consent or credentials before a program can make system-wide changes. Leave it on; the secure desktop prompt stops malware from silently elevating.
UAC is the Windows feature that asks for confirmation before a program is allowed to make changes that need administrator rights. Even when an administrator is signed in, programs start with standard user rights. When one needs more, Windows dims the screen and shows a prompt: an administrator clicks Yes, and a standard user must enter an administrator's credentials. The result is that software cannot silently install itself or change system settings just because the signed-in user happens to be an administrator.
UAC in practice: an example
A user opens an email attachment that claims to be an invoice. A UAC prompt appears, saying that a program from an unknown publisher wants to make changes to the device. Reading an invoice should never need that. The user clicks No and reports the message, and the malware is left without the rights it needed to install.
What UAC is confused with
UAC vs Run as administrator: what is the difference?
Run as administrator is how a user asks to start a program with elevated rights. UAC is the mechanism that then shows the prompt and grants or refuses the elevation.
UAC vs administrator account: what is the difference?
Being a member of the Administrators group makes elevation possible. UAC makes sure it is not automatic: each elevation needs consent.
Which exams cover UAC?
UAC is on the official CompTIA acronym list for one of the four exams covered here.
- A+ 220-1201 and 220-1202: 220-1202 2.0 (Security).
Each number is a CompTIA exam objective and the name in brackets is its domain. The exam puts the term in a scenario; it does not ask you to recite the expansion.
Check yourself: two practice questions
Written by CertSprint for this page. They are not taken from any exam.
1. A standard user tries to install a printer driver and sees a prompt asking for a user name and password. Which Windows feature produced it?
- UAC
- BitLocker
- Windows Update
- Disk Cleanup
Show the answer
A. UAC. For a standard user, UAC asks for the credentials of an administrator before allowing a change that needs elevation.
2. Why does an administrator still see UAC prompts?
- Because the account is damaged
- Because programs start with standard rights and elevation needs explicit consent
- Because the password has expired
- Because the screen is too dim
Show the answer
B. Because programs start with standard rights and elevation needs explicit consent. Administrators run with a standard token by default. The prompt is the moment the full administrator token is granted to one program.
Sources: Microsoft Learn: User Account Control overview; Microsoft Learn: How User Account Control works. The acronym and its expansion come from CompTIA's official acronym lists, linked from each exam glossary above. The explanation, example and questions are CertSprint's own, checked against these sources on 11 November 2026.