Start Windows in Safe Mode
Step 1
Turn on your computer and hold down "F8" as Windows boots. Select "Safe Mode With Networking" from the boot menu and press "Enter."
Step 2
Hold down the "Windows" key and press "R" to open the Run dialog. Type "Regedt32" (without quotes, here and throughout) at the prompt and press "Enter." The Windows NT Registry Editor opens.
Step 3
Expand the file path to the smart card login key by selecting the following directories:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Step 4
Right-click "scforeoption" and select "Modify" to edit the key's properties. In the Value Data field, change the current value of "1" to "0" and click "OK."
Step 5
Close Registry Editor and restart your computer in normal mode. The login screen prompts you to enter your username and password rather than insert a smart card.
Disable Smart Card Plug and Play Service
Step 1
Hold down the "Windows" key and press "R" to open the Run dialog. Type "gpedit.msc" at the prompt and press "Enter" to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
Step 2
Expand "Computer Configuration," "Administrative Templates" and "Windows Components" in the tree browser. Double-click the "Smart Card" folder in the main window.
Step 3
Right-click "Turn On Smart Card Plug and Play Service" and select "Edit." In the Properties dialog, select "Disabled" to turn off this service and remove the smart card option from the login screen. Click "Apply" and "OK" to save your changes.
Step 4
Close Local Group Policy Editor and restart Windows to finalize the changes.
