Windows 8 - How to show all users at lock screen

18
2014-04
  • Piney

    There is probably no way to do this but I'll ask anyway. I have disabled the win8 lock screen so I don't confuse my wife. When my computer locks it only shows my account at the login screen.

    Is there any way to show all users at the login (locked) screen?

    I have nothing to hide from my wife so she knows my password and just logs in as me. If it showed both users she would login to her own account instead of messing mine up. I know you can press the back arrow but if I tell the wife she'll get suspicious for no reason, you know how women are.

  • Answers
  • Rik

    I don't know for the lock screen but for the login screen it is possible. But not as simple as it should be.

    Follow the instructions on this page.

    It involves changing the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\UserSwitch. (setting Enabled to 1)

    The problem is this change does not survive at the moment a user logs in. So there are also instructions to change this value after every login with a batch file and the Task Scheduler.

    The batchfile should be like:

    REG ADD HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows|CurrentVersion|Authentication\LogonUI\UserSwitch /v Enabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
    

    Run this file with a task in the Task Manager "at log on" of "every user".

    Exact steps (with screenshots) are at this page.


    Edit:
    I found a way to do the same when you get the lock-screen in case of inactivity.

    I discovered that when you disconnect with "Remote Desktop" you get the full-Switch-User-screen with all users. You can simulate this with the command tsdiscon.exe. We work from there... (You can test this command manually)

    Now create a normal-"scheduled task", name it Switchusers. In the trigger-tab set a trigger on On workstation lock. In the action-tab set an action to run tsdiscon.exe. Press Ok.

    Now, whenever you get the lockscreen, tsdiscon.exe is executed and you get your full-switch-users ;)

    If for some reason this doesn't work you can also create the same task with trigger On idle and set the Start the task only if the computer is idle for on you desired idle-time and Wait for idle for on Do not wait and check Stop if the computer ceases to be idle (or else you'll get multiple login-screens after longer time-outs)

  • Heptite

    I had 2 different accounts, then I updated the wrong driver tried to do the System restore, it failed, I booted in safe mode, deleted the driver, and everything seemed to be back to normal.

    Not sure which of these steps resulted in only showing my account for the logging in, which was strange assuming I checked accounts and her account was there, I even created a new test account, it didn't showed either, I've set it up as Administrator, and tried almost every of possible solution available on the internet. I was even thinking of making a 'PC Refresh'.

    Then I found this.

    In case this URL won't work I'm listing the steps here:

    Create a Restore point before these actions so you know your registry is backed up.

    1. Open regedit
    2. Press Windows+R
    3. Type regedit + enter
    4. Navigate to [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList] You will probably want to right-click on “ProfileList” and click export to save the entire subtree in case something goes wrong.
    5. You will find several subfolders or “keys” named something like “S-1-x-xx…”, open them one at the time.
    6. Each should contain at least the three value-sets, “Flags”, “ProfileImagePath” and “State”, some will contain more
    7. Look at the end of ProfileImagePath for the name of the user represented by the key You will usually have one for each user on the system, and one for each of the three system entries ‘systemprofile’, ‘LocalService’ and ’NetworkService’
    8. Delete any key (i.e. the whole “S-1-x-xx” folder) that does not contain at least those three values. Also delete any empty key named default.
    9. The welcome screen should now work as expected, showing the avatar for all registered users; enjoy!

  • Related Question

    How can I change the lock screen in Windows 8 that appears for the default user?
  • Mark Allen

    This is about Windows 8 RTM.

    How can I change the lock screen in Windows 8 that appears after connecting to the machine via RDP?

    You can change your lock screen for your user account like so:

    1. Hit the Windows key.
    2. Right click your user name in the upper right hand corner, choose Change Account Picture.
    3. Click Lock Screen, choose a new picture.

    However, if you then connect to the computer where you've done this from another computer via RDP, using the same account, the physical machine you've connected to will display the "default" user lock screen - a stylized Space Needle / Seattle picture. It's not a bad picture, but I'd like to change it.


  • Related Answers
  • magicandre1981

    MS released an update to allow this without any hacks:

    Win8: How to Manage the Lock Screen Image on Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2787100/en-us

    The update “Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 cumulative update: November 2012” adds functionality to the Control Panel group polices that allow an administrator to designate a lock screen image on their Windows 8 and Windows 2012 computers. This setting lets you specify the default lock screen image shown when no user is signed in, and also sets the specified images as the default for all users (it replaces the inbox default image) Some restriction apply. See the Restrictions section below.

    The new group policy is named “Force a specific default lock screen image” and can be found in this path in the group policy editor: “Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization”

  • Edward Brey

    Found it.

    c:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData\S-1-5-18\ReadOnly\LockScreen_Z\

    Replace the picture in there with your custom background picture. It must match the name of the current background picture (for me, it's LockScreen___1680_1050.jpg). Logoff (or restart) to see the result.

    NOTE You may have to take ownership (or grant yourself permission) to view the contents of the SystemData folder and it's subfolders.

    Credit goes to someone named Brian Michael Reed posting here: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-GB/w8itprogeneral/thread/82e7ae0f-1b6e-4d04-ae05-8278911af3e2

  • theprofessor

    Go to the "setting" tabs on the right. Click personalizations. Your LOCK SCREEN image should be there with about 5 more choice from which you may choose. You may also browse for other pictures you may hav on your computer of other devices connected.