The default Windows 7 logon is fine for most users, but there are many ways to change
Windows 7’s logon behavior. This section offers up a few tips and techniques for altering
the way you log on to Windows 7.
Logging On to a Domain
In versions of Windows prior to Vista, when you logged on to a domain you always used
the Classic Windows logon, which consisted of pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete and then typing
your username and password in the Log On to Windows dialog box. (You also had the
option of specifying a different domain.) However, the Classic Windows logon was
removed from Vista and remains gone from Windows 7. To log on to a domain in
Windows 7, you must specify the domain as part of the username. You have two choices:
. NetBIOSName\UserName—Here, replace NetBIOSName with the NetBIOS name of
the domain, and replace UserName with your network username (for example,
logophilia\paulm).
. UserName@Domain—Here, replace Domain with the domain name, and replace
UserName with your network username (for example, paulm@logophilia.com).
Enabling the Administrator Account
One of the confusing aspects about Windows 7 is that the Administrator account seems to
disappear after the setup is complete. That’s because, for security reasons, Windows 7
doesn’t give you access to this all-powerful account. I should say it doesn’t give you easy
access to this account. The Welcome screen doesn’t include an option to choose the
Administrator, and no option exists anywhere in the Control Panel’s user account windows
to enable this account to log on.
That’s probably just as well because it keeps most users much safer, but it’s annoying for
those of us who might occasionally require the Administrator account. For example, tools
such as the Windows Automated Installation Kit require that you be logged on with the
Administrator account.
Fortunately, you can activate the Administrator account in several ways. Here’s a quick
look at two of them:
. Using the Local Security Policy Editor—Select Start, type secpol.msc, press
Enter, and then enter your UAC credentials. In the Local Security Policy Editor, open
the Local Policies, Security Options branch, and then double-click the Accounts:
Administrator Account Status policy. Click Enabled, and then click OK.
. Using the Local Users and Groups snap-in—Select Start, type lusrmgr.msc,
press Enter, and then enter your UAC credentials. In the Local Users and Groups
snap-in, click Users and then double-click Administrator. In the Administrator
Properties dialog box, deactivate the Account Is Disabled check box, and then click OK.
These methods suffer from a serious drawback: They don’t work in all versions of
Windows 7, in particular Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows 7 Home Premium.
Fortunately, we haven’t exhausted all the ways to activate Windows 7’s Administrator
account. Here’s a method that works with all versions of Vista:
1. Select Start, type command, right-click Command Prompt, and then click Run as
Administrator. The User Account Control dialog box appears.
2. Enter your UAC credentials to continue.
3. At the command line, enter the following command:
net user Administrator /active:yes
CAUTION
Right now, your freshly activated Administrator account has no password! Log on as the
administrator and immediately use the Control Panel to give the account a strong password.
NOTE
When you’re done with the Administrator account, be sure to disable it again for security. At an Administrator Command Prompt, enter the follow command:
net user Administrator /active:no
With the Administrator account active, it’s a good idea to rename it.