How to enable automatic logon in Windows XP or Vista

Windows XP or Vista can be configured to automate the logon process if your computer is not part of a domain. Enabling auto logon will make your computer more convenient to use, but can pose a security risk as it allows other users to start your computer and use the account that you establish to automatically log on.

Method# 1 – Change User Account Settings.

1. Click Start, click Run, and type control userpasswords2.
2. Clear the Users must enter a username and password to use this computer check box as shown in screenshot below and then click Apply.

1. Enter the user name and password you wish to automatically log on with, and then click OK.
2. Click OK again and you’re all done.

The above method will help you in restoring your automatic logon if you lost it during the installation of the .Net Framework on your computer. If you want a password back on your system, follow the same steps and check the box.

Note- Do not try to auto-login as the built-in Administrator for Windows XP Home edition, as this procedure will throw up an error message.

Method# 2 – Using Microsoft’s TweakUI Powertoy

1. Download TweakUI powertoy from microsoft
2. To open it navigate to  Start -> Programs -> Powertoys for Windows XP -> TweakUI.
3. Navigate to Logon branch, and then click Autologon.
4. Turn on the “Log on automatically at system startup” option by checking the box.
5. Finally, type your username and password, and then click Ok.

Method# 3 – Modifying Registry Values

Use this method if above methods fails to auto-logon to Windows XP. You can also configure Microsoft Windows XP to automate the logon process by storing your password and other pertinent information in the registry database. It permits other users to start your computer and to use the account that you establish to automatically log on.

Note- You may land-up in problem if you modify the registry incorrectly. Make sure to take the back up of the registry before you modify it. Read the article on How to back up and restore the registry in Windows published in Microsoft knowledgebase.

If you turn on automatic logon, the password is stored in the registry in plain text. The specific registry key that stores this value is remotely readable by the Authenticated Users group. Make sure that you use this setting if the computer is physically secured and users who you do not trust cannot remotely see the registry.

Follow the steps below :

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
2. Locate the following registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
3. Using your account name and password, double-click the DefaultUserName entry, type your user name, and then click OK.
4. Double-click the DefaultPassword entry, type your password under the value data box, and then click OK.

If there is no DefaultPassword value, create the value. To do this, follow these steps:

·   In Registry Editor, click Edit, click New, and then click String Value.

·   Type DefaultPassword as the value name, and then press ENTER.

·   Double-click the newly created key, and then type your password in the Value Data box.

If no DefaultPassword string is specified, Windows XP automatically changes the value of the AutoAdminLogon registry key from 1 (true) to 0 (false) to turn off the AutoAdminLogon feature.

 5. Double-click the AutoAdminLogon entry, type 1 in the Value Data box, and then click OK.

     If there is no AutoAdminLogon entry, create the entry. To do this, follow these steps:

·   In Registry Editor, click Edit, click New, and then click String Value.

·   Type AutoAdminLogon as the value name, and then press ENTER.

·   Double-click the newly created key, and then type 1 in the Value Data box.

 6. Close the Registry Editor and restart your machine. After your computer restarts you can log on automatically.

Note-To bypass the automatic logon to log on as a different user, just hold down the SHIFT key after you log off or after Windows XP restarts. This method applies only to the first logon. To enforce this setting for future logoffs set the following registry key with values mentioned below:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Value:ForceAutoLogon

Type : REG_SZ

Data  : 1

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Tagged as: Windows OS