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A Guest User shows up, along with two other Users, on a PC running Windows 10, when the Command Prompt "Net User" is used. However, this Guest User does not show on the Log-in screen with the other users at Start Up, nor in File Explorer. I ran the Command Prompt "Net User (Guest User)" to get more details and the following photo shows the details. How does this Guest User log in?

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  • Because it has a name that I need to keep anonymous. I assumed as Guest Users are normally disabled, as mentioned in the other answer, then it was a Guest. Could it be a User that is hidden?
    – Vesper007
    Commented Apr 30, 2021 at 20:21
  • It appears now that this User is not a Guest User but a hidden account, as they show up in Local Users and Groups and are not called Guest also they are not disabled in Properties under their User.
    – Vesper007
    Commented Apr 30, 2021 at 20:51
  • The User (before net user) is mine, after that net user is the user that shows up in the list of users I had from Command Prompt but does not show up on the log-in screen or in File Explorer and beneath that are the full details of this maybe ‘Hidden’ user and their user name and full name.
    – Vesper007
    Commented Apr 30, 2021 at 20:59
  • The reason the account is not listed on the log-on screen is due to the fact the user account in question isn't part of any user group. So the account literally cannot be logged in, if you were somehow able to authenticate, the user would have absolutely no permissions on your system. If this were the built-in Guest account, the comment field wouldn't be blank, and it would be part of a local user group.
    – Ramhound
    Commented May 1, 2021 at 4:55
  • This user isn't a Guest user, as I relayed to you all earlier, neither can I authenticate this user as other than their user name, they are unknow to me, so please explain how this user has permissions, and even exists, on my system. If you don't know the answer, then just say you don't.
    – Vesper007
    Commented May 1, 2021 at 7:43

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Guest was a legacy of earlier versions of Windows, i.e., v. 7 and 8, but it is no longer actually usable. In those earlier versions, a Guest account was created while installing Windows, and that account could be used to allow temporary users "limited" privileges. As of Windows 10 build 10159, though, that account was effectively disabled, though it still shows with net user command.

As the article referenced states, the account can appear to be made active, but, unless someone created a local account on the PC, it cannot be used. Look under C:\Users to see if such an account actually exists.

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  • I have found in the Local Users and Groups list that this User is not a Guest after all but a User and that they are not disabled, still can’t understand why there is no log-in facility for this user.
    – Vesper007
    Commented Apr 30, 2021 at 20:43
  • @Vesper007 - You should still be able to type the username and password of the account in question. There should be an option to use an account that isn't listed on the screen that typically displays your list of users. That certainly is the case on every Windows machine I have access to.
    – Ramhound
    Commented Apr 30, 2021 at 20:45
  • I deleted my answer. In fact the Guest account cannot be enabled and used. My answer came out of history and is no longer applicable. digitalcitizen.life/…
    – anon
    Commented Apr 30, 2021 at 21:26
  • I also read their online article: alas too late! Interesting article all the same. Your input was appreciated all the same.
    – Vesper007
    Commented May 1, 2021 at 3:22

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