Ken said:
I just allowed Windows to run security updates on XP Professional. My
computer now requires I log in before it will boot. I need the computer to
reboot automatically without my action so it will come up after a power
failure without any action on my part. How can I get it back to booting
without the log in step (that was not needed before the update). Thanks.
From "Microsoft WindowsXP Inside Out"
"
Bypassing the Logon Screen
If your computer has only one account (aside from Administrator and
Guest) and if that account doesn't have a password, Windows XP
automatically logs on as that user during startup. You won't see the
Welcome screen or any other logon screens; Windows launches straight to
your desktop.
You might want to set up your computer to log on this way even if it has
more than one user account. This kind of logon could be convenient in
several situations: if you're the primary user of the computer but other
people occasionally need to use it; if you occasionally need to log on
as a different user to install software or perform other tasks; or if
you have set up a password for your account (so that you could use
scheduled tasks or connect remotely, operations that are available only
to accounts with passwords), but you still want it to log you on
automatically at startup.
caution
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automatically logging on means that the system effectively enters your
user name and password when you turn on the power. Anyone who has
physical access to your computer can then log on as "you" and have
access to all computer resources (including Web sites for which you've
saved passwords) that you normally have.
You can set up your computer to log on automatically by following these
steps:
1: At a command prompt, type control userpasswords2 and press Enter.
Doing so launches the Windows 2000-style User Accounts application.
2: On the Users tab, clear the Users Must Enter A User Name And Password
To Use This Computer check box and then click OK. Note that the Users
Must Enter A User Name And Password To Use This Computer check box
doesn't appear if your computer is a member of a domain. Only computers
that aren't part of a network or are part of a workgroup can bypass this
dialog box. Domain users must enter a user name and password, even to
log on locally.
The Automatically Log On dialog box appears.
3: Type the user name and password for the account that you want to be
logged on each time you start your computer.
After you make this change, you can use other accounts on the computer
by logging off and then logging on to another account or by using Fast
User Switching.
"
