Windows 7: Logon Screen - Fix Showing Only "Other User" and Last Logged On User

   Information

If your Windows 7 login, welcome, or switch user screen only displays the last user that was logged on and Other User icons instead of the icons of all users created on the computer, then this tutorial will show you how to fix this.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

   Warning

It is highly recommended that you create a restore point before doing this tutorial. This way if you make a mistake that leaves Windows 7 unbootable or messed up, you would be able to easily do a system restore and select the restore point to undo and fix the mistake.

1. Open the Control Panel (icons view), click on the User Accounts icon, and click on the Manage another account link. (see screenshot below)

2. Make note of the user names for all user accounts that you have created in Windows 7 for the steps below. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: In addition to any name (ex: User-Name) of user accounts that you created, you will also have a Guest and the built-in Administrator (if enabled) accounts by default.

3. In the Start Menu, type regedit in the search box and press Enter.

4. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

5. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below step 6)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

6. If you have a .DEFAULT key in the left pane as a subkey under the ProfileList key, then right click on .DEFAULT, and click on Delete. (see screenshot below)

A) Click on Yes to confirm to delete. (see screenshot below)

7. In the left pane under the ProfileList key, you will need to select and look at each S-1-5-xx subkey one at a time for the following items below.

   Warning

Please review each item listed below before deleting any S-1-5-xx subkey. You would only want to delete a S-1-5-xx subkey if you need to as outlined below.

A) Do not delete S-1-5-xx subkeys that have systemprofile, LocalService, and NetworkService names in the ProfileImagePath value in the left pane.
NOTE: These are system accounts used by Windows 7. (see screenshots below)

B) Do not delete S-1-5-xx subkeys that have Guest, Administrator, or names of user accounts (ex: User-Name) in the ProfileImagePath value in the left pane from step 2 that you created in Windows 7. (see screenshots below)

C) If a selected S-1-5-xx subkey has a user name in the ProfileImagePath value in the left pane that is not a user account that you have created in Windows 7 from step 2 or from step 7B, then right click on the S-1-5-xx subkey and click on Delete, and Yes to confirm.

D) If any selected S-1-5-xx subkey does not have at least all 3 of the default Flags, ProfileImagePath, and State values in it's right pane, then right click on the S-1-5-xx subkey and click on Delete, and Yes to confirm. (see screenshot below)

8. When finished, close regedit and User Accounts windows.

9. Log off or Switch User to test and see if the logon screen is now back to normal again with all user icons displayed.