Windows 10 Default Account

Hi t4ord

My name is Andre Da Costa; an Independent Consultant, Windows Insider MVP and Windows & Devices for IT MVP. I'm here to help you with your problem.

Press Windows key + R
Type: control userpasswords2
Hit Enter

Check 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer'

Click Apply then OK.

OR

Press Windows key + R to open Run.
Type netplwiz into the Run bar and hit Enter.
Select the User account you are using under the User tab.
Check by clicking "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" checkbox and click on Apply.
Sign-out and sign-in again to check if issue persist.

also

Open Start > Settings > Accounts > Sign in options
Click in the Require sign in list box
Choose Always

If that does not work...

Press WIN + R, type regedit and click on "run".

Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\UserSwitch

Change value of the key Enabled from 0 to 1

There's one more problem to solve: The user SYSTEM automatically changes the value to 0. So we will disallow the user SYSTEM to change it.

Right mouse click at registry key UserSwitch -> Permissions
Click on Advanced and then on the Disable inheritance-button; if your are prompted with two options now, choose the first one (Convert inherited permissions into explicit ones for this object)
At the top of the dialog, change the owner from SYSTEM to the group Administrators (if your Windows is not in English, the name might differ a bit, e.g. in German it would be "Administratoren")
Select the group Administrators entry -> Allow -> full control
Double click the entry for SYSTEM, select type Deny and click on Show advanced permissions. Here Clear all -> only check Set value

Exit then restart to see if the problem is resolved.

Hi T4. I'm Greg, an installation specialist and 10 year Windows MVP here to help you.

Sign in with an Admin account and remove the faulty account (after backing up any files you need from it) in Settings > Accounts > Family & Other People.

However it sounds like you might benefit more from a Reset or the even better gold standard Clean Install following the illustrated steps in this link which compile the best possible Install of Windows which will stay that way as long as you stick with the tools and methods given, has zero reported problems, and is better than any amount of money could buy: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

First I'd try the Reset here: https://www.zdnet.com/article/windows-10-tip-re....

Then if that isn't a much better install than you have now, To create Windows 10 Installation Media (if necessary on another PC) install the Media Creation Tool and follow the directions here: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/m.... Uncheck the box for Recommended Settings to choose the exact version and bit rate for the target PC only.

Insert media, boot it by powering up PC while pressing the BIOS Boot Menu Key here: https://www.sysnative.com/forums/hardware-tutor...

If the media won't boot you may need to enter BIOS/UEFI Setup (pressing key given in chart in link above) to turn off Fast Boot or Fast Startup first.

Choose the boot device as a UEFI device if offered, skip the Product Key screen and choose your licensed version only if offered. On second screen choose Install Now, then Custom Install, then at the drive selection screen delete all partitions down to Unallocated Space to get it cleanest, click Next to let it create needed partitions and start install - this makes it foolproof.

You will get and keep the best possible install to the exact extent you stick with the steps, tools and methods in the linked tutorial. It's a better install than any amount of money could buy and a great learning experience that will make you the master of your PC because you will learn everything that works best and how to apply it with your own hands.

If you have files that aren't backed up you can use the same bootable media to try to rescue your files using this method: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and keep me posted. If you'll wait to rate whether my post helped you, I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

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Thanks for that suggestion - Yes, that does eliminate it trying to boot up in the Default account, and makes it boot up in my account - but also defeats the desire to have Autologon, where no logon is required.  I had that working on Windows 10 until the version 1903 update.

Another question would be - what to do with the "Default" user directory and and "Default User" shortcut in C:\users? The directory has a full set of folders - albeit mostly empty.

Greg - Thanks for the suggestions.  But ...

As I said originally, this was a refurbished unit (Dell), and I do not have the install disk - I will ask the seller again though. But having to re-install all the apps (more than 50) was an arduous task the last time I lost them due to a disk crash, and I'd rather not repeat that.  

My goal is to get Autologon to work - without losing the functionality of a Microsoft administrative account - on version 1903.  Yes, I can bypass the Default account logon by substituting the standard account logon; I can even get autologon to work - by switching to a local account; but then would have to log on to the Microsoft account.  This is a private desktop that lives in an adult-only home, so I don't worry about security.  Have the MS wizards blocked that functionality in this version?

Also, I see that I have a "Default" folder in C:\Users with 3 Meg of folders and files, as well as my own user folder (much larger), and have no idea what that is doing there; since I cannot possibly log in as "Default," does that have any value?  I know there IS a default account, but I never had it get in the way until 1903.

'm now on version 1909.

I searched for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\UserSwitch but no such entry exists.

At HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication is:  (Default)    REG_SZ     (value not set).

But I'm not sure you understood the question.  I use a PIN to log into my Microsoft account - but only because I cannot get autologon to work on a Microsoft account, only on a local account.

But that's not this issue - this issue is that upon power-up, it starts out requesting me to log in to the Default account- the ghost account that has no password,  After forcint that to faail, it allows me to select my Microsoft account icon and log in.