How to disable Reset Password/Account Unlock button on the Windows login screen

How to disable Reset Password/Account Unlock button on the Windows login screen

Objective       

This article explains how to disable the Reset Password/Account Unlock button displayed on the login screen when the ADSelfService Plus login agent is installed. This is achieved by updating a specific registry key either manually or via a Group Policy Object (GPO).

Prerequisites       

  • Administrative privileges on the target machine
  • Administrator access to the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC)

Steps to follow     

Manual method : Update settings on a single machine

  1. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter.
  3. If prompted by User Account Control, click Yes to allow the Registry Editor to make changes.
  4. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\ZOHO CORP\ADSelfService Plus Client Software.
  5. Locate the key named ShowADSSPTile.
  6. Modify the value of ShowADSSPTile to FALSE.
  7. Click OK.

Using a GPO: Update settings on multiple machines 

Step 1: Create a new GPO
  1. Log in to the domain controller with administrative credentials.
  2. Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.
  3. Type gpmc.msc and press Enter to open the GPMC.
  4. On the left pane, navigate to Group Policy Objects.
  5. Right-click Group Policy Objects and select New.
  6. In the New GPO dialog box, enter a name for the GPO (e.g., ADSSP_LoginAgent_Button_Disable).
  7. Click OK.
Step 2: Edit the newly created GPO  
  1. Right-click the GPO you just created.
  2. Select Edit. This will open the Group Policy Management Editor.
  3. In the Group Policy Management Editor, navigate to Computer Configuration > Preferences > Windows Settings > Registry.
Step 3: Add the registry entry to enable the login bypass  
  1. Right-click Registry on the left pane.
  2. Navigate to New > Registry Item.
  3. In the New Registry Properties window, configure the following:
    • Action: Update
    • Hive: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    • Key Path: SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\ZOHO Corp\ADSelfService Plus Client Software
    • Value name: ShowADSSPTile
    • Value type: REG_SZ
    • Value data: false
    • Base: String (default option)
  4. Click Apply, then OK.
Step 4: Link the GPO  
  1. Close the editor.
  2. Link the GPO to the relevant OU or domain.
  3. Apply the GPO to the target machines by running the following:
Info gpupdate /force 

Validation and confirmation 

  • Once the GPO is deployed, verify if the above settings are deployed by using the command gpresult /r.
  • You may also check the registry on the client by navigating to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\ZOHO Corp\ADSelfService Plus Client Software. Ensure the ShowADSSPTile key exists and is set to False.

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