PCPE v3.0 UAC Prompt on every boot of Windows

[Anonymous user]

Why do I get a UAC prompt for PowerChute Power Tray Icon on every boot of Windows 7 after installing PCPE v3.0?

[BillP · Accepted solution]

PowerChute Personal Edition 2.2 can be found at

http://www.apc.com/tools/download/software_comp.cfm?sw_sku=SFPCPE22&id=129&family=&part_num=&swfam=1...

After installing PCPE 3.0 if you stop display.exe / apcsystray.exe from starting your system will still shutdown as long as the APC UPS Server has not been stopped.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Why do I get a UAC prompt for PowerChute Power Tray Icon on every boot of Windows 7 after installing PCPE v3.0?

[BillP · Accepted solution]

I have the same issue on Windows 7 (x64). It's clearly a bug. If you don't need the system tray, you can delete APC UPS Status from start-up altogether. If you need it, you should schedule a task to run "C:\Program Files (x86)\APC\APC PowerChute Personal Edition\Display.exe" at log-on with highest privileges (I suggest a 30 second delay). Then, delete the APC UPS Status link from start-up. More detailed instructions about creating tasks in Windows 7 can be found by googling.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Same problem. I had started my own thread yesterday:

I just upgraded to Powerchute Personal Edition 3.0 from 2.2 today on 2 Win7 x64 boxes. Have Back-UPS XS (RS) 1000, Firmware revision: 7.g8.D. Now, every time I log in, I get a Windows UAC window pop up asking for admin permissions to allow apcsystray.exe (system tray icon) to make changes to the system. Even if I login as admin, a UAC window pops up. Standard users must click no to get rid of the window. If admin pword is entered, the system tray icon appears, and can be used to change powerchute settings. If not, no system tray icon. Even if "Always show icon in system tray" option is unchecked, the annoying UAC window still pops up, although, if one enters admin pword, no tray icon will appear.

These windows are a useless hassle. How can I turn them off and return to 2.2 behavior, which was that the UAC window will appear only if the systray icon is double-clicked?

Thank you...
___________________________
Alienware Area 51 X58
ASUS X58 P6T Deluxe motherboard with integrated sound (SoundMAX)
Core i7 940 2.93 GHz
6 GB DDR3 RAM 1333MHZ (3 x ELPIDA 2GB DDR3 1333MHZ JEDEC STANDARD PC3-1066)
NVIDIA GTX 295 (2 PCB), no overclock, Video BIOS: 62.00.4E.00.02
Win 7 x64
Dell 2408WFP monitor, 1920x1200, 59 (60) Hz
WESTERN DIGITAL 300GB 10K SATA HDD REV2 main hard drive
1000 watt power supply

Message was edited by: barnabyr

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Apparently, apcsystray is set by default to "run as administrator". I cannot change that behavior by editing permissions/ownership. Proper behavior should be that the .exe should NOT startup as admin, requiring password, but that, when the tray icon is clicked, it would THEN ask for admin permissions to run the main APC GUI to change system settings.

What was the rationale for changing this behavior in 3.0?

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

Setting display.exe to run as administrator will stop the UAC window from coming up, but I don't think that apcsystray.exe will start on login, so there will be no systray icon unless apcsystray.exe or display.exe are started manually as admin.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

Likewise, changing display.exe to Run as Administrator prevented error message, now no display in tray. Don't know if functionality affected, but do still see APC Data Service & APC UPS Service in Task Manager. Will still need a proper fix.

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

i picKed a winna wrote:
APC will also follow up on this and report back with any findings.

I highly doubt that.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

i picKed a winna wrote:
APC will also follow up on this and report back with any findings.

a_ok2me wrote:
I highly doubt that.

i beg to differ. this has been escalated to the PCPE engineering team already but apparently it is a holiday there today. it will be reviewed tomorrow and an appropriate response will be provided in regards to the issue. i am just the messenger here. i understand it is an annoyance.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

I like the solution I offered earlier better. It does not require changing global security settings, nor does it require a major redesign of PCPE 3.0. I suggest APC modify the installation routine to run display.exe as a task scheduled at log-on with highest privileges, instead of as a start-up program. Then the system tray successfully loads without a prompt. (Windows 7 treats tasks differently from start-up programs with regards to UAC.) In the meantime, it is no more difficult for a user to set up such a task than it is to change one's security policy settings. Go for it! It works!

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I have never heard of a bigger pile of ^$%%$#. Never in the history of Windows had a user had to enter a password for a program to run at every login. The guy completely missed the point, thinking that the problem was the UAC window popping up upon admin login. No. The UAC window should never come up upon any login, ESPECIALLY standard users. Talk about bad programming. That ridiculous workaround, which NO ONE SHOULD DO, as it compromises system security, is a total joke. The fact that the guy would recommend that stupid fix to users rather than fixing the software, makes me lose much faith in APC. Really, really poor show.

Please make PCPE 2.2 for Win 7 available for download again NOW!!!!!

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I have already set display.exe to run as admin, which prevents the UAC from coming up on any login, either standard user or admin. There is no system tray icon (unless I run display.exe or apcsystray.exe as admin, which I do not normally do).

I need to know WITH CERTAINTY that full PCPE functionality regarding battery backup and system shutdown upon extended power outage will still occur for me now, with no systray icon.

Thank you...

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

One advantage I find is that in version 3.0 the UAC prompt don't bug me everytime I try to open PCPE when I double click on its icon on the system tray as it did on the earlier versions, now you only have to click once when windows is booting up. I wish there were one way you could allow all your trusted software just once, but that's a thing Microsoft should have implemented on Windows...

Message was edited by: rau

[Anonymous user · Accepted solution]

I have the same problem. I disabled display.exe from autostart.

Is it safe? Will APC shut down my PC if power is lost? will it send me notifications? what a shame from APC!

[BillP · Accepted solution]

APC will also follow up on this and report back with any findings.

[BillP · Accepted solution]

h1. this is now fixed!

PCPE version 3.0.0.1 is now available on the web. This is an interim release that is available in English & German and addresses three major concerns.

Fixes in this release:*

• With Windows UAC enabled, when a user logged on to Windows Vista or Windows 7, the UAC dialog always asked the user to approve starting the PowerChute Systray icon. This will no longer happen.

• After un-installing PowerChute, hibernation was not being restored and has been corrected.

• When selecting PowerChute Technical data screen it would be displayed very slowly and sometimes the internal PC fan made a lot of noise (indicating over usage). This has also been addressed.

Here is the link to the software or you can browse to it on apc.com/tools/download

http://www.apc.com/tools/download/software_comp.cfm?sw_sku=SFPCPE3001