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VP
The new local admin account does not show on the lock/sign-in screen.Stuck in guest account.
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Vishal Verma OFFICE
0
Reputation points
Hi,
I created a new local administrator account on my windows laptop, but the account does not appear on the lock/sign-in screen as a selectable user. I am locked with guest account with no admin rights. Hence all access denied.
Details below:
- Windows Version/Edition/Build: Windows 11 Pro Single Language 24H2
- The account appears in Settings → Accounts → Other users and also shows in Command Prompt with
net user. - Issue: The new local admin account does not show on the lock/sign-in screen, so it cannot be selected for login.
- No " Other users" showing in setting.
Troubleshooting already tried:
- Multiple restarts and full sign-out/in cycles.
- Booted to Safe Mode (Shift + Restart → Troubleshoot → Advanced options → Startup Settings → Safe Mode), then rebooted back to normal mode to refresh sign-in enumeration.
- No presence of “Other users” in Settings;
Thanks in advance for any guidance or official references.
Windows for business | Windows Client for IT Pros | Devices and deployment | Other
2 answers
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![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(275.2, 16%, 36%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EV%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
VPHAN 25,000 Reputation points Independent Advisor2026-03-04T12:13:52.9233333+00:00 Your newly created administrator account is likely being hidden from the sign-in screen by a specific registry configuration, commonly found at the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList registry path. System administrators sometimes use this exact key to keep background service accounts invisible, but if a primary local admin gets hidden here, it creates a total lockout scenario. Because your current session is restricted to guest privileges, User Account Control will explicitly deny any attempts to open the Registry Editor and change those values to make your account visible again.
To resolve this without violating system security protocols, you must rely on the official Windows Recovery Environment by holding the Shift key while clicking Restart from your power menu. Once the blue recovery screen appears, navigate to the advanced troubleshooting options and select System Restore. This tool attempts to roll back your system configuration and registry hives to a previous state before the account visibility issue occurred.
If the recovery environment is also unable to locate your administrator account to authorize the restore, or if no restore points exist, your only Microsoft-supported path forward is to select the Reset this PC feature . By choosing the option to keep your files, Windows will safely set aside your personal data stored in the C:\Users directories, cleanly reinstall the operating system, and prompt you to configure a fresh administrator account to regain full control of your machine.
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VP