Skipping the login screen in XP

[Peegee]

I remember that there was a way to do this; how is it done?

[Dr Unne]

Windows makes it nice and easy for you to do. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315231 The MB auto-wraps the insanely long registry keys, but I'm sure you'll notice where.

<i>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.</i>

Or get TweakUI.

[crono_logical]

Either a) TweakUI, although leaves your password in plain text in the registry, or b) only have one user with permissions to login locally, give it a blank password, and use the welcome screen instead of the Win2k style box for logging in. You might need to change some local policy setting somewhere for this one though, I can't remember.

[Doomgaze]

If there's only one account, and there's no password on it, it shoudn't go to the login screen, I think.

[crono_logical]

Originally posted by Doomgaze
If there's only one account, and there's no password on it, it shoudn't go to the login screen, I think. Except it uses the login screen anyway on my dad's PC when there's only one account and a blank password, which is why I'm thinking there might be something else that needs changing :p

[Mo-Nercy]

Forcing the computer to start in Safe Mode skips the login screen, I think. After that you can create your own login/password and use that.

[Big Ogre Umaro]

Originally posted by Guu
Except it uses the login screen anyway on my dad's PC when there's only one account and a blank password, which is why I'm thinking there might be something else that needs changing :p This is a question I've had for a while.

When I first got my computer, I had a single account and a blank password and it bypassed the login screen. What changed was when I installed the .NET Framework. Now it defaults to the login screen and I have to click on my name every time I reboot.

Now, I am a LAZY guy, and I would like to skip this step. I'll look at TweakUI tomorrow. Yep.

[m4tt]

Originally posted by Doomgaze
If there's only one account, and there's no password on it, it shoudn't go to the login screen, I think.

Yeah, I never see the login screen on my computer.