Windows 10: Sign in User Account Automatically at Windows 10 Startup

How to: Sign in User Account Automatically at Windows 10 Startup

How to Automatically Sign in to User Account at Startup in Windows 10


Windows 10 has a new sign in screen that is more modern and touch friendly. By default, you need to dismiss the sign in to Windows 10 with your account.

This tutorial will show you how to set Windows 10 to automatically sign in to a selected domain, local, or Microsoft account at startup without the user needing to enter a user name and password.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do the steps in this tutorial.

If you ever change the password of the user account that you have Windows set to automatically sign in to at startup, then you will need to repeat the steps below again using the new password to update it for what is used to automatically sign in with.


If you set Windows to automatically sign in to a user account at startup and ever change the computer name afterwards, then you will see a Other user at sign in that fails to sign in, and you must manually select your account and sign in instead. You will need to repeat the steps below again to fix having Windows automatically sign in to the user account that you want at startup.

Other user can also show on the sign in screen if you set to do not display user names.

You may also wish to set this: How to Turn On or Off Require Sign-in on Wakeup in Windows 10



CONTENTS:

• Option One: Turn On or Off Automatically Sign-in User Account at Startup in Netplwiz
• Option Two: Turn On or Off Automatically Sign-in User Account at Startup in Registry Editor

EXAMPLE: Windows 10 Sign in Screen








OPTION ONE [/i] Turn On or Off Automatically Sign-in User Account at Startup in Netplwiz
1 Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box, type netplwiz or control userpasswords2, and click/tap on OK to open advanced User Accounts.

2 If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

3 Do step 4 or step 5 below for what you would like to do.




4. To Turn Off Automatic Sign in for All Users
This is the default setting.

A) Check the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer box, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshots below step 3)

5. To Turn On Automatic Sign in for a Local Account or Microsoft Account
You could also use this step to change what user account you would like Windows to automatically sign in to at startup.

A) Check the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer box. (see screenshots below step 3)

If your PC is currently OPTION TWO below instead.


B) Select the User Name of the Microsoft account (email address) or local account that you want to have Windows automatically sign in to at startup. (see screenshot below step 3)

If you are joined to a homegroup, then you do not want to select a listed user name that is a member of only the HomeUsers group.


C) Uncheck the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer box, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshots below step 3)

D) Enter the password of the selected local account or Microsoft account twice, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

If a selected local account does not have a password created for it, then leave the password fields empty. A Microsoft account will always have a password.









OPTION TWO [/i] Turn On or Off Automatically Sign-in User Account at Startup in Registry Editor
This option is not secure like OPTION ONE above.

It is recommended to use OPTION ONE above if you are able to instead. OPTION ONE will save the password in the Credential Manager where it's encrypted and cannot be viewed by anyone.

This option (OPTION TWO) will save the entered password (step 5H below) in the DefaultPassword string value in Registry Editor where it can be seen by anyone with access.


1 Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.

2 If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes

3 In Registry Editor, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon





4 Do step 5 or step 6 below for what you would like to do.


5. To Turn On Automatic Sign in for a Domain, Local, or Microsoft Account
You could also use this step to change what user account you would like Windows to automatically sign-in to at startup.

A) In the right pane on Winlogon, double click/tap on the AutoAdminLogon string value to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

B) Type 1, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)



C) Double click/tap on the DefaultDomainName string value to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

D) Type the computer name (if local) or domain name, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)



E) Double click/tap on the DefaultUserName string value to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

F) Type the user name (ex: Russell) of the account you want to automatically be signed in to at startup, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

This will be the same name as the user account's C:\Users\(UserName) profile folder.




G) Double click/tap on the DefaultPassword string value to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

If you do not have a DefaultPassword string value, then right click or press and hold on an empty area in the right pane of the Winlogon key, click/tap on New and String Value, type DefaultPassword, and press Enter.


H) Type the password of the user account you want to automatically be signed in to at startup, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)




6. To Turn Off Automatic Sign in for All Users
This is the default setting.


A) In the right pane on Winlogon, double click/tap on the AutoAdminLogon string value to modify it. (see screenshot below step 3)

B) Type 0 (zero), and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below step 5B)

C) Right click or press and hold on the DefaultPassword string value, and click/tap on Delete. (see screenshot below step 3)

If you do not have a DefaultPassword string value, then that's ok, and go to step 7 below.


