Windows Credential Manager Registry Path Guide

The Windows Credential Manager relies on core Local Security Authority (LSA) and Windows Vault registry locations to govern how authentication tokens, network credentials, and web passwords are saved and retrieved. Modifying specific values within these registry keys enables administrators to customize credential storage policies, disable credential caching, or manage vault behavior across the operating system.

Primary LSA Registry Path

The primary registry path that governs general credential caching and domain credential storage behavior is located under the Local Security Authority (LSA) key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa

Key Values in Lsa:

• DisableDomainCreds (REG_DWORD): Controls whether the Credential Manager allows users to save domain credentials for network authentication.
  • 0 (Default): Users are allowed to save domain credentials in the Credential Manager.
  • 1: Prevents the Credential Manager from saving domain passwords and credentials.
• LimitBlankPasswordUse (REG_DWORD): Enforces local account restrictions for accounts without passwords.
  • 1 (Default): Limits the use of blank passwords to console logons only.

Windows Vault Registry Paths

Windows Credential Manager uses the Windows Vault architecture to store web and Windows credentials securely. The configuration settings for the vault are located at:

System-Wide Vault Settings

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Vault

This path defines system-level vault parameters and schema registration for stored credentials.

User-Specific Vault Settings

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Vault

This key contains specific pointers and states for the currently logged-in user’s credential store.

Group Policy Override Paths

When credential management settings are configured via Group Policy, the behavior is controlled through policy registry keys:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\CredentialsDelegation

This path governs credential delegation (e.g., CredSSP), restricting or allowing the forwarding of saved credentials to remote servers and services.

How to Access and Modify These Keys

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
2. Navigate to the desired path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa
3. Locate or create the required DWORD (32-bit) Value (e.g., DisableDomainCreds).
4. Set the value data to apply the desired credential behavior.
5. Restart the computer or restart the Credential Manager service via services.msc for the changes to take effect.