Re: Boot without log in

Ken wrote:
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"

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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
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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.
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Demmpa
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