To use Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe) to turn on automatic logon, follow these steps:
- Click Start, and then click Run.
- In the Open box, type Regedt32.exe, and then press ENTER.
- Locate the following subkey in the registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon
- Double-click the DefaultUserName entry, type your user name, and then click OK.
- Double-click the DefaultPassword entry, type your password, and then click OK.NOTE: If the DefaultPasswordvalue does not exist, it must be added. To add the value, follow these steps:
- On the Edit menu, click New, and then point to String Value.
- Type DefaultPassword, and then press ENTER.
- Double-click DefaultPassword.
- In the Edit String dialog, type your password and then click OK.
NOTE: If no DefaultPassword string is specified, Windows automatically changes the value of theAutoAdminLogon key from 1 (true) to 0 (false), disabling the AutoAdminLogon feature.
- On the Edit menu, click New, and then point to String Value.
- Type AutoAdminLogon, and then press ENTER.
- Double-click AutoAdminLogon.
- In the Edit String dialog box, type 1 and then click OK.
- Quit Registry Editor.
- Click Start, click Shutdown, and then type a reason in the Comment text box.
- Click OK to turn off your computer.
- Restart your computer. You can now log on automatically.
Notes To bypass the AutoAdminLogon process and to log on as a different user, hold down the SHIFT key after you log off or after Windows restarts.
Registry change will not work if the “Logon Banner” is defined on the server either by a Group Policy object (GPO) or by a local policy. When policy is changed to not impact server, the feature works as expected.
