I develop applications using Microsoft Visual Basic. When I have finished writing a piece of software, the application is compiled into an executable file. When such files are run on Windows Vista a message appears saying that “An unidentified program wants access to your computer” and seeks permission to continue. I have attempted to overcome this problem by changing user account permissions and security settings within the Vista configuration, but this has not resolved the problem. Is there any way to disable this annoying notification for files which are known to be safe?

The message you have encountered is Windows Vista’s new User Account Control (UAC). The reason this message appears is because your program has not been digitally signed. Digital signatures are attached to programs to verify the program is what it claims to be. This is much like secure certificates on websites, which verify the websites authenticity (e.g. that when you are using internet banking the website is actually your bank, as opposed to a fraudulent website setup by someone else). Essentially, the warning message is telling you that the program does not have a digital signature so it may not be what it claims to be. For example, a virus or piece of malware on the computer could change its file name to masquerade as a legitimate file, such as notepad.exe. Then, the unsuspecting user would open this program (without knowledge of the fraudulent nature of the file) which could cause damage to the computer. Short of getting a digital signature for each piece of software you compile from Visual Basic, there is no way around this issue just for the software you develop. Additionally, digital signatures are not cheap as they need to be purchased from a trusted third party. A core component surrounding digital signatures is that they must be issued by a party who is trusted. In the world of computers there are several so-called trusted third parties (TTP) who issue digital signatures and security certificates, such as Thawte and Verisign. These organisations are classified as being trustworthy and known as issuing good certificates. This is why these organisations are included in software (such as Windows, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc.) as trusted parties. When you apply for a digital signature or certificate through any of these trusted third parties they will go through a process of identity verification, to ensure that you are who you claim to be. This ensures that the certificate is only issued to the person who does actually own the application to which the certificate or signature is being applied, to avoid fraudulent use of the certificate or signature. One method some people employ to get around this issue is to use self-signed certificates. This means that instead of paying for a digital certificate or signature from a TTP, you generate the certificate or signature yourself. However, this will also produce a warning that the certificate/signature cannot be verified to a trusted level, thus negating the benefits in your case.

New users of Windows Vista are likely to see the unidentified program warning quite frequently, depending on the programs they are running. Many older programs do not have digital signatures, since this was not a major issue prior to the release of Windows Vista (as prior versions of Windows did not produce such an overt warning about the lack of digital signatures on applications). The main thing you need to know is that this message does not necessarily indicate something awry or dangerous with that particular program, just that it does not have a digital signature. If you obtained the program from a valid and trusted source, then it should be safe to run the program. As always, it pays to be safer than sorry!

Unfortunately there does not seem to be a way in Windows Vista to bypass the unknown publisher and unidentified program warning for specific programs, since Vista performs a general check on all executable files before they are run to verify whether they have been signed. The only method around this issue would be to completely disable User Account Control. However, I strongly recommend you do not disable User Account Control, as this will disable the feature system-wide which may potentially open your computer system to attack. Considering the UAC is the cornerstone of security in Windows Vista, I reiterate that this should not be disabled. However, there may be some instances where you may wish to disable UAC, particularly if Windows Vista is blocking you from testing something with your new program. Assuming that you understand the risks in disabling User Access Control, you can disable this feature through the following steps. Go to the “Start” menu. In the Search box type “msconfig” (without the quotes) and press ENTER. In the System Configuration window that appears, click the “Tools” tab. Scroll down until you find “Disable UAC”. Select this entry and click “Launch”. A Command Prompt window will appear to execute the command. Once the command has finished executing, close the Command Prompt window. Close the Configuration Utility and then restart Windows. Upon restarting, UAC should be disabled. To re-enable UAC once you have finished testing your program, return to the System Configuration utility > “Tools” tab and then select and launch the entry “Enable UAC”. Again, restart the computer and upon reboot UAC should be re-enabled.