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How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP

You can enable automatic logon on any personal Windows XP computer by disabling your password under your personal user account or by editing the registry directly. Enabling automatic logon bypasses your Welcome screen and takes you...
Method 1 of 2:

Disabling Your Password

  1. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 1How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 1
    Open the Start menu. It's located in the lower left-hand corner of the screen.
  2. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 2How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 2
    Select "Settings", then open "Control Panel". The Control Panel program lets you make changes to your system settings.
  3. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 3How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 3
    Double-click the "User Accounts" folder. You'll be able to edit your account settings from here.
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    Click on the "pick an account to change" option. Choose your default account name when it comes up. Your "default account name" will reflect the name on the account you are trying to edit.
    1. You should refrain from editing other accounts when on a shared computer.
  5. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 5How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 5
    Click on the "Remove my Password" link. When the computer prompts you to enter your password, do so. When prompted, click "Remove Password" to finalize the process.
  6. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 6How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 6
    Go back to "User Accounts" and click on "choose the way users log on or off". In this menu, find the check box next to "Use the Welcome Screen" and click it once to uncheck it.
  7. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 7How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 7
    Reboot your computer. Go to the Start menu again, click on "Power", and select "Restart". Your computer will shut down, pause, and start back up. It should logon automatically this time!
Method 2 of 2:

Using Registry Editor

  1. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 8How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 8
    Open the Run program. Select "Run" from the list of default programs on the right-hand side of your Start menu.
    1. You can also hold down the ⊞ Win key and tap R to bring up the Run program without touching the Start menu.
  2. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 9How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 9
    Use Run to open the Registry Editor. Registry editor lets you edit system values--in this case, the logon values. Type in "regedit" without the quotations into Run and click OK to bring up the Registry Editor.[1]
    1. Type in "regedt32.exe" without the quotation marks if the first version you type in doesn't work.
  3. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 10How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 10
    Locate the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder. Click on this folder, but do not double-click. This will expand the folder to show you its contents. Scroll through this folder until you find the "SOFTWARE" folder.
  4. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 11How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 11
    Expand the "SOFTWARE" folder. Scroll through "SOFTWARE" until you find the "Microsoft" folder.
  5. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 12How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 12
    Expand the "Microsoft" folder. Scroll through "Microsoft" until you find the "Windows NT" folder.
  6. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 13How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 13
    Expand the "Windows NT" folder. Scroll through "Windows NT" until you find the "Current Version" folder.
  7. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 14How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 14
    Expand the "Current Version" folder. Scroll through "Current Version" until you find the "Winlogon" folder.
  8. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 15How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 15
    Double-click the "Winlogon" folder in "Current Version". Within this folder, find the "DefaultUserName", "DefaultPasswordType", and "AutoAdminLogon" values.[2]
  9. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 16How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 16
    Double-click on "DefaultUserName". Check to make sure that the value in the properties box matches your username.
  10. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 17How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 17
    Double-click on "DefaultPasswordType". When it opens, enter your password as you normally do to log in.
  11. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 18How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 18
    Double-click on "AutoAdminLogon". When it opens, type "1" into the value box (without quotation marks).
  12. How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 19How to Enable Automatic Logon in Windows XP Picture 19
    Restart your computer. Close all of your programs and restart by going to the Start menu, selecting "Power", and clicking "Restart". Your computer should boot up straight to the desktop!
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