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How to Set Up Auto Login in Windows

Configure automatic login in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, or XP

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on December 7, 2021 Reviewed by Jessica Kormos Reviewed by Jessica Kormos Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca.com, Rosenfeld Media, and many others. lifewire's editorial guidelines Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Windows The Ultimate Laptop Buying Guide

What to Know

Open the Advanced User Accounts program by entering the netplwiz command in the Run dialog box.In the User tab, uncheck the box next to Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer. Select OK.Enter the username you want to use for the automatic login and the password. Select OK to save. Restart your computer.
This article explains how to auto log on to Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, and XP. It also includes information on using an auto login in a domain scenario and tips for when the domain setup doesn't work.

How to Automatically Log On to Windows

There are plenty of good reasons to auto log in to your computer, and there are several reasons not to set up your computer to auto log in. The most important is that you lose the ability to secure your files from others who have physical access to your computer. If security isn't an issue, being able to have Windows fully start, without having to sign in, is handy and easy to do. You do it by making changes to a program called the Advanced User Accounts Control Panel applet (which, depending on your version of Windows, is neither an applet nor available in Control Panel).
One of the steps involved in configuring Windows to automatically log in differs depending on the Windows operating system you use. The command used to launch the Advanced User Accounts Control Panel applet is different in Windows XP than in Windows 11 and other newer Windows versions. Open the Advanced User Accounts program. To do this in Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, or Windows Vista, enter the following command in the Run dialog box (open that with WIN+R or the Power User Menu in Windows 11/10/8), followed by a tap or click of the OK button:
netplwiz Advanced User Accounts Window (Windows 10). A different command is used in Windows XP:
control userpasswords2 You can also open Command Prompt and do the same if you'd rather, but using Run is probably a bit quicker overall. In Windows 10, you can also just search for netplwiz using the search/Cortana interface. Technically, this program is called the Advanced User Accounts Control Panel, but it's not really a Control Panel applet and you won't find it in Control Panel. To make it more confusing, the title of the windows says just User Accounts. Uncheck the box next to Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer from the Users tab. Select OK at the bottom of the window. When the password prompt appears, enter the username you wish to use for your automatic login, followed by the password in the next two boxes. In Windows 11, 10, and 8, if you're using a Microsoft account, be sure to enter the entire email address that you use to sign in to Windows with, in the User name field. The defaults there might instead be the name associated with your account, not your actual username. Select OK to save and close the open windows. Restart your computer and make sure that Windows automatically logs you in. You may catch a glimpse of the sign-in screen, but only long enough to see it log you in without you having to type anything! See What Version of Windows Do I Have if you're not sure which of those several versions of Windows is installed on your computer. Derek Abella / Lifewire Are you a Desktop lover looking to speed up your Windows 8 boot process even more? In Windows 8.1 or later, you can make Windows start directly to the Desktop, skipping the Start screen. See How to Boot to the Desktop in Windows 8.1 for instructions.

How to Use Auto Login in a Domain Scenario

You won't be able to configure your Windows computer to use an auto login in exactly the way described above if your computer is a member of a domain. In a domain login situation, which is common in larger business networks, your credentials are stored on a server run by your company's IT department, not on the Windows PC you're using. This complicates the Windows auto login setup process a little bit, but it's still possible. Here's how to get that checkbox from Step 2 (instructions above) to appear so that you can check it: Open Registry Editor which, in most versions of Windows, is most easily done by executing regedit from the search box after you select the Start button. While following the steps below exactly should be perfectly safe, it's highly recommended that you back up the registry prior to making the changes. From the registry hive listing on the left, choose HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, followed by Software. If you're in an entirely separate location in the Windows Registry when you open it, just scroll to the very top on the left side until you see Computer, and then collapse each hive until you reach HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE. Continue drilling down through the nested registry keys, first to Microsoft, then Windows NT, then CurrentVersion, and then finally Winlogon. With Winlogon selected on the left, locate the registry value of AutoAdminLogon on the right. Double-click AutoAdminLogon and change the Value data to 1 from 0. Select OK. Restart your computer and then follow the standard Windows auto-login procedure outlined above.

When the Auto Log In Domain Setup Doesn' t Work

That should work, but if not, you may have to manually add a few additional registry values yourself. It's not too difficult. Work back to Winlogon in the Windows registry, as outlined above from Step 1 through Step 3. Add the string values of DefaultDomainName, DefaultUserName, and DefaultPassword, assuming they don't already exist. You can add a new string value from the menu in Registry Editor through Edit > New > String Value. Set the Value data as your domain, user name, and password, respectively. Restart your computer and test to see that you can use the auto login without entering your normal Windows credentials.

Is It Safe to Auto Log In to Windows

As great as it sounds to be able to skip over that sometimes-annoying login process when Windows starts, it's not always a good idea. In fact, it may even be a bad idea, and here's why: computers are less and less physically secure.

Security Risks and Auto Log In

If your Windows computer is a desktop and that desktop is in your home, which is probably locked and otherwise secure, then setting up automatic logon is probably a relatively safe thing to do. On the other hand, if you're using a Windows laptop, netbook, tablet, or another portable computer that often leaves your home, we highly recommend that you don't configure it to automatically log in. The login screen is the first defense your computer has from a user that shouldn't have access. If your computer is stolen and you've configured it to skip right over that basic protection, the thief will have access to everything you have on it—email, social networks, other passwords, bank accounts, and more.

Multiple User Accounts and Auto Log In

Also, if your computer has more than one user account and you configure an auto login for one of those accounts, you (or the account holder) will need to log off or switch users from your automatically logged in account to use the other user account. In other words, if you have more than one user on your computer and you choose to auto log in to your account, you're actually slowing down the other user's experience. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Restore the Registry (Windows 11, 10, 8, 7...) How to Change Your Password in Windows What Is a Registry Value? How to Disable Windows Automatic Restart on System Failure How to Create a Password in Windows How to Access Advanced Startup Options in Windows 11/10/8 How to Use System Restore (Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP) How to Open an Elevated Command Prompt in Windows How Do I Create a Windows Password Reset Disk? How to Fix Hal.dll Errors in Windows 11, 10, 8, 7 & Vista How to Map a Network Drive in Windows 11 How to Access Device Manager From the Command Prompt How to Change Refresh Rate (Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, etc.) What Version of Windows Do I Have? 15 Best Free Remote Access Software Tools (Oct. 2022) What Is the Control Panel in Windows? Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies