Admin Tips
- Windows Server 2008/2003/2000/XP/NT Administrator Knowledge Base
  - Windows XP
    - Registry Tips
      - Security
        Add Administrator to Windows XP Welcome logon screen

Section(s): Security
Published on Apr 20, 2004.
Last Modified on Apr 20, 2004.
Last Modified by Wayne Maples.
Rated 4 out of 5 based on 47 votes.

Want to easily switch between a user account and the builtin administrator account? Add the Administrator account to the Windows XP Welcome screen.

Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
Key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList
Name: Administrator
Type: REG_DWORD
Value: 1 display on userlist

Reboot and you will see Administrator as one of you logon choices. If you logon to a normal user account and want to switch to the builtin account:

Click Start
Click Logoff icon
Click Switch Users icon
Select Administrator , another account, or the the one you are logged onto.

Enabling Switch Users is incompatible with VMWare workstation. VMWare is a niffty tool for support people. An NT or Linux version is available. You can use it to run virtual machines. For example, my primary operating system is Windows XP Pro. I use VMWare to run Windows NT, Window 2000, Windows XP Home, Mandrake Linux, and XP Pro in virtual machines running in windows. I highly recommend it if you need to run multiple operating systems or multiple versions of the same OS.