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How to prevent the name of the last logged-on user from being displayed in the Log On to Windows dialog box in Windows Server 2003

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This article describes how to prevent the name of the last logged-on user from being displayed in the Log On to Windows dialog box.

Applies to:   Windows 10 - all editions, Windows Server 2012 R2
Original KB number:   324740

Summary

By default, Windows displays the name of the last user who successfully logged on to the computer. This name is displayed in the Log On to Windows dialog box. Security administrators may prefer that the last logged-on user name not be displayed in the Log On to Windows dialog box. Although this configuration requires that users must type their user name (and password) each time that they sign in, it can help to prevent attempts by unauthorized users to gain access to the computer.

You can use Group Policy to prevent the name of the last logged-on user from being displayed in the Log On to Windows dialog box. The group policy can apply to the local computer, sites, domains, and organizational units (OU).

Resolution

  1. Select Start, select Run, type mmc in the Open box, and then select OK.
  2. On the File menu, select Add/Remove Snap-in.
  3. Select Add.
  4. Select Group Policy Object Editor, and then select Add.
  5. Select the target Group Policy object (GPO). The default GPO is Local Computer. Click Browse to select the GPO that you want, and then select Finish.
  6. Select Close, and then select OK.
  7. Expand the group policy object, expand Computer Configuration, expand Windows Settings, and then expand Security Settings.
  8. Expand Local Policies, and then select Security Options.
  9. In the right pane, double-click Interactive logon: Do not display last user name.
  10. Click to select the Define this policy setting check box (if it's present), and then select Enabled.
  11. Select OK.

Troubleshooting

Microsoft Windows NT 4.0-based computers don't support Windows Server 2003 Group Policy.

References

For more information about working with Group Policy in Windows Server 2003, see Group Policy Help. To do it, select Help on the Action menu in the Group Policy Object Editor snap-in, select the Contents tab, and then select Group Policy.