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Think about this scenario for a moment: Imagine that your network security has been compromised, and you have a good reason to believe that someone obtained your logon credentials. Or maybe they’re trying to logon with your user account by guessing your password. Such activity is not something you want to go unnoticed, and you would probably want to be informed about it as soon as possible.
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In a previous article I showed you how to display the last interactive logon information in Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2012. In this article, I’ll show you how to get the same type of information on your personal computer, one that is not joined to any Active Directory domain. This feature actually works since the days of Windows Vista and Windows 7, and the same feature continues to work with Windows 8 and 8.1.
Displaying last logged information can help improve IT security or help recover from a breach. (Image: Dreamstime)
There are two different ways to display last logged on information for Windows 8 and 8.1, which include using local group policy and editing the local Windows registry.
1. Log in to the computer using administrative credentials.
2. Press Win+R keys on your keyboard and type “gpedit.msc” (no quotes) into the “Run” dialog box. Click Enter. If you are prompted by UAC, click Yes.
3. In the Group Policy Editor window, browse to:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Logon Options
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4. Double-click on the “Display information about previous login during user login” setting.
Displaying information about previous login during user login. (Image: Daniel Petri)
Enabling Windows to display last logged on information. (Image: Daniel Petri)
Forcing a group policy update using the Run dialog. (Image: Daniel Petri)
Warning! Edit the registry with care, and do so at your own risk. Always back up the registry before making changes. If you make mistakes or introduce errors, you may not be able to boot the Windows PC with the edited registry. If you don’t feel comfortable editing the registry yourself, find an experienced Windows system administrator to help you complete this task safely.
1. Log in to the computer using administrative credentials.
2. Press Win+R keys on your keyboard and type “regedit.exe” (no quotes) into the “Run” dialog box. Click Enter. If you are prompted by UAC, click Yes.
3. In the Registry window, browse to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindowsCurrentVersionPoliciesSystem
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4. Create a new DWORD value named “DisplayLastLogonInfo” (no quotes).
Creating a new DWORD valued named “DisplayLastLogonInfo” in the Windows registry. (Image: Daniel Petri)
Editing the “DisplayLastLogonInfo” value in the Windows registry. (Image: Daniel Petri)
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