If you have ever tried defining the Security Options policy setting called: "Interactive logon: Message text for users attempting to log on", you may have had some difficulties formatting the message the way you wanted it. This blog is about "how to" workaround a minor bug in the GPEDIT tool…

The issue:

First things first - the Group Policy setting is located here:

"Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options\"

The value is a Multi-String registry value that allows you to make multiple lines in the message. The message pops up right after a users hits Ctrl+Alt+Del as a general warning to the user before actually logging on. But, unfortunately the formatting isn’t as perfect as it could be.

What happens is, that carriage returns are lost after formatting this "pre-logon message" with GPEDIT, imagine you would want a message like this (see Figure 3):

—>

I don’t know why this should be so hard? Jump next line please…

Let’s do a comma, and continue the line…
Line number

…

Here’s a lot of talk about the new user account control policy in Vista, and all I can say is: as it is, it annoys the hell out of me and slows down my normal computer usage. Just why, oh why, does it have to flash my video card to a black screen, take 5 seconds and really just make itself a royal pain in the arse?

To turn it off, the easiest way is to go into the Control Panel and type in ‘UAC‘ into the search bar. It’ll bring up a search result of ‘Turn User Account Control (UAC) on or off’. Just follow the prompts from there.

To keep some of the security of the UAC, let’s just turn off the crazy annoying blacking out screen bit. To do this: (more…)

computer configuration, configuration windows, gpedit, msc, secure desktop, security options, security settings, uac, video card, vista, Windows