Auto-login (Windows 7)

[John Aldrich]

I realize this group is for Windows Vista, but since Windows 7 is
mostly Windows Vista, I'm hoping solutions that work for Vista will
work for Windows 7.

I have a Windows 7 RC box attached to my active directory (2003) and
am trying to set it up to automatically log onto the network. Has
anyone here been able to do this with Vista?

I have tried everything from modifying the user accounts to not need
to enter a password (unable to do that -- I don't have that option) to
editing the registry to installing Autologon from Sysinternals and a
couple things I can't think of right now.

If anyone has successfully managed this, please let me know,
especially if you've done it on a Windows 7 box.

Thanks!

 

[The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly]

I realize this group is for Windows Vista, but since Windows 7 is
mostly Windows Vista, I'm hoping solutions that work for Vista will
work for Windows 7.

I have a Windows 7 RC box attached to my active directory (2003) and
am trying to set it up to automatically log onto the network. Has
anyone here been able to do this with Vista?

I have tried everything from modifying the user accounts to not need
to enter a password (unable to do that -- I don't have that option) to
editing the registry to installing Autologon from Sysinternals and a
couple things I can't think of right now.

If anyone has successfully managed this, please let me know,
especially if you've done it on a Windows 7 box.

Thanks!

Why would you want to do this? That is an incredibly bad security
decision if your 2003 domain requires to be secure at all!

--
"Software is like sex, it's better when it's free."
- Linus Torvalds

DRM and unintended consequences:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=435&tag=nl.e101

 

[Eric]

"The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly Known as Nina DiBoy'"

Why would you want to do this? That is an incredibly bad security
decision if your 2003 domain requires to be secure at all!

--
"Software is like sex, it's better when it's free."
- Linus Torvalds

DRM and unintended consequences:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=435&tag=nl.e101

It's no worse than taping your password to your monitor.
Computer security is irrelevant if the machine isn't going anywhere and you
have sufficient security for physical access to the machine, unless you're
saying that having a password and not having to enter it from your machine
is going to make it easier for a hacker to access from their own machine.

 

[The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly]

"The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly Known as Nina DiBoy'"


It's no worse than taping your password to your monitor.

Which is also horrid!!

Computer security is irrelevant if the machine isn't going anywhere and you
have sufficient security for physical access to the machine, unless you're
saying that having a password and not having to enter it from your machine
is going to make it easier for a hacker to access from their own machine.

Only one secure "layer" of security is never enough. Physical access
security only is not wise. And why not take common sense steps to make
any step of the process not as convenient for any unauthorized access?
It is a dangerous attitude to suggest that even on rare occasions
computer security may be irrelevant.

--
"Software is like sex, it's better when it's free."
- Linus Torvalds

DRM and unintended consequences:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=435&tag=nl.e101

 

[Peter Foldes]

Microsoft has established an excellent special web-based Windows 7 Beta Forum you
can access here:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/category/w7itpro/

Please repost your inquiry in the "Windows 7 Installation, Setup, and Deployment"
forum:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en/w7itproinstall/threads/

 

[Eric]

"The poster formerly known as 'The Poster Formerly Known as Nina DiBoy'"

Which is also horrid!!


Only one secure "layer" of security is never enough. Physical access
security only is not wise. And why not take common sense steps to make
any step of the process not as convenient for any unauthorized access? It
is a dangerous attitude to suggest that even on rare occasions computer
security may be irrelevant.

--
"Software is like sex, it's better when it's free."
- Linus Torvalds

DRM and unintended consequences:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/security/?p=435&tag=nl.e101

You forgot to ask what the auto-login would be used for.

If it's for a secure facility with extreme measures to verify who can
physically get to the machine, they may not care about network security on
the machine. They might not want to hassle their people further with the
login.

If the auto-login signs in a generic user with very limited network access,
they may not want a login. What if it's for a public library where signing
in to the domain gives them access to network printers, or a shared folder
full of read only files? Then don't you feel stupid.

 

[milt]

I realize this group is for Windows Vista, but since Windows 7 is
mostly Windows Vista, I'm hoping solutions that work for Vista will
work for Windows 7.

With that viewpoint. You won't get very far trying to find solutions for
your Windows 7 problems. Windows 7 is NOT "mostly Windows Vista".

 

[Eric]

With that viewpoint. You won't get very far trying to find solutions for
your Windows 7 problems. Windows 7 is NOT "mostly Windows Vista".

really? I heard it's exactly like Vista only faster and with fewer
potential problems.

 

[Zaphod Beeblebrox]

I realize this group is for Windows Vista, but since Windows 7 is
mostly Windows Vista, I'm hoping solutions that work for Vista will
work for Windows 7.

I have a Windows 7 RC box attached to my active directory (2003) and
am trying to set it up to automatically log onto the network. Has
anyone here been able to do this with Vista?

I have tried everything from modifying the user accounts to not need
to enter a password (unable to do that -- I don't have that option)
to
editing the registry to installing Autologon from Sysinternals and a
couple things I can't think of right now.

If anyone has successfully managed this, please let me know,
especially if you've done it on a Windows 7 box.

Thanks!

I've set up both Vista and Windows 7 to auto logon, but never in an
Active Directory environment. My method uses the same approach as
with previous versions of Windows (XP and 2K), so I don't know if it
will help but it is simple enough to try if you haven't already. I
modify the following registry keys / values:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon]
"DefaultUserName"="MyUsername"
"DefaultPassword"="MyPassword"
"AutoAdminLogon"="1"

I notice there is also a "DefaultDomainName" value that you might need
to set in an Active Directory environment.

Good luck, and let me know if it helped or not.

--
Zaphod

Arthur: All my life I've had this strange feeling that there's
something big and sinister going on in the world.
Slartibartfast: No, that's perfectly normal paranoia. Everyone in the
universe gets that.

 

[milt]

really? I heard it's exactly like Vista only faster and with fewer
potential problems.

Maybe you should actually try it instead of just going by what other
people say. Not to mention what you say contradicts yourself "Its the
same, but different". Using that statement, you could say Windows 7 is
exactly the same as Windows 95. Far from the truth, but using your
logic, it works out.

 

[Eric]

Maybe you should actually try it instead of just going by what other
people say. Not to mention what you say contradicts yourself "Its the
same, but different". Using that statement, you could say Windows 7 is
exactly the same as Windows 95. Far from the truth, but using your logic,
it works out.

I haven't tried Windows 7. I was mocking the OP's "mostly Vista" comment.
Windows 7 is nothing like Windows 95.
Saying "exactly like Vista only faster and with fewer potential problems" is
more like saying "a 2001 F150 is exactly like a 2000 F150 only with better
gas mileage", if all the changes are under the hood and the end user sees no
difference other than performance increase.

 

[milt]

I haven't tried Windows 7. I was mocking the OP's "mostly Vista" comment.
Windows 7 is nothing like Windows 95.
Saying "exactly like Vista only faster and with fewer potential problems" is
more like saying "a 2001 F150 is exactly like a 2000 F150 only with better
gas mileage", if all the changes are under the hood and the end user sees no
difference other than performance increase.

Sorry, couldn't tell that was what you were doing but its basically what
I was doing as well with their whole "its mostly vista so it should be
the same" junk. I'm not sure they realize how ridiculous that sounds
when read.