Vista - Logon with Username and Password

**Brink** · **METHOD ONE:**

How to Make Vista Require a User Name and Password at Logon

Information

This will change the logon procedure in Vista to require all users to type in their user name and password instead of selecting their user icon and typing in just their password to logon their user account. This is like the old classic Windows logon screen.

NOTE

For the user name, you would type your account's User name, or to logon to a domain, you would type Domain Name (Computer Name)/User name instead. If you have no password, then just leave the field empty. You can press TAB or SHIFT+TAB to move between the User name and Password fields if you entered something incorrectly. See the example screenshot below.

RELATED LINKS:

EXAMPLE: User Name and Password Logon Screen
NOTE: See the NOTE box at the top of the tutorial. However, with this option the user display picture will be blank, since there is no actual user icon now.

METHOD ONE:
Through a Download

1. To Enable User Name and Password Logon -
A) Click on the download button below to download the
Enable_Username&Password_Logon.reg file.

B) Go to step 3.

2. To Restore the Default Logon -
A) Click on the download button below to download the
Restore_Default_Logon.reg file.

3. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.

4. Right click on the .reg file (on Desktop) and click on Merge.

5. Click on the Run button in the Security Warning pop-up.

6. Click on Continue (UAC), Yes, and then OK when prompted.

7. When done, you can delete the .reg file (on Desktop).
NOTE: The next time you go to a logon screen, you will be required to enter your user name and password to logon to Vista in your user account.

METHOD TWO:
The Manual Way

1. Open the Start Menu.

2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.

3. Click on Continue in the UAC prompt.

4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshot below step 5)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

5. In the right pane, right click on dontdisplaylastusername and click on Modify.

6. To Enable User Name and Password Logon -
A) Type 1 and click on OK. (See screenshot below step 7)

B) Go to step 8.

7. To Restore the Default Logon -
A) Type 0 (number zero) and click on OK.

8. Close regedit.
NOTE: The next time you go to a logon screen, you will be required to enter your user name and password to logon to Vista for your user account.

That's it,
Shawn

**Mikhayah** · 01-14-2008

i tried this and it errored out when i clicked okay. i did this from a user account that is not the admin. Any suggestions? i need this TO get Vista to prompt for the username so i can type in the correct username for the admin account.

**Brink** · 01-14-2008

Hi Mikhayah,

Yes, this is normal. You will need to do this tutorial in a Administrator account or provide the Administrator password when prompted by UAC.

Shawn

**Mikhayah** · 01-15-2008

Man, that's really rough. It's hard to believe that MS never thought that someone might put in a wrong Username and need to type it in correct; as there is no way to type in a correct password for a wrong Username. That's really a HUGE flaw of Vista. People type things in wrong and need to be able to change it without reinstalling the entire OS.

**Brink** · 01-15-2008

LOL Mikhayah,

I thought you were talking about doing the tutorial. LOL

You can press Tab or Shift+Tab to go back to Username to re-enter it.

Shawn

**Mikhayah** · 01-15-2008

Nah, the tutorial seems fine, but it's just not working in my case.

Also, i just tried tab and tab-shift and it just moved around to everything (as tab does), but didn't open a field for Username.

**Brink** · 01-15-2008

Mikhayah,

Strange. After I entered a wrong username and password on purpose, I got the error like you. I clicked OK, then was able to press Tab to move back and forth between the Username and Password field.

Shawn

**Mikhayah** · 01-15-2008

Crap. That stinks man. It's just not happening on my end.

**Brink** · 01-15-2008

Mikhayah,

I would just go back to the default of just typing in the password for the user account.

Is it not showing your Administrator account display picture asking for the password using the default logon?

Shawn

**Mikhayah** · 01-16-2008

Yeah, it's super weird man... i type in the password and it says it's denied and that it is "either" a wrong password "or" a wrong username...

Well the thing is that under users, there is the ORIGINAL name and not the saved one, AND the password hint is the original password hint.

The image is the image that was used for the original username. Only the typed in name for the username is different... a name my wife was trying to change it to, but it said it didn't happen (and again, under users it is not listed). i just can't get it to prompt me for a different username.

01-14-2008
Mikhayah Vista Ultimate 9 posts	Re: Logon with Username and Password i tried this and it errored out when i clicked okay. i did this from a user account that is not the admin. Any suggestions? i need this TO get Vista to prompt for the username so i can type in the correct username for the admin account.
My System Specs

01-14-2008
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 25,919 posts	Re: Logon with Username and Password Hi Mikhayah, Yes, this is normal. You will need to do this tutorial in a Administrator account or provide the Administrator password when prompted by UAC. Shawn
My System Specs

01-15-2008
Mikhayah Vista Ultimate 9 posts	Re: Logon with Username and Password Man, that's really rough. It's hard to believe that MS never thought that someone might put in a wrong Username and need to type it in correct; as there is no way to type in a correct password for a wrong Username. That's really a HUGE flaw of Vista. People type things in wrong and need to be able to change it without reinstalling the entire OS.
My System Specs

01-15-2008
Brink Vista x64 Ultimate SP2, Windows 7 Ultimate x64 25,919 posts	Re: Logon with Username and Password LOL Mikhayah, I thought you were talking about doing the tutorial. LOL You can press Tab or Shift+Tab to go back to Username to re-enter it. Shawn
My System Specs

01-15-2008
Mikhayah Vista Ultimate 9 posts	Re: Logon with Username and Password Nah, the tutorial seems fine, but it's just not working in my case. Also, i just tried tab and tab-shift and it just moved around to everything (as tab does), but didn't open a field for Username.
My System Specs

01-16-2008
Mikhayah Vista Ultimate 9 posts	Re: Logon with Username and Password Yeah, it's super weird man... i type in the password and it says it's denied and that it is "either" a wrong password "or" a wrong username... Well the thing is that under users, there is the ORIGINAL name and not the saved one, AND the password hint is the original password hint. The image is the image that was used for the original username. Only the typed in name for the username is different... a name my wife was trying to change it to, but it said it didn't happen (and again, under users it is not listed). i just can't get it to prompt me for a different username.
My System Specs

Similar Threads
Tutorial	Category
Wireless Network Connection - Username, Password, and Logon Domain	Vista networking & sharing
Logon failure-unknown username or bad password	Vista account administration
Logon Username & Password Fails on At Work Network	Vista networking & sharing
logon username & password	Vista mail
Logon failure : unknown username or bad password.	Vista networking & sharing