hide admin account at the start up screen

[sidono222]

Hi,

I am using a windows 7 Home prem. 64bit
I want a computer with no administrator privilege. The start up screen should only show one standard account. There should be no other account to see when I start up the PC.

And when the standard account wants a admin privilege, a box should appear where I can type in the password.

What I tried was activating the default administrator account by "net user administrator /active:yes". After setting the password I deactivated the admin account inorder to hide it at the start up screen. But when the "standard account" wanted to use the admin privilege it asked for the password with no field to type it into.
Apparently disabling the administrator account means; not able to use the admin password either. I had to restart the PC in "Safe Mode Command Prompt", go into the admin account, activate the admin account(net user administrator /active:yes), restart the PC and so on.....

Long story short; I don't want to have the admin account to be like "IN YOUR FACE" when ever the user "STARTS UP" this computer.
Is this thing possible?

 

[Arc]

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/507-built-administrator-account-enable-disable.html

Is this the one that you need ?

 

[sidono222]

Thank you for your response Arc,


I already know how to enable or disable the Built-in Administrator Account.
The problem is that I can't use the admin password in the standard account after I disable the "Built-in Administrator Account".
When ever I need admin privilege, it asks for a admin password but there is no field to enter it.

 

[Brink]

Hello Sidono, and welcome to Seven Forums.

If you still wanted to have a log on screen, then you could set Windows 7 to where it will request to enter both the user name and password at log on instead. This way there's only one blank user icon at log on to be seen.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/61650-log-user-name-password.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[FliGi7]

I think he's saying the login screen doesn't show the admin account now that he deactivated it but when UAC requires admin privileges, it asks for a password with no place to enter it. Correct?

 

[Brink]

I was thinking that he wanted to keep the built-in Administrator account enabled, but just not have it displayed in the log on screen.

 

[FliGi7]

He does, and I think he has successfully removed it from the logon screen, but now UAC is prompting him for a admin password instead of the option to just click Yes.

 

[Brink]

He wouldn't be able to just click Yes for a UAC prompt in a "Standard User" account. Only in a administrator account will be able to. If he disables the only administrator account on the computer, the built-in Administrator account in this case, then that's why he's not able to.

Let's wait until the OP clarifies so as not to confuse everything, but I'm thinking that he's just wanting to keep the built-in Administrator account enabled to be able to enter the password as needed, but also not have the account displayed in the log on screen.

 

[FliGi7]

You're right, but I think his issue is that there is no place to enter that password when prompted for it, for reasons I'm not sure.

 

[Brink]

That would only be an issue if there wasn't an administrator account enabled. If left enabled, there would be a place to enter the administrator's password when he get's a UAC prompt in his "Standard User" account.

 

[sidono222]

Thank you FliGi7 and Brink

I see that when I disiable the admin account, the UAC doesn't allow for any password to be typed in.
And I also know that I can have the PC request the User to enter both the user name and password at log on. Well, if all fails I would try this, but I wish to keep log on screen just as the way it is now. Showing only one account(standard account) and one password field to enter.

So I guess it is not possible to hide/disable the admin acccount on the log on screen without having trouble with the UAC.....

Wish there was a way to type in the admin password while having the admin account disabled.
Thank you all for your help

 

[Brink]

You're welcome Sidono.

Unfortunately, it's not possible when the only admin account has been disabled. Any account enabled will show up in the log on screen unless set to have to enter both user name and password at log on.

 

[313]

'Hiding Local Admin Account'

I would always advise against disabling a local admin account on a client machine - I worked for a MS Gold Partner for 6 years and having an active local admin account gets you out of a 'whole world of pain' if you can't connect to the box with domain admin creds and need to login locally or if the local user profile gets corrupted.

Its good practice to rename the Administrator account on the local box and by also adding a strong (easily rememberable password) makes it much more secure than leaving blank, i.e. 'Administrator' could become 'myladmin' (my-local-admin), 'the default 'blank' password' could become '$umm3r'

If it’s a home PC and your main user account is already an admin, personally I’d just knock UAC down a notch or two.

To 'hide' the main local admin account (now renamed)

1. Create folder on desktop called ‘Hide Admin’
2. Type 'regedit' into the search bar (above the windows start button globe), then hit enter.
3. Browse to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
4. Right click 'Winlogon' (left-hand pane)
5. Create a new key and name 'SpecialAccounts'
6. Right click 'SpecialAccounts' (left-hand pane)
7. Create another key (sub-key) called 'UserList'
8. Right click blank area (right-hand pane)
9. Create a new DWORD (32-bit)
10.Rename DWORD to the relevant local admin account, i.e. 'myladmin'
11.Right click DWORD and click Modify, set a Hex value of 'O'
12.Right click 'SpecialAccounts'(left-hand pane)
13.Click ‘Export’ and when window appears name as ‘Hide Admin Account’ and save to the folder you created in (1.)
14.Right click the DWORD you created in (8.) and click Modify, set a Hex value of '1'
15.Right click 'SpecialAccounts'(left-hand pane)
16.Click ‘Export’ and when window appears name as ‘Show Admin Account’ and save to the folder you created in (1.)
17.Browse to the ‘Hide Admin’folder on desktop, select as appropriate, ie. ‘Hide Admin Account’
18.Log off
19.Local admin account should no longer be visible
20.Log back in as user – main admin account is ‘hidden’ from view, but remains active, i.e. Shift & right click item, allows run as Administrator or another user :0)

Hope this helps somebody!

 

[Lucius Snow]

Wonderful ... I've been looking for this tweak so long !