Remove User at Log in Screen

fireberd · Feb 7, 2022

I apparently did something and now an old (not used) user is appearing at log in. I have to switch and enter password to log in. This happened before, back in the Win 10 days and it was fixed (don't know how or I'd fix it again) and I've been logged in bypassing P/W (netplwiz config).

The only place I find this rogue user is at the log in screen and its defaulting to that user. I went through the delete user tutorial that Brink has on Win 10 forum and nothing there applies. I can fix it with a Macrium disc image but don't want to as its a week old and I installed tax software last week and in the middle of that.

IF the rogue user can't be deleted, how do I change login to default to my "real" user?

The-Hive · Feb 7, 2022

Can you not back the tax software, run Macrium and the reinstall tax software.
I assume you have done a search for the username and checked C:\Users ( making sure it's not hidden ) I use an app Everything to search with as it doesn't miss anything

fireberd · Feb 7, 2022

I'd like to fix this permanently, not have it come back again, as it has, at some later time.

Brink · Feb 7, 2022

Hello mate,

It sounds like something changed causing netplwiz to not be able to automatically sign in anymore.

If this is the case, then you can set up netplwiz again in option 1 below making sure the password is entered correctly for the account you want automatically signed in to at startup.

Enable or Disable Automatically Sign in Account at Startup in Windows 11 Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable automatically sign in to a specific account at startup to boot directly to the desktop in Windows 11. By default at the startup of Windows 11, you need to dismiss the Lock screen, select the account you want to sign in to on the Sign-in...

www.elevenforum.com

fireberd · Feb 7, 2022

Brink, I think the problem is the rogue user. Windows is defaulting to that instead of my "real" user. Got to get that user deleted or at best reset my "real" user as the sign in default. Apparently, that is what was done before.

Worst case I can wait until HR Block can file my taxes (it needs an update for one form I'm using and no ETA) and then do the Macrium restore.

fireberd · Feb 7, 2022

Fixed (for now) redoing the setup in netplwiz, as Brink suggested.

But, I'd like to permanently remove the rogue log in user, only have my "real" user.

AdvancedSetup · Feb 7, 2022

Does the user exist in the Registry?

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

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Or are you being logged in with a Temporary profile for some reason?

Temporary User Profiles - Win32 apps

A temporary user profile is issued each time an error condition prevents the user's profile from loading.

docs.microsoft.com

Note from Dell on the Temporary profile issue

Windows 10 Reports That You Are On a Temporary Profile | Dell US

fireberd · Feb 7, 2022

Not in the registry. I'm the only one shown and also Administrator.
The only place I've found the other user is at the log in screen.

Berton · Feb 7, 2022

I'm working on the same type issue now on a Win10 Notebook, owner created a second User but exact same name with different passwords. Both point point to the same User folder in C:\Users which has a custom name, owner said to do a clean install after saving documents.

Bree · Feb 7, 2022

fireberd said:
Not in the registry. I'm the only one shown and also Administrator.
The only place I've found the other user is at the log in screen.

The only way I know that creates an apparently normal user on the log in screen, but no trace of an account in the registry, is to set up netplwiz to automatically sign in with a user account name that does not exist. For example....

To all intents and purposes it looks like a real user name, but there's no actual account in that name, and the only place you'll find it in the registry is the DefaultUserName item in Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.

fireberd said:
Fixed (for now) redoing the setup in netplwiz, as Brink suggested.

And that is how to remove it from the log in screen.

fireberd · Feb 9, 2022

I haven't marked this as resolved as I'm hoping someone will come up with a permanent fix. A clean install is out of the question because I would lose some valuable recording studio add ons and apps that can't be replaced.

AdvancedSetup · Feb 9, 2022

fireberd said:
I haven't marked this as resolved as I'm hoping someone will come up with a permanent fix. A clean install is out of the question because I would lose some valuable recording studio add ons and apps that can't be replaced.

Please click on Start / Search and type in CMD.EXE and when it shows select to run as Administrator
Then copy-paste the following into the Window and press the Enter key

Code:

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" /s

Then do this one too

Code:

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList" /s

Post back all the results returned.

Next, click on Start / Search and type in PowerShell. Then run it with Administrator rights.
Then copy/paste the following into the windows and press the Enter key

Code:

Get-EventLog -LogName System  | Where-Object {$_.EventID -eq 1511} | Select-Object -Property Source, EventID, InstanceId, Message

You can highlight the returned data with your mouse and then hit the Enter key and it will be copied to your clipboard to paste on a reply or into Notepad.

fireberd · Feb 10, 2022

I ran all three but the PowerShell doesn't recognize that code as it just comes back to the prompt.
At the risk of posting some private data, the first two only show one, 'Jack" (my name).

AdvancedSetup · Feb 10, 2022

If PowerShell came back blank it is probably due to the fact that it did not find the Event ID 1511 which is the Temporary Profile logon that gets listed if it's used. So, that confirms that you don't get logged on due to a Temporary Profile logon.

As for "private data" that brings back one of my recommendations I always give people when setting up a new computer. Never use any real names as part of any accounts on the system. Never give a website your real name either unless you really have to for perhaps financial or medical, pretty much the rest simply do not need real information.

Why you appear to have this issue doesn't make sense to me. Even using the netplwiz app doesn't change the fact that an account should be registered in the Registry. That's true for local and AD accounts both. You can choose using the netplwiz app to force use of CTRL-ALT-DEL to logon or simply logon directly, but not having a password on the account will also cause auto logon in most cases.

I'm open to other suggestions, but at the moment I cannot think of an obvious reason for this reported behavior.

Have you run the following from the command prompt with an Admin level account?

Code:

sfc   /scannow

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

fireberd · Feb 10, 2022

FWIW I ran those two commands on my (dual boot) Windows Insider installation (that was a clean install) and only see my one user name in the two CMD entries. And, like the other one the PowerShell didn't recognize that code.

AdvancedSetup · Feb 10, 2022

Didn't recognize or came back blank?

Didn't recognize should return red code errors

AdvancedSetup · Feb 10, 2022

You can see here on my system that it just comes back blank because it cannot find that Event 1511

fireberd · Feb 10, 2022

AdvancedSetup said:
If PowerShell came back blank it is probably due to the fact that it did not find the Event ID 1511 which is the Temporary Profile logon that gets listed if it's used. So, that confirms that you don't get logged on due to a Temporary Profile logon.

As for "private data" that brings back one of my recommendations I always give people when setting up a new computer. Never use any real names as part of any accounts on the system. Never give a website your real name either unless you really have to for perhaps financial or medical, pretty much the rest simply do not need real information.

Why you appear to have this issue doesn't make sense to me. Even using the netplwiz app doesn't change the fact that an account should be registered in the Registry. That's true for local and AD accounts both. You can choose using the netplwiz app to force use of CTRL-ALT-DEL to logon or simply logon directly, but not having a password on the account will also cause auto logon in most cases.

I'm open to other suggestions, but at the moment I cannot think of an obvious reason for this reported behavior.

Have you run the following from the command prompt with an Admin level account?

Code:

sfc /scannow DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

I ran that cleanup back in Win 10

fireberd · Feb 10, 2022

Came back blank (on both).

FDretired · Feb 10, 2022

1) I first enabled "control alternate delete" .

2) I then ran Netplwiz - Autologin.

This removed the redundant name on booting up.

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