Enable Ctrl+Alt+Delete for Vista Logon Screen
In older versions of Windows, you had to use the Ctrl+Alt+Delete combination to login to the system. This was supposed to provide a higher security login, although I don't know how. You also might be used to using that combination to login, and there's a way to turn it back on.
Open the Advanced User Accounts panel by typing in netplwiz into the start menu search box, and hitting enter. Then click the Advanced tab, and you'll see this:
Just check the box, and the next time you login, you'll see the old familiar prompt.
Update
For a method that works all the time, type in secpol.msc into the start menu search box and then navigate to Local Policies \ Security Options.
Find the setting for "Interactive Logon: Do not display last user name" and change it to enabled.
I heard the whole ctrl-alt-delete to log in was caused by a hacker who hacked into a windows 95 or similar machine. He argued that because it said 'welcome' he was invited onto the computer and therefore was not actually accessing it illegally, and was thus not hacking into it.
No idea if this is true or not but given how some people argue court cases on similarly small points, I wouldn't be surprised if it was.
That's very interesting… I wonder if it's true.
I am 99% sure that this is true. that is why 'we' went toward so much more 'open' compliance.
The CTRL-ALT-DEL was a semi-lame attempt (though effective) at dealing with certain types of attacks. Theoretically a malicious programmer could write a fake shell that would snag your login credentials. Getting users into the habit of C-A-D to login means that the user would (probably unknowingly) force quit the malicious shell when they tried to login.
The old "control userpasswords2″ and "gpedit.msc" still works. The purpose of the "interactive logon" is to provide a trusted path for the password. Without it, the password can be intercepted.
Its also required to log into a domain
Dean
Windows 95 did not have a Welcome screen. By default it booted up to the desktop. A rudimentary windows password could be configured, however there were no user accounts (or usernames).
At the same time Windows NT (4.0) Server did require the ctrl-alt-del.
Thus your story must be false
The reason CTRL-ALT-DEL exists is to provide some measure of confidence when entering a password at the login screen. This key combination is the only one Windows assures that cannot be intercepted by any other application. So, by ensuring that the user presses that key combination before entering his password, he/she will know that the password screen really belongs to Windows.
Not sure about the story, but a little assistance would be appreciated. We have a single Vista machine, with multiple users accounts, in a domain. Currently, at machine startup, the user is presented with Ctrl-Alt-Del, which then takes the user to the classic logon (username/password). Due to the domain configuration, each user has to type in "domain"\username and password to log into there personalized desktop. Is there a way to change the logon screen (@ computer startup) to show icons for each user account, which would enable the user to simply click her/his name, leading to the entering of that user's password?
This keyboard combination was implemented by David Bradley, a designer of the original IBM PC. Bradley originally designed Control-Alt-Escape to trigger a soft reboot, but he found it was too easy to bump the left side of the keyboard and reboot the computer accidentally. He switched the key combination to Control-Alt-Delete, a combination impossible to press with just one hand (this is not true of later keyboards, such as the 102-key PC/AT keyboard or the Maltron keyboard). More advanced operating systems use its status as a "reserved" combination for various purposes, but often retain the ability to trigger a soft reboot in certain configurations or circumstances. Bradley is also known for his good-natured jab at Bill Gates, at that time the CEO of Microsoft, and also the creator of many of Microsoft's programs: "I may have invented Control-Alt-Delete, but Bill Gates made it famous".
-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Control-Alt-Delete
Ever heard of Google? Tards.
Like the history thread above… For those who have problems trying to get Windows Vista (Ultimate) to require the user to press Ctrl+Alt+Del use the following:
I got the info from:
http://msmvps.com/blogs/robfar.....entmessage
The post was by Nothize… He's v.good as it works fine…. cheers mate.
Just to clarify:
Run Reg Edit - locate "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" - "Software" - "Microsoft" - "Windows" - "CurrentVersion" - "Policies" - "System" - "dontdisplaylastusername"
and change the value to "1″
Can any body know's how to change this key combination?
They use Ctrl+Alt+Del to also prevent people from using brute force password programs that use a list of passwords to try to obtain the right one. Requiring you to hit C+A+D makes it so it cant just start filling in thousands of passwords, and as someone stated above, Programs cant run Ctrl+Alt+Del, hence the hacker would be forced to hit Ctrl+Alt+Del every time he tried a password, which would take forever.
Does the secpol.msc thing only work for windows vista ultimate and business editions cos i couldnt get it to work for my vista home premium :'(
In a domain environment, is there a way to configure Vista to only require users to input their username without requiring the DOMAIN NAME\ to preceed it?
Hey Shack!! Nice to see you here! And thanks for sharing the solution elsewhere!!
A little thing to add is that on Vista Home(Instead of Ultimate), nearly all tools suggested by others are unavailable to achieve the goal.(like security policy, netplwiz advanced tab and control userpasswords2).
Which is what "Rob" and I was experiencing…….
For Rob, please try to modify the registry manually as suggested by Shack!!
The story is not true. That sequences is the only one that Windows blocks from being sent to an application. Some companies do change the "welcome" screen to put hackers on notice, but that is in no way related to the use of ctrl-alt-del.
It's easy to create a phony log-on screen to capture someone else's password. But there is no way to have a phony screen pop up with the ctrl-alt-del sequence, since that is reserved by windows, and cannot be trapped by any applications. The sequence is an extra measure of security.
Since there were virtually no exploits of this type anyway, the default behavior is to bypass it in more recent versions of windows, but it can still be turned on.