Hidden Accounts In XP PRO

[youngpheelo]

There are hidden accounts, and you might want to unshare some of your drives also, your C drive is probably being shared and it's hidden by default.

[Stormfried]

I really have no need for hidden user accounts, and neither should anyone else. (I think you know what I'm getting at

If you know how to do something, you normally know how to undo it as well.. and it can be useful to unmask hidden accounts that employees w/ too high privileges have created..

Anyway, it's a rather simple procedure...
go to start -> run and type regedt32 - or regedit, if you prefer; it doesn't matter..
then open up HKLM\software\microsoft\windows nt\current version\winlogon\specialaccounts\userlist

~to hide an account, create a new DWORD with the name of the DWORD the same as the name of the account you want to hide, and leave the value set to 0.

~to show an account, change the value of the DWORD to 1.

Simple & easy, and the accounts now show on the Welcome Screen and under Control Panel -> User Accounts......

~~Nate

[uno_digerati]

I am running Windows XP Pro and opened the Users and Groups applet. These two accounts do show up in the list of accounts on the system. Does anyone have any ideas why Alan's are not showing up on the accounts list? I am curious why they show up on my list if they do not show up on a fresh install. I did do an updgrade from Windows 2000 rather than do a fresh install. Ideas?

[Techbill]

This is an intreresting thread and I did not know these accounts existed?!? So I decided to see what I could do about it. I tried to use MMC but it pops up with a message indicating I cannot access the Locals users and groups option because I am using XP Home. I then tried control userpasswords2 select the advanced tab. There is a section labled acct managment click advanced and the same message. Not available with XP Home. So I tried the registry hack listed above the Help Assistant and several other were already there as DWORD value 0 so I changed it to 1. Reboot I went to the user accts under control panel and even tried control userpasswords2 again. They do not show on the welcome screen either. These accounts still appear to be hidden. Any other suggetions for disabling these accounts in XP Home??
Thanks and Best Regards
Bill

[576869746568617]

Use the "net users" and "net accounts" commands from the command line.

Type net help user at the command line fot the syntax. The syntax is also available in MS Knowledgebase Article - 251394

As for the "net accounts" command, it is primarily for use with a WinNT/2k/2003 domain, but if net logon is running you can change account policy info (user name, password, lockout policy, etc.)

You can get the syntax by typing net help accounts at the command line or in Microsoft Knowledge Base Article - 194739

Hope this helps

EDIT : Yes geek, it is old-school, but when you system is compromised and the GUI fails to function properly and the only shell that works is cmd, you'll be thankful for the command line, and glad you knoy how to use it.

Long live the Command Line, May your black and white archaic syntax forever grace my system.

[Techbill]

Thanks for the links! I will look these over. By the way I am new here and this is a pretty good group. I am finding lots of very good info. Thanks again
Bill