Dreaded "Other User" problem (Win 8.1 U3)

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pmikep

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I've been away from NTLite for a while. Quite a lot of UI changes. So perhaps I'm doing something wrong.

I'm trying to 'Lite a Win8.1 Bing iso for many clones in Virtual Box.

(NTLite v 2025.2.10293)

The problem that I'm having is that, after removing drivers, I am greeted with the "Other User" login and cannot create an Administator account.

(I have not set up any items in "Unattended Install.")

I have 'Lite'd a Preset that works - which means that, after Windows installs, I am greeted with "Enter Product Key." (I added an ei.cfg Volume License file to the iso, so here I can click "Skip.") Then "Personalization," where I have to create a Computer name, background color, and select two pages of Privacy Options. And then create a (Admin) User name and password.

(I should add here that, when I install the wim in VirtualBox, I have disconnected the Network.)

But then when I take that wim and remove drivers, none of the above happens and I am shown the "Other User" login screen instead.

I have read previous posts here about the "Other User" problem. But NTLite has changed since those posts. Besides, it worked up until #13.

Perhaps my mistake is obvious and one of you experts can compare my Working and non-Working Presets and tell me what's wrong?

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To review, I started by taking the original iso and updated it with patches only. That worked.

Then I took that wim and changed some settings. That worked.

(Sometime around this time I noticed that I could click on the Templates. (That they were not just legends.) I clicked on "Privacy.")

Then I took that wim and removed some Components. That worked.

That was Preset #13.

Last, I took that wim and removed drivers. That failed. (#14.)

I have hacked around a little using WinMerge, making a #15 that looks more like #13. But no success.
 

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There's several causes for the dreaded "Other user" on the logon screen, but none appear in your presets.

If you don't uncheck "Skip Unattended Installation" when creating the VM, VirtualBox tries to "help" by providing a hidden unattended XML to self-configure your image. Your default user account is vboxuser / changeme.

For reference, here are the other known causes (but aren't listed in your presets):
- Removed OOBE components, or used Skip*OOBE in the unattended file​
- Added or imported a reg change to hide the last user logon on the Logon screen​
 
In the meantime, I made another Preset that worked. (#17) This one has only drivers removed.

So now the difference between a working Preset and one that forces "Other User" logon is these seven settings:

Code: 
<c>exchangeactivesync 'Exchange ActiveSync (EAS)'</c>
<c>microsoft.windowsstore 'Windows Store'</c>
<c>naturallanglegacy 'Natural Language - Legacy'</c>
<c>qwave 'Quality Windows Audio Video Experience (qWave)'</c>
<c>vwifi 'Virtual WiFi'</c>
<c>wcn 'Windows Connect Now (WCN)'</c>
<c>wlan</c>

FWIW, I have "Recommended" set in Compatibility.

So, if I understand it correctly, NTLite should prevent me from removing items that would cause problems.
 

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garlin said:
There's several causes for the dreaded "Other user" on the logon screen, but none appear in your presets.

If you don't uncheck "Skip Unattended Installation" when creating the VM, VirtualBox tries to "help" by providing a hidden unattended XML to self-configure your image.

For reference, here are the other known causes (but aren't listed in your presets):
- Removed OOBE components, or used Skip*OOBE in the unattended file​
- Added or imported a reg change to hide the last user logon on the Logon screen​
Click to expand...
Tnx. "Skip" is checked.

I appear to be homing in on the troublesome components. (See previous post.)
 
garlin Oops. I misunderstood your post.

"Default" is checked. Do you want me to click "Disable" for Unattended? When I click it, one item shows in the NTLite UI.

Update: But that item doesn't show in the list of items. (That is, none of the fields change from "Default."

I had assumed that "Default" is the preferred default.

If it is not, then should "Disable" be the default setting?
 
Both VirtualBox and VMware have an unattended install feature to help newbies install Windows. They will silently provide a hidden disk volume when they detect you booting a Windows ISO, and allow Setup to find their secret unattended file. This unattended file is entirely part of VirtualBox or VMware, and outside whatever NTLite is providing to you.

To force VBox to act like a normal PC, uncheck the "Skip" box. You don't want their unattended file because you end up with "vboxuser".
 
I think I understand. Wish I knew the "secret" sign on credentials two days ago.

I just made a search of the forum for "changeme," and your is the only hit.

Are these sign on credentials documented somewhere? (I confess that I haven't reviewed the latest documentation since the years since I haven't been active.)

