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Thread: Enable Administrator, but hide from logon window

  1. #1
    Chris Barnes Guest

    Enable Administrator, but hide from logon window

    First question: why is the Administrator account disabled in Vista
    (Enterprise 64, if that matters)?

    As a general SOP for folks in my dept, when they get a new computer (for
    their office), I set their userid to have Administrator privs and set
    the passwd for the default Admin account to something I know. That way,
    they can do whatever they want with their machine, but I can still get
    in to fix things if needed.

    Iow, having the Administrator account active is important to me.

    2nd question, is there a way to hide the Administrator account (if I
    enable it) from the default logon screen? And yes, I know I can
    change how users logon by disabling the Welcome screen - that is *not*
    what I want to do.

    3rd question, related to the 2nd: assuming I can hide the account from
    the Welcome screen, apparently I can no longer Cnt-Alt-Del to get a
    regular logon screen. Is this just disabled, or is it gone completely?

  2. #2
    Bruce Chambers Guest

    Re: Enable Administrator, but hide from logon window

    I believe it's the same for all Vista versions; and it's a basic
    security precaution. The first user account created on the new machines
    will have administrative privileges, by default.

    Not somethiong normally done, but if you've a lot of time on your hands
    to clean up after them, it's certainly your choice.

    So, enable it as you prep/install the new workstations.

    WEhat would be the point? After all, you've already given your user
    administrative privileges, so they can alter anything they like,
    including the settings/password for the built-in Administrator account.

  3. #3
    Chris Barnes Guest

    Re: Enable Administrator, but hide from logon window

    They don't need to SEE my account.
    This isn't hiding information from them (they know I have the Admin
    account).

    Look, this isn't asking for the moon. This was the default behavior in
    WinXP (and for that matter, Win2k). I'm just asking to make things
    behave the same way they used to. Surely this can't be *that* hard,
    can it?

  4. #4
    Chad Harris Guest

    Re: Enable Administrator, but hide from logon window

    1) As to the Admin account in Vista 64--it was MSFT's UAC team's move for
    security to run default standard but you can change it.

    http://blogs.msdn.com/windowsvistasecurity/

    SYMPTOMS
    You notice that the administrator account does not appear on the Windows
    Vista Welcome screen.
    Back to the top

    CAUSE
    By default, the following conditions are true in Windows Vista:. The
    built-in administrator account is disabled.
    .. The built-in administrator account cannot log on to the computer in safe
    mode.
    Note In some cases, Windows Vista may determine, during an upgrade from
    Microsoft Windows XP, that the built-in administrator account is the only
    active local administrator account. In this situation, Windows Vista leaves
    the built-in administrator account enabled. Additionally, Windows Vista puts
    this account into Admin Approval mode.

    The administrator account does not appear on the Windows Vista Welcome
    screen
    http://support.microsoft.com/kb/926183

    http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Win...5f4c61033.mspx

    You can type contol userpasswords2 in run box and turn on the account.

    2) You want to hide the admin account from the default login screen:

    This comes from Ronnie Vernon, MVP:

    You can hide accounts the same way you did in XP, but in Vista you need to
    create those registry keys.

    In regedit, navigate to:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

    Right click Winlogon and select New / Key

    Name the new key SpecialAccounts (case sensitive)

    Right click The SpecialAccounts key and select New Key again.

    Name the key UserList

    Click the UserList key and in the right side window right click and select
    New / DWord (32bit) Value.

    Name the new DWord value the same name as the account you wish to hide.
    Double click this value and in the Value Data line enter either 0 (zero) to
    hide the account or 1 to show the account.

    **WARNING: Make sure that you have at least one Administrator account
    available on the Welcome screen! If you hide the last administrator account
    you may lock yourself out of making any changes that require administrator
    privileges! Vista is designed to reveal the built-in administrator account
    when you log into safe mode, if no other administrator accounts are
    available, but if an administrator account is simply hidden, then the
    built-in administrator account will not show up in safe mode!**

    3) I belive this is what you want Chris:

    Type control userpasswords 2 in the run box>advanced tab>require users to
    press Ctrl+Alt+Delete

  5. #5
    Chad Harris Guest
    If these guys are educators at the college or higher level, I don't think
    there is much bravery involved in taking the Vista plunge. I know a lot of
    kids average age 15 who are at the advanced level in many Linux setups,
    Vista, and MSFT servers Chris. Many of them help on the newsgroups. If
    they can do it these guys who are profs can hack it too.

    I hope any of what I gave you in the first post helps.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    1

    Re: Enable Administrator, but hide from logon window

    How to activate ctr+alt+del:
    1)go to star
    2)in the search type in netplwiz
    3)pres on details tab
    4)look for box with in right is (Require users to press ctrl+alt+delet)
    5)Hitt a box and save

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