I have enabled and password-protected the build-in administrator account. Then I converted it into a hidden user account with the proper registry settings. This way, I can run programs as a build-in administrator when needed, and at the same time I don' t have the administrator showing up in the log-on screen by default. However, there are occasions where it's useful to log in directly as administrator. To do so now, I must first login as the user with administrative privileges, un-hide the build-in administrator, and then log-off again. Of course, I also have to do the same procedure in reverse in order to hide the administrator from the log-on screen. I really miss the double CTRL-ALT-DEL key combination that was triggering the prompt for user credential back in Win XP pro. Does anybody knows if something like that could be implemented into Win 7 Ultimate ? I mean a key combination that would trigger the OS to pop a prompt for "Run as another User" at the log-on screen ?
My computer is part of a domain so I don't know if this is the same for those that are not. When I'm prompted to enter my user/pass there is a button just below that says "Switch User". If I want to log into a local account I type "computer name"\"user name" and I can log into my machine account even though it doesn't show. I would assume if you're not part of a domain you wouldn't have to type the computer name. Hope it helps
Thank you very much Animeniac. That's a good point. The switch user button doesn' t show up in computers that are part of workgroups. However, the solution might be to find a hack that that can force the system to prompt the "Switch User" button even in a Workgroup machine.
I wonder if this will help you. If it works, you'll have to type both user name and pass every time you log in. Run -> gpedit.msc -> computer config -> windows settings -> security settings -> local policies -> security options -> find "interactive logon: do not display last user name" and set it to enabled. Then run gpupdate /force. You shouldn't have to reboot for it to take effect.
Thanks, but it doesn't work. In a workgroup computer Ctrl-Alt-Del hit twice brings up nothing. And if I set the "do not display last user name" polcy I get only a prompt for entering username and password at the login screen. That might be a soluton for me, because I can choose which administrative account to use for logging in, however it makes all other users unhappy because they have to type both credentials every time. The challenge of the game is how to force the system to bring up the prompt for username and password in a situation where all non hidden users icons are shown in the login screen. The "switch user" button of the login screen has a different behaviour depending of whether the computer is part of a domain or connected to a workgroup. In the first case brings up the credentials prompt, in the second case it brings up the login screen with all users icon. Is there a way to control or change the behaviour of the "switch user" button ???
After some research, and installing Windows 7 to a spare drive to tweak with it, Microsoft unfortunately felt that it would be a good idea to not include that feature (ctrl-alt-del x2) in Windows 7 . Hopefully someone with a bit more knowledge will find a fix or maybe Microsoft will re-add it in sp1, but that's wishful thinking. You only have two options to log into hidden accounts. Unhide the account or enable "do not display last user name" in Security Options.
turn off UAC, Take full ownership of the C drive from TrustedInstaller then you don't have to worry about having to use the local admin account.
Workaround: Get domain style logon on a workgroup computer. For the benefit of any who may come across this old thread looking for this functionality in Windows 7... To get only last user + switch button (other user) logon on a workgroup computer - add: [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList\DomainStyleLogon] All registry warnings apply. The name "DomainStyleLogon" doesn't seem to matter - just that there is an empty key under ProfileList. I found the thread: [I was going to paste a link, but am not allowed to yet - it is currently the top result if you Google "Windows 7 show user list on login screen".] where a user reported as a problem this behavior which I was actually looking for. So I reversed the fix offered there by KindBullet and it seems to work. I'm not saying I recommend this - intentionally using what seems to be a bug, and may be "fixed" in the future - but it does seem to be working fine for me without other side effects.