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.
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.
Note: This tip is intended to be used in a Active Directory domain environment. It will not work for stand-alone workstations that you typically use at home.
Two Ways to Display Last Logged Information on Windows 8/8.1
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.
Method 1: Using Local Group Policy
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
4. Double-click on the “Display information about previous login during user login” setting.
5. In the setting window click “Enabled,” then click on “Ok”.
6. Close the Group Policy Editor.
7. Press Win+R keys on your keyboard and type “gpupdate /force” (no quotes) into the “Run” dialog box. Click Enter.
Log off from the current Windows session and logon back in to test.
Method 2: Using the Local Registry
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
4. Create a new DWORD value named “DisplayLastLogonInfo” (no quotes).
5. Set the “to “1” (no quotes).
Note: If you already have such a value, then just set it to 1 to enable the last logon information. Log off from the current Windows session and log back in to test.
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