Sometimes it can be useful to have a computer automatically logon without user intervention. Before we go any further we must stress this can be a huge security risk so use the facility with care – use a dedicated username with restricted access privileges and audit logons to ensure it is being used appropriately. However, under certain circumstances auto logon can be very useful.

Go into the Registry Editor and navigate to

HKLM->Software->Microsoft->Windows NT->CurrentVersion->Winlogon

• Set the AutoAdminLogon value to 1
• Set the DefaultUserName and DefaultDomain to the username and domain you want to login with
• Create a DefaultPassword REG_SZ string and put in the password – (this will not be encrypted)
• You will need to reboot your computer for the changes to kick in

This can also be done in XP and there is more information on the Microsoft Site at How to turn on automatic logon in Windows XP