Recovering a user local profile flagged as ‘backup’
At times strange things happen with user local profiles on both Windows Servers and client systems such as, when a user local profile unexpectedly turns to a backup status and freezes in that state. When you check the profile status through the Control Panel you will see that it is flagged as backup after you log on with a temporary profile.
Categories: Troubleshooting Tags: backup, Local profile, logon, profile, regedit, registry
Removing the last logged on user name from successive Windows logon screens
For compliance or security reasons you may wish to remove from the logon screen the name of the last user who successfully logged on to a computer. You can achieve this by applying a Group Policy called Interactive logon: Do not display last user name.
Categories: Security Tags: gpedit, gpedit.msc, Group Policy, login, logon, user name
How to replace the Logon UI Background in Windows 7
Windows 7, unlike older versions of Windows include a registry entry which allows users to replace the logon user interface default background image. In previous versions users had to hack files in order to achieve the same results. When Windows 7 starts, it checks whether the logon UI (User Interface) background option is enabled in the registry and loads the default image as the background picture of the CTRL+ALT+DEL logon screen. To replace the logon UI background image follow the steps below:
Categories: GUI, Tweaks Tags: background, logon, logon screen, LogonUI, regedit, UI
Applying new Language settings to the Logon screen
When you apply new regional and language settings on your Windows 7 computer such as, a new language pack, the new settings do not apply to the welcome screen, system accounts and new user accounts. For instance, when applying a new language, the logon screen does not display text in that new language by default!
Categories: Troubleshooting Tags: language, Language Packs, logon, regional setting, system account, welcome screen
Windows Services Log-On Accounts
Older versions of Windows Operating Systems (prior to Windows XP and Windows Server 2003) used the Local System account (NT AUTHORITY\LocalSystem) to start Windows services. A Windows service is an application type that runs in the system background without a user interface and is similar to a UNIX daemon process. Some services provide core operating system features, such as event logging, file serving, printing, etc. and need to run under the Local System context, however, there are other services which do not require this elevated context.
Categories: Security Tags: account, local system, localservice, logon, Malicious, networkservice, privilege, service
Using Smart Cards with Windows 7
In highly secure environments where Smart Cards are the preferred method for authentication, Windows 7 is the system that allows you to use Smart Cards without requiring any specific vendor software. In addition, Windows 7 allows you to fine tune the authentication mechanism through the use of policies. Why Smart Cards? Smart Cards are more secure than other means of authentication such as user names and passwords. They store digital certificates where an administrator can immediately revoke the certificate stored on a lost or stolen Smart Card from the system.
Categories: Devices, Security Tags: authenticate, authentication, cards, certificate, interactive, logon, multifactor, policy, Smart, Smart card
Setting up Automatic Login
Some installations of Windows 7 are set to allow the default user to log in automatically when the computer starts. However, requesting users to enter their login credentials when the computer starts is highly recommended as it is a security measure. Conversely, when the computer is located in physically secure location, automatic logon might be preferred. Remember, that anyone with physical access to the computer can start the system and access your data if user login is set to auto!
