Turning Off Windows Security Alerts

One of the commenters on my recent post about disabling Vista's UAC system noted that doing so meant you would be inundated with messages from Windows and a red shield icon in your system tray, all breathlessly alerting you that "Your computer might be at risk." While these messages are less intrusive than UAC, you might decide you want to turn them off too. Here's how.

In Vista, double-click the red shield icon in the bottom right corner of your screen. You'll see a series of horizontal bars, probably a combination of red, yellow, and green. On the right side of this screen you'll see an option that says "Change the way Security Center alerts me." Click it. You'll see three options. For the lowest level of intrusion click the bottom one: "Don't notify me and don't display the icon (not recommended)." If you still want the red shield but not the pop-up messages, pick the one above it: "Don't notify me, but display the icon." Either of these will prevent pop-ups, and whichever you choose is a matter of personal preference. (See screenshot for detail.)

Even though XP doesn't have the nuisance of UAC, you can still turn off the alerts it gives you for other "infractions." The process is similar to the one outlined above. Follow the same instructions and click the "Change the way Security Center alerts me" option. You'll see three checkboxes, one each for Firewall, Automatic Updates, and Virus Protection. Simply uncheck the ones that you don't want to be alerted about.

Perform these changes at your own risk. For the most part, the Windows security alerts are helpful and much more useful than UAC, especially the ones that let you know when new Windows updates are available or if your antivirus software is out of date. For the record, I don't recommend turning the alerts off completely. But if you're confident you can keep your antivirus up to date and other security options set properly without prodding from Microsoft, knock yourself out. That's why Microsoft gives you the option to do it.