How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows

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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. In addition, if you enable 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. As a result, using this setting is appropriate only if the computer is physically secured and if you ensure that untrusted users cannot remotely see the registry.

Use Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) to add your logon information:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit,and then click OK to start Registry Editor.
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, follow these steps to create the value:
   1. On the Registry Editor menu, click Edit, click New, and then click String Value.
   2. Type DefaultPassword as the value name, and then press ENTER.
   3. Double-click the newly created key, and then type your password in the Value Data box.
   If no DefaultPassword string is specified, Windows automatically changes the value of the AutoAdminLogon key from 1 (true) to 0 (false) to disable 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, follow these steps to create the entry:
   1. On the Registry Editor menu, click Edit, click New, and then click String Value.
   2. Type AutoAdminLogon as the value name, and then press ENTER.
   3. 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.
8. After your computer restarts and Windows 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 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 the following steps to enable automatic logon without editing the registry in Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional (not joined to a domain):

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the Open box, type control userpasswords2, and then click OK.
3. In the dialog box that appears, clear the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer check box, and then click OK.