Auto Logoin in Vista ?

Question

Does anyone know how to config auto logo in for Vista?

Because we need to run stress test and sometimes it will restart or suspend computer.

But after restart or resume, Vista still needs user to select account and input passwords. We want to skip these steps.  We already tried many ways but always failed.

1. control userpasswords2 ==> not work

2. add regsitry ...DefaultPassword

                             DefaultUserName

                             DefaultDomainName

    ===> not work 

Our Vista image  is  Ver. 5728

Thanks in advance

Answer 1

If you have a single user without password, then he gets logged on automatically after restart. Or you can write and register a simple Credential Provider, which will do it for you even with many users and passwords. There are some MS samples, which can be easily modified, but it requires some coding and compiling of course.

Answer 2

 

Hi wolf777:

   I create an account without password and revised registry to enable auto logon as below. But this way just pass once.

[ HKLM\SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon]

AutoAdminLogon REG_SZ 1

DefaultUserName REG_SZ  tester

DefaultDomainName REG_SZ  PC

DefaultPassword REG_SZ

AutoLogonCount REG_DWORD 2

And you mentioned, "There are some MS samples, which can be easily modified, but it requires some coding and compiling of course."

Could you tell me how to get these samples ?

Thanks in advance

 

Answer 3

I think that all those Winlogon keys which worked on xp are ignored on Vista. I remember that our testers used to perform some stress-test. They had single user without password and put a simple bat file in his Startup folder, containing something like "shutdown -r", which caused the machine to restart in around 30 seconds.

    The provider samples can be downloaded here: http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1287ec56-77b4-48c4-8b58-35b7295d6c2c&DisplayLang=en

There should be also some doc together with the sources.

Answer 4

Today down in our testlab, I learned that I was wrong - it is obviously possible to logon automatically on Vista using the registry keys. You have to open HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows NT/CurrentVersion/Winlogon and enter the following items: DefaultUserName, DefaultPassword and AutoAdminLogon (set to 1).

It is strange that it doesn't work for you... The only difference from your configuration is that they do not have the DefaultDomainName item at all (the computer is not in domain anyways). They also do not specify the AutoLogonCount and they are able to make unlimited number of auto logons.

Answer 5

Andrew Jennings from the shell team posted a power toy enabling autologon configuration from the command line. A blog post describing the toy and a link to download it are available here: http://shellrevealed.com/blogs/shellblog/archive/2006/10/11/A-useful-tool-for-setting-up-autologon.aspx

Answer 6

This works a Treet

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/learnmore/tips/knox2.mspx

 

Answer 7

This old tricky from windows xp works in vista too (tested in vista ultimate) :

step 1: type this to run promp: control userpasswords2
step 2: uncheck "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer"
step 3: press apply button and enter user name and password.
step 4: press ok button and reboot computer test this and then be happy.

Answer 8

hey it really works, thank you!

Answer 9

Perfect .. worked for me without problem. Thanks!

Answer 10

On Windows Vista Ultimate 64-bit, I had to configure thie automatic logon in two steps:

1) Click Start button and select Run. In the dialog, type 'control userpasswords2' and press Enter. If you are prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.

In the dialog that has come up, uncheck the box saying 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer'.

Click Apply, another dialog comes up. Enter your default login username and password. Click OK.

Click OK again.

2) Click Start button and select Run. In the dialog, type 'secpol.msc' and press Enter.

In the window that has come up, on the left hand side, expand Local Policies, select Security Options.

On the right hand side, double click the line saying "Interactive Logon: Do not require CTRL+ALT+DEL".

In the dialog that has come up, click the radio button named Enabled, and click OK.

Restart your machine.

Answer 11

Hi,

 

I´ve done the autologon in Vista with following entries in

the registry

 

Open the hive like XP

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

delete the key AutoLogonCount

add the keys Reg_SZ

DefaultUserName

DefaultPassword

in my case I´ve added the key

AutoAdminLogon in format REG_DWORD 1

 

it worked fine until i set the value from AutoAdminLogon to 0

 

regards helmut

Answer 12

have a look here or here for possible solutions to your problem... 

Answer 13

It may help Logonexpert Vista Autologon tool

 

Answer 14

Use netplwiz

 control userpasssword2 in XP's equivalent in Vista is netplwiz

Answer 15

  control userpasssword2 in XP's equivalent in Vista is netplwiz

Answer 16

I've edited my registry in Vista Business 32 with the below.  The shift override to bypass Autologon would not work (not on our Vista or XP machines).
I found I needed to add another string:
HKEY_LocalMachine\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\WinLogon
IgnoreShiftOverride = 1 enables or 0 disables

I set this key to "0" and now can use the sift key upon startup to override autologon.  This works on the XP machines but NOT the Vistas.  Is there another registry edit required?
Thanks fo any advice,

Answer 17

As for me the simple method is by creating a blank password. Is you created a password before just simply change it to blank (empty the password field). Work for xp and vista.

Good Day..

Answer 18

I'm sorry but I don't understand your response, TransmuteColony.  How does changing the password to blank make it so that I can bypass the ForceAutoLogon?
Here's specifically what I'm trying to do:
1.  We have a bank of public computers here in the library
2.  I have our sign-up software set to log off the computers after each session to ensure patron privacy
3.  I am using the reg edit ForceAutoLogon to then automatically log the computers back on for the next patron session

This works great except when I want to log in as administrator.  With XP I could put in a reg key String Value IgnoreShiftOverride=o and then upon start up I could hold the left shift key, bypass the autologon, and choose to login as Administrator.

With Vista, even with this Ignore key the left shift does not bypass the autologon and I end up automatically logged in as the Public user.  The only way I have discovered so far to break this loop is to Remote Reg Edit to the computer, change the ForceAutoLogon to 0 and then restart the computer.  This is an incredible pain in my keister.

Any thoughts?
Thanks - Madeleine

Answer 19

I'm sorry but I don't understand your response, TransmuteColony.  How does changing the password to blank make it so that I can bypass the ForceAutoLogon?
Here's specifically what I'm trying to do:
1.  We have a bank of public computers here in the library
2.  I have our sign-up software set to log off the computers after each session to ensure patron privacy
3.  I am using the reg edit ForceAutoLogon to then automatically log the computers back on for the next patron session

This works great except when I want to log in as administrator.  With XP I could put in a reg key String Value IgnoreShiftOverride=o and then upon start up I could hold the left shift key, bypass the autologon, and choose to login as Administrator.

With Vista, even with this Ignore key the left shift does not bypass the autologon and I end up automatically logged in as the Public user.  The only way I have discovered so far to break this loop is to Remote Reg Edit to the computer, change the ForceAutoLogon to 0 and then restart the computer.  This is an incredible pain in my keister.

Any thoughts?
Thanks - Madeleine

Just a thought Madeleine, Vista comes with the built in administrator account disabled by default, maybe if you enable this account in Administrative Tools - Computer Management - Local Users and Groups - Users, then the procedure that you describe above may work.

Answer 20

Thanks but this is as the built-in-administrator account.  But good thought! 

Anyone else?

Answer 21

these were dead links