I made a secret user account and used the “reg” command to prevent it from being visible on the Windows login screen and Fast User Switch menu.
reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\Userlist" /v user /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
However, what is the method for accessing and logging in to this user account now?
2 Answers
Introduction
Creating a hidden user account on Windows can be useful in certain situations, such as when you want to have a separate account for administrative purposes or when you want to keep your personal files and settings secure. However, once you have created a hidden user account, accessing it can be tricky since it won’t appear on the Windows login screen or the Fast User Switch menu. In this blog post, we will discuss how to create a hidden user account on Windows and how to access it.
Creating a Hidden User Account
Creating a hidden user account on Windows is a relatively simple process. The first step is to open the Command Prompt with administrative privileges. To do this, right-click on the Start menu and select “Command Prompt (Admin)”.
Once you have opened the Command Prompt, type the following command:
net user [username] [password] /add
Replace “[username]” with the name you want to give your hidden user account and “[password]” with the password you want to use for the account. For example, if you want to create a hidden user account called “admin” with the password “password123”, you would type the following command:
net user admin password123 /add
Once you have entered the command, press Enter. You should see a message that says “The command completed successfully”.
Disabling the Hidden User Account from the Windows Login Screen
Now that you have created a hidden user account, you may want to disable it from appearing on the Windows login screen. To do this, you will need to use the Registry Editor.
Note: Editing the Registry can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re doing. Make sure to back up your Registry before making any changes.
To open the Registry Editor, press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “regedit” and press Enter.
Once you have opened the Registry Editor, navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogonSpecialAccountsUserlist
Right-click on the “Userlist” key and select “New” > “DWORD (32-bit) Value”. Name the new value the same as the username you created earlier.
Double-click on the new value and set the value data to “0”. Click “OK” to save the changes.
Accessing the Hidden User Account
Now that you have created a hidden user account and disabled it from appearing on the Windows login screen, you may be wondering how to access it. There are two ways to do this.
The first way is to use the “Run as” command. To do this, right-click on any program or shortcut and select “Run as different user”. Enter the username and password for the hidden user account and click “OK”. The program or shortcut will open using the hidden user account.
The second way is to use the Command Prompt. To do this, open the Command Prompt and type the following command:
runas /user:[username] cmd
Replace “[username]” with the name of your hidden user account. For example, if your hidden user account is called “admin”, you would type the following command:
runas /user:admin cmd
You will be prompted to enter the password for the hidden user account. Once you have entered the password, a new Command Prompt window will open using the hidden user account.
Enabling the Hidden User Account
If you ever need to enable the hidden user account again, you can do so by using the Registry Editor. Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESoftwareMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogonSpecialAccountsUserlist
Find the DWORD value you created earlier and double-click on it. Change the value data to “1” and click “OK” to save the changes.
Conclusion
Creating a hidden user account on Windows can be a useful way to keep your personal files and settings secure or to have a separate account for administrative purposes. However, accessing the hidden user account can be tricky since it won’t appear on the Windows login screen or the Fast User Switch menu. By following the steps outlined in this blog post, you can create a hidden user account, disable it from appearing on the Windows login screen, and access it when you need to.
In order to access a concealed account, you must adjust Windows settings to prompt for a username and password during login.
To do this, access the Local Security Policy (secpol.msc) and navigate to Local Policies > Security options. Then, enable the “Interactive logon: Don’t display last user name” option.