Personalisation problems and Start up log-in

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aekyall
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Personalisation problems and Start up log-in

Post by aekyall »

This is probably a stupid (and lengthy!) question which I feel I ought to know the answer to but don't! I help a lady friend (long distance) with her laptop computer. Her HDD crashed the other week and she had it replaced with a SSD, Windows 10 reloaded, and all works okay - except! She wanted to personalise her task bar (Windows Defender icon had become a hidden icon). I guided her to the correct page (settings - personalisation - task bar, except she didn't have a personalisation box to click on, and when I got her to type in personalisation in the settings search bar it didn't give her any option for task bar!
It seems that previously (HDD) when she switched on she had the Windows log-in screen in which she entered her password (using a four figure number). Now (SSD), when she switches on it starts up, briefly displays the Toshiba logo and then goes directly to her Windows display page without any option to sign in first. I can only assume that as she doesn't have the full options under 'personalisation' then she is being auto logged in as a non-administrator, local account?? If that's the case, how can I get her back to having to log in to Windows. To complicate things she has forgotten her Windows account details. I suspect that she has limited access to other options on her computer, but have refrained from trying to find out at moment!!
My first question is:- Am I correct in assuming the reason she doesn't have access to the personalisation option is that she's being auto logged in as a local user?
Second: If so, how do I get her on her system as the Administrator? Will I need to get her to create a new Microsoft account?
Apologies for all this. I feel it should be an easy one to solve but I just can't see it!! :scratch:
Regards,
Keith

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HansV
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Re: Personalisation problems and Start up log-in

Post by HansV »

As far as I know, a non-admin user should be able to customize Windows too.
Let her try the following:
- Right-click an empty area of the Taskbar.
- Select 'Taskbar settings' from the context menu.
- Click 'Select which icons appear on the taskbar'.
- Set the slider for 'Windows Security Notification icon' to On.
Best wishes,
Hans

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aekyall
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Re: Personalisation problems and Start up log-in

Post by aekyall »

Thanks Hans. I'll get her to try that when I phone her tomorrow
Regards,
Keith

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stuck
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Re: Personalisation problems and Start up log-in

Post by stuck »

aekyall wrote:
06 Mar 2022, 13:54
It seems that previously (HDD) when she switched on she had the Windows log-in screen in which she entered her password (using a four figure number). Now (SSD), when she switches on it starts up, briefly displays the Toshiba logo and then goes directly to her Windows display page without any option to sign in first.
That just means there is no password on her new account. Having no password won't prevent personalisation. To set a password to to Setting and then choose 'Accounts'. You'll land on the 'Your info' page and see various options in the left hand pane, including one for 'Sign-in Options' where there is a 'Password' option. Before you set off on that path though, take look at what the You info page says about how she is logged in, e.g. mine says 'Local Account, Administrator'.

Ken

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aekyall
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Re: Personalisation problems and Start up log-in

Post by aekyall »

Hans/Ken,
Got there in the end - Most of the issues, I think, can be put down to finger problems! Initially she said that Hans' suggestion re right clicking task bar didn't provide task bar option - that was because she wasn't actually on the task bar!! And, getting her to try the Start-Settings options made the 'personalisation' option suddenly reappear and she could, of course, then get to the task bar options.

I managed to find out that she has a Local Administrator account so, as she is the only person who uses the computer, I've told her not to worry about having a password log-in. Helped her with several other issues (or what she thought were issues) and all in all, after nearly 3 hours of too and fro, she is happy with everything (so am I!!).
Many thanks to both for assistance :cheers:
Regards,
Keith