• September 21, 2024

Local Users Not Showing Up on Login Screen: Troubleshooting Guide

If you find that local user accounts are not appearing on the login screen of your Windows system, it can be a frustrating experience. This guide aims to provide a comprehensive set of solutions to help you resolve this issue effectively. We will outline specific steps you can take to ensure that your local users show up as expected.

1. Check Group Policy Settings

Group Policy settings play a critical role in user account visibility on the login screen.

2024 Best 5 Mini PCs Under $500

Best Mini PCs Under $500 Description Amazon URL

Beelink S12 Pro Mini PC

Sponsored Ad - Beelink SEi14 Mini PC, Intel Ultra 5 125H (up to 4.5GHz) 14C/18T, Mini Computer 32GB DDR5 5600MHz 1TB PCIe...
Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake-N100, 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD, supports 4K dual display. View on Amazon

ACEMAGICIAN Mini Gaming PC

KAMRUI Mini PC with AMD Ryzen7 5800U 8C/16T Processor Up to 4.4Ghz, 16GB DDR4 512GB SSD,Small Form Factor Desktop Compute...
AMD Ryzen 7 5800U, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD, supports 4K triple display. View on Amazon

GMKtec Mini PC M5 Plus

GMKtec Mini PC NucBox G5, Intel 12th Gen Alder Lake N97 (up to 3.6GHz), 12GB RAM 256GB M.2 SSD, Home, Business, Office Min...
AMD Ryzen 7 5825U, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, features WiFi 6E and dual LAN. View on Amazon

Maxtang ALN50 Mini PC

Maxtang Ryzen 7 7735HS Mini PC [8C/16T up to 4.75GHz] Windows 11 Home Supported 32GB DDR5 Ram 1TB PCIe4.0 Nvme SSD WIFI6 BT5.2 Mini Desktop Gaming Computer
Intel Core i3-N305, up to 32GB RAM, compact design with multiple connectivity options. View on Amazon

MINISFORUM Venus UM773 Lite

MINISFORUM Venus Series UM773 Lite Mini PC AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS up to 4.75GHz 32GB DDR5 1TB PCIe4.0 SSD AMD Radeon 680M Mini...
Ryzen 7 7735HS, up to 32GB RAM, supports dual displays and has solid performance. View on Amazon
  • Access Group Policy Editor: Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and hit Enter.
  • Navigate to Logon Settings: Go to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Logon.
  • Adjust Settings:
    • Find Enumerate local users on domain-joined computers and set it to Enabled.
    • Ensure Do not enumerate connected users on domain-joined computers is set to Disabled or Not Configured.
  • Restart Your Computer: After making these changes, reboot your system to apply the new settings.

2. Modify Registry Settings

Registry configurations can also affect the visibility of local user accounts.

  • Open Registry Editor: Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
  • Navigate to System Policies: Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System.
  • Edit DWORD Value:
    • Look for the DWORD value named dontdisplaylastusername.
    • If it exists, set its value to 0 to allow all user accounts to display.
    • If it does not exist, create a new DWORD (32-bit) value named dontdisplaylastusername and set it to 0.
  • Restart Your Computer: Exit the Registry Editor and reboot your system.
See also  Why do laptops need adapters?

3. Ensure User Accounts Are Enabled

Sometimes, user accounts may be disabled, preventing them from showing up.

  • Open Local Users and Groups: Press Win + R, type lusrmgr.msc, and hit Enter.
  • Check Users Folder: Click on the Users folder and verify that all accounts are listed.
  • Review Account Properties:
    • Right-click on any account that is not showing and select Properties.
    • Make sure that the option Account is disabled is unchecked.

4. Verify User Account Settings

Double-check the settings for all user accounts to ensure they are enabled.

  • Access Account Settings: Navigate to Settings > Accounts > Family & other users.
  • Confirm Account Visibility: Ensure that all user accounts are listed and marked as enabled.

5. Activate the Built-in Administrator Account

If the above steps do not work, activating the built-in Administrator account may help.

  • Boot into Recovery Mode: Hold down Shift and click Restart from the login screen.
  • Open Command Prompt: Navigate to Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Command Prompt.
  • Activate Administrator Account: Type the following command:
    bash
    net user administrator /active:yes
  • Log In Using Administrator Account: Use this account to manage and troubleshoot other user accounts.

6. Check for Windows Updates

Occasionally, pending Windows updates can cause user account issues.

  • Access Windows Update Settings: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update.
  • Check for Updates: Look for any pending updates and install them to ensure system stability.

7. Boot into Safe Mode

If the problem persists, booting into Safe Mode can help diagnose and fix user account issues.

  • Restart Your Computer: Hold down the Shift key while clicking Restart.
  • Select Safe Mode: In the recovery options, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings, then restart and choose Safe Mode.
  • Check User Accounts: Once in Safe Mode, check if local user accounts are visible on the login screen.
See also  How to Keep Your Mini Gaming PC Cool: A Comprehensive Guide

Conclusion

If local user accounts are not appearing on the login screen, this guide offers a series of actionable steps to resolve the issue. By examining Group Policy settings, modifying registry configurations, ensuring accounts are enabled, and utilizing recovery options, you can effectively troubleshoot and fix this problem. If the issue persists despite these efforts, further investigation into system settings or professional assistance may be necessary.