Windows 7 / Vista / XP – Hide User Account from Welcome screen / Login screen @2

This recipe will explain how to hide accounts from the Windows Welcome / Login screen.  This can be handy for when an application or service account is  created for apps to run with and are not needed for logging with. (ie Copssl and its SvcCOPSSH user account that it creates)


1. Run The Registry Editor in Windows XP/Vista/Win7 by going to Start Menu > Run or by hitting the Start Menu Key + R key> type: regedit and hit enter. You will need to run this from an account that has Administrative rights.

2. In the Registry Editor window, go to:

HKEY_Local_Machine\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList

3. Right-click on the UserList folder on the left pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value

Use the username of the account you want to hide as the value and hit OK. It will show up in the right-pane. Exit the Registry Editor

Voila, your account should no longer show up on the Welcome / Login screen or in the Control Panel > User Accounts area.

–To unhide the account, just go back to the same registry entry/location and delete the key with the name of the account.

Nutan's Soft And Games (www.nutansoftandgames.blogspot.com)

Hiding the Account

1. Open Command Prompt by going to Start> All Programmes> Accessories> Command Prompt or just type "cmd", without quotes, into the start menu
2. 

   Right click the programme and select "Run as Administrator".
   Right click the programme and select "Run as Administrator"
3. Type "net user hidden /active:no", without quotes, into the window and hit enter.
   

   Type "net user hidden /active:no", without quotes, into the window and hit enter.
   • REMEMBER. Change "hidden" to the name you specified
4. "The command completed successfully" should appear.
5.  
6. Well done! You have just hidden an account

Accessing Your Account

1. Open Command Prompt by going to Start> All Programmes> Accessories> Command Prompt or just type "cmd", without quotes, into the start menu
2. 

   Right click the programme and select "Run as Administrator".
   Right click the programme and select "Run as Administrator"

 

1. Type "net user hidden /active:yes", without quotes, into the window and press enter.
   

   Type "net user hidden /active:yes", without quotes, into the window and press enter.

    
2. "The command completed successfully" should appear.
    
3. Log off and check if there is a new user account with the name you specified. If there is well done!
    
4. Once you have finished using the account, follow "Hiding the account" to hide it again.

Nutan's Soft And Games (www.nutansoftandgames.blogspot.com)