autologon problem

[Jo-Anne Naples]

Yesterday, I set up autologon using TweakUI on my Windows XP computer (with
SP3 installed) to avoid having to click on my name each time I boot up. It
worked when I restarted the computer yesterday--but not today. I looked at
the autologon dialog box in TweakUI today, and autologon is unchecked again.

Could the problem be that I didn't choose a password? (After the autologon
box is checked, the "set password" button appears.) If that's the case, is
there anything I can do short of choosing a password? I work alone; and if
someone steals my computer, having a password will probably not stop the
person from accessing my files (or so I've been told). And I don't want to
screw something up later on by choosing and then possibly forgetting my
password.

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne

 

[JS]

I don't know if SP3 caused Tweak to UnTweak but as an alternative try
the following:

Start/Run and enter: CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2
On the User tab: pick (highlight) the account you want to automatically log
on
Then uncheck: Users must enter username and password
Next click Apply and enter the password (if the account you pick has a
password)
Finally click OK until your completely out

Additional Info:
How to turn on automatic logon in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315231

JS

 

[Jo-Anne Naples]

Thank you, JS! I'll do that.

Jo-Anne

I don't know if SP3 caused Tweak to UnTweak but as an alternative try
the following:

Start/Run and enter: CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2
On the User tab: pick (highlight) the account you want to automatically
log on
Then uncheck: Users must enter username and password
Next click Apply and enter the password (if the account you pick has a
password)
Finally click OK until your completely out

Additional Info:
How to turn on automatic logon in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315231

JS

 

[JS]

Let me know if you were able to fix the problem.

JS

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 5/27/2008 9:21 AM, and on a whim, JS pounded out

I don't know if SP3 caused Tweak to UnTweak but as an alternative try
the following:

Start/Run and enter: CONTROL USERPASSWORDS2
On the User tab: pick (highlight) the account you want to automatically log
on
Then uncheck: Users must enter username and password
Next click Apply and enter the password (if the account you pick has a
password)
Finally click OK until your completely out

Additional Info:
How to turn on automatic logon in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315231

JS

Hi JS,

I have installed SP3 on a lot of workstations using the Auto Logon in
TUI, and it didn't break the process.


--
Terry R.

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[Terry R.]

The date and time was 5/27/2008 9:11 AM, and on a whim, Jo-Anne Naples
pounded out on the keyboard:

Yesterday, I set up autologon using TweakUI on my Windows XP computer (with
SP3 installed) to avoid having to click on my name each time I boot up. It
worked when I restarted the computer yesterday--but not today. I looked at
the autologon dialog box in TweakUI today, and autologon is unchecked again.

Could the problem be that I didn't choose a password? (After the autologon
box is checked, the "set password" button appears.) If that's the case, is
there anything I can do short of choosing a password? I work alone; and if
someone steals my computer, having a password will probably not stop the
person from accessing my files (or so I've been told). And I don't want to
screw something up later on by choosing and then possibly forgetting my
password.

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne

Hi Jo-Anne,

We have crossed paths here and in the Corel groups.

When the password dialog popped up in Tweak-UI, did you click OK? That
would enter a password of nothing in both boxes, which sounds like the
way you have it configured (no password). If you clicked Cancel, I'm
surprised it logged on automatically even once, as the process wasn't
completed.

I don't think I've configured Tweak-UI without a password before, but I
doubt SP3 had anything to do with it, as I've installed it on dozens of
workstations using the Auto Logon and it hasn't affected any of them.

The other method suggested by JS will do the same thing though.


--
Terry R.

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[Patrick Keenan]

Yesterday, I set up autologon using TweakUI on my Windows XP computer
(with SP3 installed) to avoid having to click on my name each time I boot
up. It worked when I restarted the computer yesterday--but not today. I
looked at the autologon dialog box in TweakUI today, and autologon is
unchecked again.

Could the problem be that I didn't choose a password? (After the autologon
box is checked, the "set password" button appears.) If that's the case, is
there anything I can do short of choosing a password? I work alone; and if
someone steals my computer, having a password will probably not stop the
person from accessing my files (or so I've been told). And I don't want to
screw something up later on by choosing and then possibly forgetting my
password.

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne

Having no password actually has other effects that you may not realize.
By default and for security reasons, Windows Task Scheduler is configured
to not run on local accounts that don't have passwords. So, things that
use the Windows Scheduler, like many antivirus and backup programs, will
quietly just not run scheduled tasks. You won't even know it failed unless
you check the logs.

This default behaviour can be changed, but it's better to just add a simple
password.

HTH
-pk

 

[Jo-Anne Naples]

Dang! I was hoping I could do without the password... I do know that Norton
runs fine on a schedule. If it's using Task Manager, maybe other programs
will work too without a password? Anyone out there without a password but
with scheduled tasks running OK?

Thanks much!

Jo-Anne

 

[Jo-Anne Naples]

Hi, again, Terry.

