It is better to download the TweakUI utility from MS.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
OR
How to turn on automatic logon in Windows XP
View products that this article applies to.
Article ID : 315231
Last Review : June 23, 2005
Revision : 4.2
This article was previously published under Q315231
Important This article contains information about modifying the registry.
Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that
you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For
information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the
following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
256986 (
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256986/) Description of the
Microsoft Windows Registry
INTRODUCTION
This article describes how to configure Microsoft Windows XP to automate the
logon process by storing your password and other pertinent information in the
registry database. This feature permits other users to start your computer
and to use the account that you establish to automatically log on.
Important If you turn on autologon, using Windows XP becomes more
convenient. However, using this feature can pose a security risk.
MORE INFORMATION
Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious
problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft
cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry
Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
If you set a computer for automatic logon, anyone who can physically gain
access to the computer can also gain access to everything that is on the
computer, including any network or networks that the computer is connected
to. Additionally, 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. Therefore, only use
this setting if the computer is physically secured and if you make sure that
users who you do not trust cannot remotely see the registry.
You can use Registry Editor to add your log on information. To do this,
follow these steps: 1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click
OK.
2. Locate the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\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: a. In Registry Editor, click Edit, click New, and then click
String Value.
b. Type DefaultPassword as the value name, and then press ENTER.
c. 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: a. In Registry Editor, click Edit, click New, and then click
String Value.
b. Type AutoAdminLogon as the value name, and then press ENTER.
c. Double-click the newly created key, and then type 1 in the Value Data
box.
6. Quit Registry Editor.
7. Click Start, click Restart, and then click OK.
After your computer restarts and Windows XP starts, you can log on
automatically.
If you want to bypass the automatic logon to log on as a different user,
hold down the SHIFT key after you log off or after Windows XP restarts. Note
that this procedure applies only to the first logon. To enforce this setting
for future logoffs, the administrator must set the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Value:ForceAutoLogon
Type: REG_SZ
Data: 1
You can also use turn on automatic logon without editing the registry in
Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition and in Microsoft Windows XP Professional on
a computer that is not joined to a domain. To do this, follow these steps: 1.
Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type control userpasswords2, and then click OK.
Note When users try to display help information in the User Accounts window
in Windows XP Home Edition, the help information is not displayed.
Additionally, users receive the following error message:
Cannot find the Drive:\Windows\System32\users.hlp Help file. Check to see
that the file exists on your hard disk drive. If it does not exist, you must
reinstall it.
3. Clear the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this
computer" check box, and then click Apply.
4. In the Automatically Log On window, type the password in the Password
box, and then retype the password in the Confirm Password box.
5. Click OK to close the Automatically Log On window, and then click OK to
close the User Accounts window.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPLIES TO
• Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional
• Microsoft Windows XP Professional for Itanium-based systems
Back to the top
