Configure User Accounts In Windows 7 For Optimal Security

Martin Brinkmann
Aug 30, 2010
Updated • Jun 11, 2014
Windows, Windows 7
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Did you know that more than one user accounts is created during the installation of the Windows 7 operating system? This actually is something that Microsoft did in previous operating systems as well. In Windows 7, a guest and administrator account are created next to the account of the installing user.

The following guide explains how to configure those user accounts for optimal system security, and while it does so with Windows 7 in mind, it can be easily applied to previous and future Windows operating systems as well.

It may not sound that bad to have additional user accounts configured on the system. The secure way however is to either deactivate accounts that are not needed, or password protect them so that no one without proper authorization can log in using one of those accounts.

Probably the easiest way to do that is to use the Local Users And Groups Policy. It can be opened with the shortcut Windows-R, typing lusrmgr.msc and hitting enter.

Please note that this control panel is only available in Windows Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise and not Basic, Starter or Home editions.

Once loaded it displays the two items Users and Groups in the left sidebar. A click on users displays all users of the operating system.

windows7 users lusrmgrmsc
windows7 users lusrmgrmsc

A double-click on an entry opens a properties menu for the selected user. Here it is possible to disable the account. It is recommended to disable the guest account in Windows 7, as it is usually not used at all.

disable windows7 guest account
disable windows7 guest account

Checking the "Account is disabled" box and clicking on Ok will disable the account, so that no one can use it to log in.

The Administrator account is the second account that gets automatically created during installation. It is disabled by default, and a double-click can be used to verify that.

A right-click on a user account opens a context menu with options to set passwords for each account. It is a good security practice to set secure passwords for all accounts, even the disabled ones. The password should have a length of at least 16 chars, and consist of numbers, letters and special chars.

As mentioned previously, Windows 7 Home, Starter and Basic owners do not have access to the configuration panel. Their option is to open the Control Panel from the Windows Start Menu, and there the User Accounts panel.

Information about the current account are displayed, plus an option to Manage another account.

manage another account
manage another account

Please note that only the guest account is displayed along the user accounts of the operating system. A click on the Guest account displays options to change the picture of the account, and to turn the guest account off.

Now that the guest account has been disabled, it is time to do the same for the Administrator account. For that you need to open an elevated command prompt. Do that by clicking on the Start Menu orb, then All Programs, Accessories, right-click the Command Prompt link and select Run as administrator.

Now enter the following command to disable the Windows 7 Administrator account:

net user administrator /active:no

To change a password for a user account type

net user username password

with username being the name of the account, and password the new password.

Summary
Configure User Accounts In Windows 7 For Optimal Security
Article Name
Configure User Accounts In Windows 7 For Optimal Security
Description
A tutorial that explains how to properly secure a Windows operating system in regards to default user accounts that exist it on.
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Comments

  1. Dan Donx said on January 15, 2023 at 10:29 am
    Reply

    What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?

    Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.

    If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.

  2. Dexter said on January 15, 2023 at 11:14 am
    Reply

    5. Rufus
    6. Ventoy

    PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.

    1. cdr said on January 15, 2023 at 3:32 pm
      Reply

      I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.

  3. sv said on January 15, 2023 at 6:40 pm
    Reply

    bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.

    ps…. time travelling?
    written. Jan 15, 2023
    Updated • Jan 13, 2023

    1. Martin Brinkmann said on January 16, 2023 at 5:49 am
      Reply

      This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.

  4. Anonymous said on January 16, 2023 at 8:24 am
    Reply

    Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.

  5. basingstoke said on January 16, 2023 at 11:18 am
    Reply

    I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:

    1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)

    2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)

    3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””

    4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows

    5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss

    Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:

    6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now

    Have I missed any group off this list?

    1. Heinz Strunk said on September 19, 2023 at 3:57 pm
      Reply

      You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.

      Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.

  6. ilev said on August 24, 2023 at 7:34 pm
    Reply

    Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update

    1. EP said on August 24, 2023 at 9:21 pm
      Reply

      only from windows update though
      KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site

  7. Anonymous said on August 24, 2023 at 11:05 pm
    Reply

    1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.

    2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.

    3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.

    This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
    Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.

    Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.

  8. john said on August 24, 2023 at 11:17 pm
    Reply

    Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.

    1. John G. said on August 25, 2023 at 12:08 pm
      Reply

      Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.

  9. EP said on August 25, 2023 at 3:10 pm
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215

  10. EP said on August 29, 2023 at 7:32 pm
    Reply

    check out the following recent articles:

    Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
    https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/

    BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
    https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/

  11. Leonard Britvolli said on August 30, 2023 at 10:33 pm
    Reply

    While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.

  12. sembrador said on September 5, 2023 at 9:32 pm
    Reply

    My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.

  13. EP said on September 6, 2023 at 11:55 am
    Reply

    motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):

    https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277

  14. Raphael Benzo said on September 24, 2023 at 9:52 pm
    Reply

    I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
    Tank you for your help

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