I'm happy to use the vboxuser account to start the ball rolling, as it saves all that time going through the Personalization/Customization stuff and presets all the privacy items to "Off."
 
Okay, I made another Preset, which worked. So now I am down to these three items that trigger "Other User" when Unattended Installation is set to "Default." (I've yet to try Unattended Installation to "Disable.")

Update: I had this backward. Removing one or more of these trigger "Other User." (That is, one or more of these is required for a normal Logon experience.)

Code: 
<c>exchangeactivesync 'Exchange ActiveSync (EAS)'</c>
<c>microsoft.windowsstore 'Windows Store'</c>
<c>naturallanglegacy 'Natural Language - Legacy'</c>
<c>wlan</c>
 

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Last edited:
Tried a previous Preset that resulted in Other User. I tried vboxuser / changeme. It didn't work.
 
If you don't have a wired connection, then OOBE wants to switch to Wi-Fi mode so it can guarantee you can always sign up for a MS Account.
 
After finding that it needed WiFi, I suspected that it might "need" a binding to phone home. (I always disable Internet on a first install of Windows (10 or less) so that it can't - and doesn't offer me - an MS Account.)

So that is that. Tnx.
 
Well, if you used Unattended mode to create a Local Account, like VBox previously defaulted to... you wouldn't have seen this problem.
My solution for disabling the network check (without actually turning off networking):

1. Add this reg file under the Registry screen:
Code: 
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet]
"EnableActiveProbing"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetworkConnectivityStatusIndicator]
"NoActiveProbe"=dword:00000001

2. Add this CMD script from Post-Setup (Before logon):
Code: 
reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\NlaSvc\Parameters\Internet" /v EnableActiveProbing /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f
reg add "HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetworkConnectivityStatusIndicator" /v NoActiveProbe /t REG_DWORD /d 0 /f
net stop netman && net start netman
 
Thanks again. I might try your tweaks.

You're correct that I should be using Unattended Mode. I've never used it before and it looks intimidating. Especially for someone who just wanted to quickly build a low surface-attack version of Windows.

But I suppose a day reading and learning how to use it might have saved me two days of this trial and error with "Other User." (Which I've never seen before in all my NLiting days.)
 
So as I stand back and think about my previous statement (that I've never seen this "Other User" problem before in all my NTLiting days), I wonder if NTLite changed or if I'm doing something different.

If the former, maybe NTLite used to keep the wlan Locked under "Recommended." Or maybe NTLite has become more powerful and allows removal of wlan now but not before.
 
OOBE in W8 and later releases will normally create a temporary user (defaultuser0) for provisioning. After a successful OOBE, defaultuser0 is deleted and Windows will either auto-logon as the primary user, or show the Logon screen.

When something goes wrong, Windows will display the last user who "was logged on". That would be defaultuser0, which you can't log onto, because it's not supposed to be a real user. And since it's not a real user, the Logon screen reports "Other user".

Starting with W8, OOBE requires a MS Account to be your logon account. BypassNRO doesn't even come into existence until late W10 22H2, so the only ways to avoid it are creating a Local Account (from Unattended) or disabling the network. But MS really doesn't want to be easily defeated by a lack of network connectivity. Therefore it tries really hard to "help" you set up a working network.

Windows first tries the wired connection (if possible), before detecting if you have a Wi-Fi connection (last chance). By removing the <wlan> component, OOBE cannot present the Wireless setup screen as a last ditch effort to leave you no excuses for not using a MS Account.

NTLite could in theory protect <wlan> under OOBE compatibility, but has no idea if your wired network would have worked in the first place.
 
Thanks, Garlin. Well, as I grow older, my memory is growing weaker. So I can't remember exactly how I used to install Win8. I have it on my desktop and in two VM's. I'm fairly sure that I had the Cable disconnected on my VM's during the install of Windows. And I know I had the router turned off on my metal machines. (I just checked my current install in VBox and it IS showing an Ethernet NIC... with the cable disconnected.) I don't have WiFi on my metal machine.

I dunno... maybe I used Unattended Install in the Old Days to create an Admin Account during install. (I used to be smarter a few years ago.) But I know I have never seen the "Other user" until this time.

Or maybe MS changed something in one of their later updates? That would be a variable that's changed over the years.
 
garlin I just now updated VBox to a maintenance update. They've added an unattended install feature and I now see why you said "vboxuser" and "changeme." It's built into VBox for unattended installs. (Too much automation for me.)
 
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