Windows 7 - UAC & Windows Update

[McBainUK]

I skipped vista and wil be going straight to Windows7 for my HTPC use only machine.

2 questions:

UAC on or off?
Auto Windows Update n or off?

I'm thinking off for both to give me more control. Will I be mising out or at risk?

[systemshark]

Hi MacbainUK,

here's what I'm doing....

My Dev Machine (Windows 7 Ultilimate)
UAC off
Auto Update On

HDPC Machine (Windows 7 Business)

UAC On
Auto Update On

Looking good so far, my isssue with Windows 7 is older video drivers have been dropped and I've had a hunt high and low to get the right driver.

[McBainUK]

If UAC is on, do have have to install apps (GB-PVR and others) as 'admin''?

[McBainUK]

When I install my plugins from the setup exes Windows pops up a message box saying that they may not have installed correctly. What does this mean and is it safe to ignore it?

Systemshark: one plugin it does this with is the Torrents plugin. Did you get this on your machine?

[pcostanza]

Since my Vista testing, I've got all my W7 boxes with UAC off. I've not been asked to install as admin but I really haven't installed very much stuff so I can say you won't run into something with UAC on. You can try the different levels and see if that makes any difference.
I get the message that a program might not have installed properly but not once was that the case. For me, when the install is finished and the 'close' or 'ok' button shows up, if I wait a bit before closing it, I rarely get that message. That one has me baffled as well. Might be a bit of incompatibility involved. I really don't know.

[mvallevand]

My feeling is that UAC is a personal choice, and it shouldn't be the community's role to tell anyone what is best simply to avoid understanding UAC's function or make support easier. My same opinion applies to running with or without a firewall and/or antivirus, it just happens most people do understand them.

When I first installed Vista I didn't understand it but one reply from sub lead me to do a couple of google searches and I have been running fine with it ever since. You do have to change practises especially editing config.xml and for any command prompt work or installing plugins or skins that aren't UAC aware. If that is too difficult, it is also possible to change permissions of the GBPVR folder so that it is given write permission for everyone (which is the problem not UAC) and then UAC can be left on.

Martin

[McBainUK]

Thanks mvallevand, sensible advice.

[McBainUK]

Related. Is it normal to get the "do you want the following program to make changes to this computer" popup when running the config app?

[Fatman_do]

Yes I get this.

or installing plugins or skins that aren't UAC aware

...

Curious, what does UAC awareness have to do with installing skin files? Is it due to the common location of "C:\Program Files\" in most cases and write premissions? I have installed GBPVR in a separate drive with UAC in the default windows 7 setting, so maybe I haven't noticed something I should be aware of.

[mkenyon2]

I'm thinking of going to Windows 7.
What's the minimum version that I need?
Are there any incompatible plugins/skins/utilities? (Perhaps (could) we have a thread on this?)