If you need to record failed attempts to sign in to a Windows computer, enable Failure under Audit Logon in Advanced Audit Policy Configuration. A greyed-out legacy setting—or a local change that does not stick—usually means you are editing a setting that another policy controls or overrides. Check the effective policy on the computer you want to monitor, then look for Security event 4625 on the system where the attempted logon occurred.
Set the advanced policy for failed logons
For failed sign-ins to a computer, the relevant advanced audit subcategory is Logon/Logoff > Audit Logon. Enable its Failure setting in the policy that manages the target computer. Microsoft documents the location and administration options in its Advanced Audit Policy Configuration guidance.
- Identify the policy scope. Use Local Security Policy for a computer managed locally. If the computer is domain joined, check the applicable Group Policy Objects (GPOs); a local setting may not determine the effective configuration.
- Open the advanced audit setting. In the applicable policy editor, go to Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Advanced Audit Policy Configuration > System Audit Policies > Logon/Logoff > Audit Logon.
- Enable failures. Set auditing for Failure. If you also need successful sign-ins recorded, configure Success separately.
- Check the effective result. From an elevated command prompt, run
auditpol /get /category:*. After refreshing policy where appropriate, check again to see whether Failure remains enabled.
Microsoft documents auditpol.exe as a tool for viewing and configuring advanced audit policy. To enable failure auditing for the Logon subcategory from an elevated command prompt, run:
auditpol /set /subcategory:"Logon" /failure:enable
This command requires suitable administrative rights. If a domain GPO controls the setting, it may reapply its configuration, so use the command as a diagnostic or configure the GPO that actually manages the computer.
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Why the failure setting may be greyed out or ineffective
A domain policy manages the computer
A local editor can show a setting that does not control the final result. Inspect the policies applying to the target computer and confirm the effective value with auditpol /get /category:*. Make any lasting change in the policy scope responsible for that computer rather than relying on a local edit.
Legacy category policy conflicts with advanced auditing
The older category-level control called Audit account logon events is not the same setting as the advanced Audit Logon subcategory. Microsoft documents the security option Force audit policy subcategory settings (Windows Vista or later) to override audit policy category settings under Local Policies > Security Options. Where legacy category policy would otherwise override advanced subcategories, an administrator may need to enable that option in the controlling policy. Review the scope carefully: changing a broad GPO can affect many computers. Microsoft’s Active Directory monitoring guidance discusses this override and auditpol.
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The instructions are for an older Windows release
The wording “Unable to enable Audit Failed Logins” appeared in a 2019 community report about Windows Server 2008 R2, where the legacy controls were greyed out and warned that other policy might override category-level audit policy. That report helps explain the symptom, but its workaround is not a universal procedure for current Windows versions. For older systems, confirm the policy editor paths and behavior for that specific release before applying newer instructions. The community discussion is at AnandTech Forums.
Choose the right audit setting and event-log location
Audit Logon tracks attempts to sign in to a computer. Audit Account Logon concerns authentication of account credentials against the account database. Select based on what activity you need to observe; these settings answer different questions and may be relevant on different systems.
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Windows Security event 4625 indicates that an account failed to log on. It is recorded on the computer where the logon attempt was made, which may be a workstation, member server, or domain controller. Therefore, check the system involved in the attempted sign-in rather than assuming the event will appear only on a domain controller. See Microsoft’s event 4625 reference.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Windows defaults do—and do not—tell you
Microsoft’s system audit policy recommendations state that, starting with Windows 10 version 1809, Audit Logon is enabled by default for both Success and Failure; earlier versions defaulted to Success only. A default is not proof of the effective setting on a particular computer: local or domain policy can change it. Verify the live configuration with auditpol /get /category:*.
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