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Tech Tips / Windows NT / Security

Hiding the last logon

If you work in a security-minded environment (and who doesn't?), you may want to disable the default setting in NT 4.0 that displays the name of the last person who logged on to the system. It's often far too easy to guess a user's password from his or her username or from the logon environment.

You'll need to launch Regedt32 and follow these steps:

1. Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE key.
2. Find subkey \Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.
3. Go to Edit | New | String Value.
4. Enter DontDisplayLastUserName for the string's name.
5. Double-click the new string to edit the value.
6. Change the value to 1.
7. Click OK.
8. Exit the Registry Editor.

Note: Please remember that editing your registry can be risky; be sure you have a verified backup before you begin.