Automatically Login Into Windows XP

Normally, Windows XP will automatically login if there is only one user account on the PC, and that account does not have a password set. However, it is possible to have Windows XP auto login to a selected account, even if it has a password set.

The auto login feature is convenient, but not entirely secure. Once the computer is configured for automatic login, anyone that can gain physical access to the computer can also gain access to everything that is in the computer, including any network that the computer is connected to; the wireless password is stored in plain text format in the registry, which is readable by anyone who can access the PC.

To set Windows XP to auto logon, follow procedure below.

1. Click Start, and then click Run.
2. In the “Open” box, type the following, then click OK.
   control userpasswords2
3. Clear the check box for Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer, and then click Apply.
4. An “Automatically Log On” window will appear. Normally, the User Name field will auto fill with “Administrator”. If you wish, you can change the user name to another user account. In the dialog box, type the password for the selected user in the Password box, and then retype the password in the Confirm Password box.
   
   
   5.  Click OK to close the “Automatically Log On” window, and then click OK to close the “User Accounts” window.