Computers & Electronics

"Duplicate" login option on Windows 10 startup

  • Last Updated:
  • Apr 2nd, 2022 12:53 am
[OP]
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Dec 22, 2010
1847 posts
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"Duplicate" login option on Windows 10 startup

When I restart my computer I am presented with an error "Incorrect password" which I guess MS is trying to input from memory as I did the manually type it in. Maybe I accidentally set up a SECOND Login/User ID, forgetting I set one up already.

So what I have to do is manually click on the NEWER Login/User ID and then the computer will start into Windows 10.

Here is where it gets weird: When I go into Control Panel, Users, in hopes of DELETING the "duplicate" User ID, only ONE User ID appears (the preferred one). If I am presented with TWO at startup, why isn't that one available for me to delete in Control Panel; way too strange.

That being told, how am I supposed to delete it and stop going through this nonsense when I restart my computer?
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3 replies
Deal Fanatic
Sep 16, 2013
7452 posts
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Windows never tries to input any credentials by itself. It would be a major security issue. I am not sure what you described here. There is a way to enable auto-login but you need to go through hoops to do it. Now it involves editing the registry. Launch Netplwiz.exe and see if "Users must enter username and password to use this computer" is unchecked. If you don't see this option than auto-logon is not enabled.
Deal Expert
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Apr 16, 2001
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Well, Windows can auto login after a reboot to apply updates.

A duplicate account may have appeared because the original was corrupted. OP, go to C:\USERS and check what the accounts are named there. Also run a scan for bad sectors on your HDD.
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Deal Fanatic
Dec 12, 2009
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Toronto
I've got duplicate users on one computer. I think it happened when I upgraded from Win7 to Win10. During the setup I think it asked for me to input the users, so I did, not realizing it would also migrate the old users from Win7.

I used the same images in the user profiles. The originals comes up in a square and the duplicate comes up in a circle.

The only other thing I might have done is to migrate storage of user data onto my D: drive to make it easier to back up while keeping the data off of the smaller SSD C: drive.

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