Windows 10 has a new login screen, here is how to enable it

Here are the instructions to enable the new logon experience on Windows 10 using a small registry tweak.

Avatar for Mauro Huculak
@Pureinfotech
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Windows 10 hidden logon screen

Unlike previous versions, this time around, Microsoft is sharing early on, what is coming in Windows 10 through previews released via the Windows Insider Program, but leaks of the operating system, in particular build 9888 and 9901, have been the source to uncover many of the new features that may or may not ship in the final version of Windows 10.

Case and point is a new login screen that appeared in both Windows 10 build 9888 and build 9901, and if you’re testing either version of the operating system you can easily modify the registry to enable the new feature.

Enable new logon experience

  1. Open the Run command as administrator and enter regedit.exe to open the Windows Registry Editor.
  2. Navigate through the following path: 
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>Windows>CurrentVersion>
Authentication>LogonUI>TestHooks
  3. Double-click the Threshold DWORD (32 Bit) key, change the value from 0 to 1, and click OK.
Important: Please note that modifying the Registry can cause problems to your system. It is assume that you know what you are doing and that you have created a full back of your system before following this instructions. You’ve been warned!

You are now all set to see the new login screen in Windows 10. To go back to the old login screen, follow the steps above, but this time change the value key from 1 to 0.

The new login screen has no background and features full transparency, however, the time and date still present at the bottom left corner of the screen.

Transparent login screen Windows 10

You also will notice a problem with multiple accounts, which apparently isn’t supported with the new login screen.

User ians18, who discovered this hidden feature, at the Neowin forum reports:

After activating the new login key, I attempted to create a second account to see what it would look like. Unfortunately, the second account now does auto login even when I click sign out, so I couldn’t return to my primary account. To fix this I made myself an admin on my secondary account. Then edited the value to return it to the old lock screen and login, which then I was able to log out and login to the primary account to finally delete the secondary.

So this could be one of the reasons why Microsoft has not yet enabled the new login screen in the official Windows 10 Preview.

Update, March 10, 2016: For Windows 10 Redstone, Microsoft is updating the logon screen by merging it with the Lock screen experience. Here’s how the new logon experience look like.

About the author
Avatar for Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].