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How to Create Hidden User Accounts in Windows

in PC Security,Windows,Windows 7,Windows Vista,Windows XP

By default windows automatically adds all user accounts that exist on a computer to the list displayed on the Welcome screen so the user can click on their ID and log on. Would you like to have an invisible user account to work on your computer?

One way to accomplish this is to create a hidden user account. Now this doesn’t mean that no one can’t see the account but it does mean that your user account ID will not be displayed on the Welcome Screen.

It is good for creating accounts that you don’t want other users of the computer to know exists. To prevent others from seeing the account profile you will need to use the NTFS permissions to remove their ability to read the directory as well.

However, this kind of account is normally used to keep another family member from knowing something exists. If they are extremely computer literate, it may not be possible to keep them from finding the account. This trick worked for me to keep my teenagers out of my banking information on our shared computer in the family room.

Hiding a User Account

To create a hidden user account in Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7, perform the following tasks:

Click on Start-> Control Panel -> User Accounts
Select Create a new account and then follow the prompts until it is created

Once the account exists or if you want to hide an existing account do the following:

Click Start -> and go the Run command and type regedit in the dialog box as shown below

Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList as shown below

If SpecialAccounts and UserList is not found, create the new sub-key and name them those names
Highlight UserList, then right click in the right hand pane of the registry editor.
Select New -> DWORD and name it the exact same name as the account you want hidden