Well, it was indeed the fact that I hadn't gone into the password dialog box
that was the issue. When the "set password" button appeared, I simply
ignored it and checked OK for autologon. After reading what you said to do,
I clicked on "set password," then clicked OK at that box with the password
blank. It worked. When I rebooted, I checked TweakUI, and the checkmark for
autologon was still there.

Thank you!

Now for the issue Patrick brought up: Will scheduled tasks indeed not
perform if I have no password? As I mentioned to him, Norton does its
scheduled scan weekly, so at least that program is working.

Jo-Anne

 

[Nonny]

Dang! I was hoping I could do without the password... I do know that Norton
runs fine on a schedule. If it's using Task Manager, maybe other programs
will work too without a password? Anyone out there without a password but
with scheduled tasks running OK?

Lots of us.

One prime example of something that depends on Task Scheduler to
function is System Restore. Disable Task Scheduler, and no automatic
restore points will be set.

I never use a password (and I don't use Task Scheduler) and those
programs I use that require scheduling do just fine on their own.

 

[JS]

Thanks for the info.

JS

The date and time was 5/27/2008 9:21 AM, and on a whim, JS pounded out on
the keyboard:


Hi JS,

I have installed SP3 on a lot of workstations using the Auto Logon in TUI,
and it didn't break the process.


--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
Anti-spam measures are included in my email address.
Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.

 

[Jo-Anne Naples]

Thank you, Nonny!

Jo-Anne

Lots of us.

One prime example of something that depends on Task Scheduler to
function is System Restore. Disable Task Scheduler, and no automatic
restore points will be set.

I never use a password (and I don't use Task Scheduler) and those
programs I use that require scheduling do just fine on their own.

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 5/27/2008 11:15 AM, and on a whim, Jo-Anne Naples
pounded out on the keyboard:

Hi, again, Terry.

Well, it was indeed the fact that I hadn't gone into the password dialog box
that was the issue. When the "set password" button appeared, I simply
ignored it and checked OK for autologon. After reading what you said to do,
I clicked on "set password," then clicked OK at that box with the password
blank. It worked. When I rebooted, I checked TweakUI, and the checkmark for
autologon was still there.

Thank you!

Now for the issue Patrick brought up: Will scheduled tasks indeed not
perform if I have no password? As I mentioned to him, Norton does its
scheduled scan weekly, so at least that program is working.

Jo-Anne

Hi Jo-Anne,

Glad to hear you got it working. I think a lot of people believe that
if they don't have a password, there's no reason to "enter" anything, so
I thought that you may have Canceled rather than clicked OK.

As far as ST goes without using a password; I don't know to be honest.
All workstations I configure have a user name and password. Patrick
said it's required and Nonny said it's not. I guess you'll have to test
it yourself to see. Or others may pipe in to level the field since
we're only even at one response per opinion.

I haven't used Norton in years because of it's extreme bloat and CPU
cycle sucking, but if the Norton Updater runs as a Scheduled Task and
everything has been updating properly, I would think that no password
doesn't affect using ST. Open the Scheduler and see what programs are
set to run and see if they've all run recently (there is a "Last Run"
column-check the dates)


--
Terry R.

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[Jo-Anne Naples]

Hmm...I have only two things listed in the Task Scheduler--Norton's weekly
scan of my system (I think the Updater runs each morning when I turn on the
computer before Windows is fully up) and what I think is an RSS feed for a
blog that I couldn't get to come up in the Google Reader.

Task Scheduler claims to have run Norton last night (which is appropriate)
and the other task 4 hours ago, so I'm guessing it's doing its job. (And I
know Norton ran because I watched it.)

Do you think it would be worth bringing up this question as a new thread, to
see what others' experiences have been?

Jo-Anne

 

[JS]

I have Norton AV, the scheduler runs as advertised.
One problem is with 'Live Update' which has a
bad habit of starting an update (unknown to me
as it runs in the background) and every once in a
while I'm shutting down the PC when Live Update is running.
The result can cause problems the next time I turn on
my PC. So in my case I shut off the Autoupdate option in
Norton and I now choose when to download updates.

JS

 

[Terry R.]

The date and time was 5/27/2008 5:57 PM, and on a whim, Jo-Anne Naples
pounded out on the keyboard:

Hmm...I have only two things listed in the Task Scheduler--Norton's weekly
scan of my system (I think the Updater runs each morning when I turn on the
computer before Windows is fully up) and what I think is an RSS feed for a
blog that I couldn't get to come up in the Google Reader.

Task Scheduler claims to have run Norton last night (which is appropriate)
and the other task 4 hours ago, so I'm guessing it's doing its job. (And I
know Norton ran because I watched it.)

Do you think it would be worth bringing up this question as a new thread, to
see what others' experiences have been?

Jo-Anne

No, I think you've answered the question. It appears that tasks run
regardless of whether a password has been set or not.

--
Terry R.

***Reply Note***
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Delete NOSPAM from the email address after clicking Reply.