Windows 7 Welcome Screen

killbillvol2

I've searched the web and I'm beginning to think there's no solution to this but maybe someone here might have a remedy.

I'd like 3 user accounts to show up on the welcome screen on start up but only the last account used appears and the option "Other User". You then have to click "Switch User" and type in the username. Kids are the main users so it would be handy if their account was an option on the welcome screen. (It's Windows 7 Professional if that's relevant).

Any brilliant insights or is it a feature that can't be modified?

woolymammoth

are you shutting down the PC when you finish, or just putting it to sleep?

homer911

woolymammoth wrote: »

are you shutting down the PC when you finish, or just putting it to sleep?

Yes, it sounds like you are hibernating rather than shutting down. If you shut down the machine properly, you will definitely see all accounts on startup, and see an icon/picture for each one

tman

Yep. Click the right arrow and choose shut down instead of clicking the power button

killbillvol2

It's being shut down and still only gives the option of the last user.

woolymammoth

Apologies if this sounds condescending, but, can you confirm if it is Windows 7 or Windows Vista? Do you know if the pc had been added to a domain or network group? Bought new or second hand? Configured or "optimised" by someone for you? Kids been mucking with registry hacks?

killbillvol2

woolymammoth wrote: »

Apologies if this sounds condescending, but, can you confirm if it is Windows 7 or Windows Vista? Do you know if the pc had been added to a domain or network group? Bought new or second hand? Configured or "optimised" by someone for you? Kids been mucking with registry hacks?

Windows 7, on a network. There are 14 PCs on the network, brand new. The guy who installed them last week crashed his car on the way home in the snow and is laid up. He wasn't quite finished but I'd consider it impolite to bother him with such a relatively trifling matter while he's still in hospital. (He'll be out next week hopefully) There's been no configuring or optimising.

I can generally find my way around most problems but have no knowledge of networks/domains.

Edit/ Didn't realise that there was such a difference in setting up user accounts between a standalone PC and a networked one before the first post so apologies for not making that clear.

My question should probably be: how do I set up user accounts on a network so that all users appear on the welcome screen?

woolymammoth

so this is for a school or something then? Do you know if there is a server as well as the PCs?

[edit] how many accounts?

killbillvol2

woolymammoth wrote: »

so this is for a school or something then? Do you know if there is a server as well as the PCs?

Yeah it's a school. There's a server running Windows Server 2003.

Everything's running fine apart from the issue with user accounts.

woolymammoth

so basically in this type of environment, the accounts are hosted and managed on the server, using a tool called Active Directory. The server also manages the Domain, to which all the computers are connected / added to. Once a computer has joined the domain, and the account is created and active on the server, users can log into the computer. The computer checks with the server for the username & password, then grants the user access to the computer. Any user can log into any PC. In this way, you do not have 10/20/30+ accounts on every PC, you only see one box at the login screen, and whoever is using the PC will have to supply their username & password. Often, in a business environment, the same person will always be using the same PC, so the username will be remembered for ease of use, and then you get the option for "other user".

I hope all that makes sense.

killbillvol2

woolymammoth wrote: »

so basically in this type of environment, the accounts are hosted and managed on the server, using a tool called Active Directory. The server also manages the Domain, to which all the computers are connected / added to. Once a computer has joined the domain, and the account is created and active on the server, users can log into the computer. The computer checks with the server for the username & password, then grants the user access to the computer. Any user can log into any PC. In this way, you do not have 10/20/30+ accounts on every PC, you only see one box at the login screen, and whoever is using the PC will have to supply their username & password. Often, in a business environment, the same person will always be using the same PC, so the username will be remembered for ease of use, and then you get the option for "other user".

I hope all that makes sense.

Yeah it makes sense and thanks for taking the time to reply.

So basically, I should go to the server and set up an account for the kids?

I'll do a bit of googling now that you've put me on the right track. Cheers.

woolymammoth

yep. Unfortunately I've only practiced this too few times too long ago, so withough looking at it i've hit the limit of help i can offer!

You'll be looking for Active directory on the server anyways. On the Computers, if you right click on My Computer > Properties, you'll fine the PC name and domain settings with an option on the far right to alter them.

killbillvol2

woolymammoth wrote: »

yep. Unfortunately I've only practiced this too few times too long ago, so withough looking at it i've hit the limit of help i can offer!

You'll be looking for Active directory on the server anyways. On the Computers, if you right click on My Computer > Properties, you'll fine the PC name and domain settings with an option on the far right to alter them.

That's great... I can find my way around the server but I didn't know what I was looking for! Fingers crossed and thanks again!

Fysh

killbillvol2 wrote: »

Yeah it makes sense and thanks for taking the time to reply.

So basically, I should go to the server and set up an account for the kids?

I'll do a bit of googling now that you've put me on the right track. Cheers.

It depends - you can do this if your consultant has finished configuring the server such that you have a domain, the server is a domain controller, and containers have been set up for user and computer accounts.

You also need to have each computer configured to use domain credentials for logon authorisation.

(You can check out this site's Active Directory section for basic tutorials covering what you'll need to know to set up the accounts).

killbillvol2

Fysh wrote: »

It depends - you can do this if your consultant has finished configuring the server such that you have a domain, the server is a domain controller, and containers have been set up for user and computer accounts.

You also need to have each computer configured to use domain credentials for logon authorisation.

(You can check out this site's Active Directory section for basic tutorials covering what you'll need to know to set up the accounts).

That's all done as the network was already there...we just replaced the PCs with new ones. There's already one user account set up (an administrator account). My problem is I can't let the kids near them until I've set up a standard account for them.

Edit/ That site looks like exactly what I need...thanks.

woolymammoth

killbillvol2 wrote: »

That's all done as the network was already there...we just replaced the PCs with new ones.

Then the accounts should all still be on the server. You just need to check that all computers are on the domain.

killbillvol2 wrote: »

There's already one user account set up (an administrator account).

On the PCs or the server? Each PC will have an admin account. That's OK. You'll need that (plus your domain admin account) to add or remove computers to and from the domain.

your standard account for the kids can be created through Active Directory, and used on all the computers.

killbillvol2

woolymammoth wrote: »

Then the accounts should all still be on the server. You just need to check that all computers are on the domain.


On the PCs or the server? Each PC will have an admin account. That's OK. You'll need that (plus your domain admin account) to add or remove computers to and from the domain.

your standard account for the kids can be created through Active Directory, and used on all the computers.

Fair enough. I'll get stuck into it tomorrow and hopefully it'll all become clear to me!

It sounds like it might be simpler than I thought...just use the old user names and passwords and they should work.

I'm presuming all the computers are on the domain as I can move files between the server and the PCs without any issues and I've been able to install software on the PCs where the installation files were on the server.

killbillvol2

Thanks woolymammoth & Fysh for taking the time to help. Got everything sorted this afternoon and now have a working network with user accounts.

Cheers.

woolymammoth

No hassle, glad to be able to help!

Since it's a school and all, here's a few links you might find handy for free software. You probable have some of them already but sure i'll post anyways:

http://alternativeto.net/
http://finalbuilds.edskes.net/
http://www.techsupportalert.com/
http://www.liberkey.com/en/
http://www.osalt.com/
http://www.soft82.com/
http://en.softonic.com/
http://ninite.com/ (handy since you have 14 PCs)

best of luck.