diff --git a/windows/installer/autounattend/autounattend.xml b/windows/installer/autounattend/autounattend.xml
index 29d6461..a68c48d 100644
--- a/windows/installer/autounattend/autounattend.xml
+++ b/windows/installer/autounattend/autounattend.xml
@@ -113,21 +113,17 @@
         <Password><Value>bootstrap-OneTime!</Value><PlainText>true</PlainText></Password>
       </AutoLogon>
       <!--
-        FirstLogonCommands: launch the Welcome wizard ELEVATED (full admin token) without
-        a UAC prompt by registering it as a scheduled task with /RL HIGHEST /IT, then
-        triggering it immediately.  The sm-bootstrap account is torn down by ApplyService
-        on wizard completion.
+        FirstLogonCommands: launch the Welcome wizard ELEVATED (full admin token).
+        The offline UAC auto-approve policy baked into the image (ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin=0,
+        PromptOnSecureDesktop=0) means Start-Process -Verb RunAs silently elevates without
+        a UAC prompt during this ephemeral sm-bootstrap session.  The sm-bootstrap account
+        is torn down by ApplyService on wizard completion.
       -->
       <FirstLogonCommands>
         <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State">
           <Order>1</Order>
-          <CommandLine>cmd /c schtasks /Create /TN "SilverOSWelcome" /TR &quot;&quot;C:\Program Files\SilverOS\Welcome\SilverOS.Welcome.App.exe&quot;&quot; /SC ONCE /ST 23:59 /RL HIGHEST /IT /F</CommandLine>
-          <Description>Register SilverOS Welcome as an elevated interactive scheduled task</Description>
-        </SynchronousCommand>
-        <SynchronousCommand wcm:action="add" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State">
-          <Order>2</Order>
-          <CommandLine>cmd /c schtasks /Run /TN "SilverOSWelcome"</CommandLine>
-          <Description>Run the SilverOS Welcome wizard elevated in the active session</Description>
+          <CommandLine>cmd /c powershell -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command &quot;Start-Process -FilePath 'C:\Program Files\SilverOS\Welcome\SilverOS.Welcome.App.exe' -Verb RunAs&quot;</CommandLine>
+          <Description>Launch SilverOS Welcome elevated</Description>
         </SynchronousCommand>
       </FirstLogonCommands>
       <RegisteredOwner>SilverMetal</RegisteredOwner>
diff --git a/windows/installer/build.ps1 b/windows/installer/build.ps1
index 925c3b2..36ee376 100644
--- a/windows/installer/build.ps1
+++ b/windows/installer/build.ps1
@@ -212,6 +212,26 @@ function Invoke-ServiceWim {
 
         # Stage Welcome app + flavours while the WIM is still mounted.
         Copy-WelcomePayload
+
+        # Bake offline UAC auto-approve policy so the Welcome wizard (launched via
+        # Start-Process -Verb RunAs in FirstLogonCommands) silently elevates during
+        # the ephemeral sm-bootstrap session without a UAC prompt.
+        # UAC stays enabled (EnableLUA=1); the wizard's hardening re-tightens the
+        # policy for the daily user.  Only applies when Welcome is enabled.
+        if ($env:SILVERMETAL_WELCOME_ENABLED -ne '0') {
+            Write-Stage 'Stage 3d: bake offline UAC auto-approve policy (silent elevation for sm-bootstrap)'
+            $hive = Join-Path $mount 'Windows\System32\config\SOFTWARE'
+            & reg load HKLM\SM_OFFLINE "$hive" | Out-Null
+            if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw 'reg load SOFTWARE hive failed' }
+            try {
+                & reg add 'HKLM\SM_OFFLINE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System' /v ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f | Out-Null
+                & reg add 'HKLM\SM_OFFLINE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System' /v PromptOnSecureDesktop /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f | Out-Null
+                Write-Host '   ConsentPromptBehaviorAdmin=0, PromptOnSecureDesktop=0 written to offline SOFTWARE hive.'
+            } finally {
+                [gc]::Collect(); Start-Sleep -Milliseconds 500
+                & reg unload HKLM\SM_OFFLINE | Out-Null
+            }
+        }
     } finally {
         Dismount-WindowsImage -Path $mount -Save | Out-Null
     }