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.

If the value of this entry is 0, the Log On to Windows dialog box is displayed as soon as the system starts. If the value of this entry is 1, the Windows 2000 splash screen with 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 entered following that sequence are sent only to Windows. If you eliminate the sequence requirement, malicious programs can request and receive your Windows password.

Activation method

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

Note

The value of this entry can be overridden by a security policy. If your system does not respond as expected, contact the person in charge of setting policies.

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 the computer includes a component that requires a domain account, such as a smart card reader, the value of this entry must be 0.

Setting this value to 1 suppresses the Computer Locked dialog box. When the user presses CTRL+ALT+DEL and then clicks Lock Computer, the Unlock Computer dialog box appears immediately.

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

Tip

To set a policy related to this entry, use Security Settings in Group Policy. This entry corresponds to the Disable CTRL+ALT+DEL requirement for logon Group Policy (Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Local Policies\Security Options).