Ctrl+Alt+Del

disablecad

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Description

Determines whether users must press the Ctrl+Alt+Del security attention sequence to log on to Windows 2000/2003/XP.

If the value of this entry is 0, the Log On to Windows dialog box is displayed as soon as the system starts. The Windows 2000/2003/XP splash screen bearing the Press Ctrl-Alt-Delete to begin message is suppressed.

Setting the value of this entry to 1 can compromise system security. Because only Windows responds to the Ctrl+Alt+Del security sequence, you can be assured that any passwords you enter following that sequence are sent only to Windows. If you eliminate the sequence requirement, malicious programs can request and receive your Windows password.

Change method

To set a policy related to this entry, use Security Settings in Group Policy.

Disable CTRL+ALT+DEL requirement for logon Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options

Activation method

To make changes to this entry effective, you must restart Windows 2000/2003/XP.

Note

This value can be overridden by a security policy. If your system does not respond as expected, see you system administrator.

The default value of disablecad is 0 on Windows 2000 Server and 1 on Windows 2000 Professional. However, when a computer running Windows 2000 Professional joins a domain, the system sets disablecad to 0. Also, if your computer includes a component that requires a domain account, such as a smart card reader, you must set this value to 0.

Setting this value to 1 suppresses the Computer Locked dialog box. When you press Ctrl+Alt+Del and then click Lock Computer, the Unlock Computer dialog box appears immediately.

A setting of 1 suppresses a custom logon banner (see LegalNoticeCaption or LegalNoticeText).