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Marc_Johnson

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How do I remove the "insert a smart card" option at login?

I have a laptop running Vista Business and when it boots up I have three icons to choose from: 1)Insert a smart card, 2) my most recent login ID and 3) Other User. I am setting this up for our CEO and we don't and never will use smart cards and I would simply like to remove the first icon. This must be possible as I have another laptop (different model) also running Vista Business and it does not have the first icon. Where is the setting for this?
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YGregersen

To configure the "Interactive logon: Require smart card" setting on the local computer:
1.      run GPEDIT.MSC by typing in the Search Bar of the Start menu and using CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER to start it with elevated privileges
2.      Expand Local Policies, and then click Security Options.
3.      In the right pane, double-click Interactive logon: Require smart card.
4.      Use one of the following methods:
"      To specify that users can log on to the computer only by using a smart card, click Enabled.
"      To specify that users can log on to the computer by using any method, click Disabled.

Note By default, the "Interactive logon: Require smart card" setting is 'not defined'?
5.      Click OK.
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I tried this and restarted the laptop but I still see the first icon, "Insert a smart card". I think the suggestion you gave corresponds to the registry key located at: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\system\SCForceOption

This key is simply used to determine whether a smart card is required, not if the icon appears when you first boot up. I am looking to remove it altogether. Thanks.
I wonder if the Smard Card option is enabled on the NIC's property page under authentication and Properties of the EAP type?
That's a good idea, but I can't seem to find that in Vista. If I go into the properties of the NIC, I can click on Configure but there isn't any info in there about smart cards.
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YGregersen

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Try disabling the smart card related services.  XP used to look at this service, then any attached smart card reader to determine what to show.  Vista probably does this too.

- Start->type services.msc
- find services beginning with smart card
- stop the services if they are already running
- set them to disabled.
- reboot
Stopping the service alone doesn't fix the problem. I have found out what needs to be done to remove the icon at the login screen:

1. In Device Manager, disable the Smart Card Reader
2. Stop and disable the Smart Card service as previously mentioned by a couple of people.
3. Restart

The key is to disabling the actual hardware in device manager. Issue has been resolved.