How to remove user account from windows logon screen

Question

I had to reinstall a windows 11 OS (too many BSODs), but when I logon now, there is a SONOS guest account listed. I want to remove that account from appearing on the windows login screen. Note, I don't want to disable that account, because it's needed for the SONOS app. I just want to prevent SONOS from appearing on the list of accounts on the logon screen. I have seen a few solutions listed on the web that refer to using regedit to change the registry, but those links refer to paths that are not on windows 11. For example, Windows NT rather than windows (and subfolders that similarly don't exist).

So to repeat, I don't want to disable a user account; I just want to remove it from the list of accounts that show up on the windows login screen. I contacted SONOS about it, and they were useless.

Answer 1

AFAIK, if you don't disable an account using Local Users and Groups snap-in, it will keep appearing on the login screen.

For specifically hiding an account from login screen, use registry:

1. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.
2. Create SpecialAccounts sub-key to Winlogon. Then create UserList sub-key to SpecialAccounts.
3. So at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\SpecialAccounts\UserList, at the right pane create DWORD value with name of user account name you want to hide.
4. Set the DWORD value data to 0.

Restart your system to make changes effective.

PS. Create a System Restore point before making any changes to registry.