D) Click/tap on Yes to confirm, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)



7 When finished, you can close Registry Editor if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Sign in to Windows 10
• How to Add Password to Local Account in Windows 10
• How to Change Password of Local Account or Microsoft Account in Windows 10
• How to Reset Password of Local Account or Microsoft Account in Windows 10
• How to Do Not Display Last Signed-in User Name on Sign-in Screen in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Require Sign-in on Wakeup in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Secure Sign-in with Ctrl+Alt+Delete in Windows 10
• Turn On or Off Use sign in info to auto finish setting up device after update in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Automatically Restart Apps after Sign In in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Console Mode Sign-in in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off Automatically Dismiss Lock Screen for Windows Hello Face in Windows 10
• How Change Assistive Technology Sign-in Settings in Windows 8 and Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Screen Saver Password Protection in Windows
• How to Enable or Disable Passwordless Sign-in for Microsoft Accounts in Windows 10
• How to Securely Login to Local Accounts with YubiKey Security Key in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10

:)

 

How to disable password during windows 10 sign in

See this tutorial

Automatically Sign in to User Account at Startup in Windows 10

 

avoid windows sign-in

Is this the solution:

Sign in User Account Automatically at Windows 10 Startup

 

This is normal at startup for now in build 9926. I see the same on my system.

It doesn't affect the account from automatically being signed in to at startup, but hopefully MS will get that sorted by the next build.

It no longer does this in build 10240.

 

Hello Brink,

my problem is slightly different.
For a few days at login I had to write my Microsoft password. Then, I think after I've installed Office, Win 10 created a second account (HomeUsers) with the same name (e-mail) with one difference: the initials are capitalized and does not ask for passwords.
So now I have:
L: ABC@hotmail.com and L: abc@hotmail.com
L: ABC@hotmail.com is HomeUsers; Administrators and L: abc@hotmail.com only HomeUsers and the pass is sought only for L: ABC@hotmail.com as it was the first few days, but the login begins with the other account that does not have password and don't really exist.
I'm trying to delete this L: abc@hotmail.com account but in User Account I only have the MS account, the only one I put during setup.

In practice this second ghost account appears only at login and then opening "Users Account" via "Run" where I had gone to fix the automatic login account (my account because I am the only user of the computer).
And only here I saw the presence of two identical accounts except the uppercase. However the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" box was without check and I cannot switch from the ABC@ ... users (the right one, administrator) to the second one, the one I'm trying to remove.
I noticed they have different icon: mine have the normal contact icon (with a computer), the other one has a "world".
Now, how can I remove this second nonexistent user and return to the only administrator user with automatic login without password?
Thanks *Smile

If I check the box for password (in User accounts) I can switch from the 2 different user and I can remove the HomeUsers abc@
but when I try Windows tells:

and I'm not sure because of - aside the uppercase or lower case - the 2 e-mail are the same and I didn't put the second one account. I think it is created by downloading Office from my MS account, but that's is MY e-mail for MS account.

 

Hello Lio, *Smile

The account with only "HomeUsers" under "Group" would be from you joining a Homegroup. This is still your user account though.

Check the box, select your account with "HomeUsers; Administrators" under "Group", uncheck the box, click on OK, and enter password to see if that may sort it.

 

Hi Brink,

now it seems to be OK. No pass no request: automatic login.
Thanks so much

 

You're most welcome Lio. *Smile

 

With build 10586 I've noticed when I uncheck the users must enter a user name and password, and the box pops up to enter your password. My username is just Kerry, not L: Kerry@mye-mail.com. On the next boot up the logon screen shows two logon options for my user account, one local and one Microsoft ID. I have to select one and enter my password anyway. Editing my user name to L: Kerry@mye-mail.com logs me in automatically. I don't remember ever having to do this before? My normal logon is with a Microsoft ID.

 

Usually, you don't need to enter the user name using OPTION ONE, and only have to enter the password when selecting your user account.

 

I don't know if it matters but I ran usercontrol passwords2. It shows Kerry@e-mailaddress in the user list, but only Kerry in the password box that pops up. Never had to edit it in the past, not that I can remember anyway. If you try it you may see what I mean. Same thing happened on my wife's laptop when I went to set her up to auto logon. You get a selection option in the lower left of the lock screen with two options, one local account and one Microsoft ID. That's what it looks like anyway. I got it to work in the end.

 

Yeah, it should show the user name as the same as your "C:\Users\(user-name)" folder for a Microsoft account in the password pop-up.

I've just never had to change it to the email address though since they are usually linked.

 

Yeah, strange one. I've never had to edit/change it in the past in Windows 8 or 10. I always set my desktop PC to auto log me on. I'm the only one who ever uses it. It's one of the first things I do after a clean install. I do the same thing with my wife's laptop. She's the only one that ever uses it. It looks like they changed something in build 10586?

 

This 'feature' baffles me: I am currently working on 3 systems all of which were either clean-installed or upgraded from 7 and 8.1. Two of them never needed any fiddling : they have one account, and boot straight to the user desktop with no double-intervention screens. One of them does not.
surely something is being set somewhere by ??? that causes the diff.

is it MANDATORY that one take the steps you outline here? If so, I gotta wonder who did the work, 'cause I am the one, and I never even knew of these steps.*Huh

 

I never had to edit my username before this. If your using a local account it likely logs in automatically like it did before build 10586. Now I have to change it to my Microsoft ID e-mail for it to work. I used a live ID in 10240 and didn't have to edit anything. Only had to enter my password twice. Something did change with build 10586, intentional or not who knows?