Accounts 'n' stuff 'n' stuff. No, really, HELP!

[Noel Finegan]

I've XP on my PC and just recently (about an hour ago),
it changed. Now whenever I turn on the PC, it asks for a
password. There is none, so leaving it blank'll do, but
why does it ask in the first place?
And the shut down dialog has changed from the friendly
three button setup to a drop down box! Someone's taken
the fun out of XP! Or is this just an update I don't know
about. Please help, I'll tell you the meaning of life if
you do!

 

[Michael Solomon \(MS-MVP Windows Shell/User\)]

Let's start with the shutdown. Open Control Panel, open User Accounts,
click "Change the way users log on or off," place a check next to "Use the
Welcome screen," and click apply options.

As to the password:
Click on Start and run: type in control userpasswords2
Uncheck the box User must enter a username and password.