How To Create a Text Logon Message in Windows 7

If you have a shared Windows computer with different users, sometimes you might want to show a message to them when they logon. Here’s how to create a text based message in Windows 7 using a Registry tweak.

Note always backup the Registry before making any changes to it. If you change something incorrectly you can end up with a non functioning or unstable computer.

1. Open the Registry by clicking on Start and typing regedit into the Search box and hit Enter. Or you might want to right-click on regedit.exe under Programs and Run as administrator.

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2. When the Registry Editor opens up navigate to the following:

HKEY_LOCAL_MAACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Policies\System

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3. Now scroll down and double click on legalnoticecaption in the right pane.

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4. In the dialog box that come up enter in a header for your message in the Value Data field and click OK.

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5. Next, still in the same right pane in the Registry double click on legalnoticetext.

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6. Now enter in whatever message you want to the user to see in the Value Data field and click OK.

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7. After that inside the Registry Editor it should look something like this in the right pane. With the data values you entered in showing.

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8. Close out of Registry Editor, and restart your computer.

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9. Now the next time you or the user log into the computer, they will see whatever header and message you put there for them.

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This can come in handy if there is something you want to relay to the user or even a reminder for yourself before logging into the machine. It’s a pretty geeky trick, and you can only use text, but it works and can be convenient in certain situations.


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3 thoughts on “How To Create a Text Logon Message in Windows 7”

  1. This could come in handy if you want to try to scare someone who may have stolen your computer

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