How to Enable Autologon for Windows Server 2008 Member Servers
In a previous post I showed how to enable Autologon for workgroup servers.
Once you join a server to a domain, Windows will automatically delete the AutoAdminLogon value from the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon registry key. This causes the userpasswords2 control to hide the "Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer" checkbox shown above.
Here's how to get the missing checkbox back and configure Autologon:
- Open a CMD prompt and enter the following (all on one line):
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" /v AutoAdminLogon /t REG_SZ /d "1" /f
- Click Start, Run and enter control userpasswords2
- Clear the checkbox for Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer and click OK
- Enter the user name and password that will be used for Autologon and click OK
When the server starts up the account you specified will be logged in automatically. Note that the password is encrypted on the computer.
Labels: tip, troubleshooting, Windows Server 2008
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posted by Jeff @ 3:16 PM
10 Comments
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10 Comments:
That fixed it! Great work, Jeff.
Wow you’re the man, thanks a million. This is the second poster who provided details on the missing check box and the OS version.
Guys if you need autologon plus some interesting features like autolog/logooff scheduler, desktop lock and password encryption -- here is the LogonExpert autologon tool
How about on a 2008 Domain Controller? Group Policy setting to allow?? Registry hack to allow??
Thanks!
The steps above will work for a Windows 2008 domain controller, as well.
instead of running "control userpasswords2" to give password, how to change through registry
Storing the password directly in the registry cannot be done. You must use the process above.
to change through registry browse to HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon and add string values named "DefaultUserName", "DefaultPassword" and "AutoAdminLogon" (without the quotes).
DefaultUserName should be the username to log on with
DefaultPassword should be the password of course
AutoAdminLogon should be "1" (without the quotes)
Hi Jeff,
I have a different issue. I need a Windows 2008 server to auto logon after joining the domain to run a script. It appears that all of my auto logon configuration are deleted once the server join the domain. Is there a way to do this?
Take a look at Brian Desmond's article about running Sysprep on Windows Server 2008 computers.
http://briandesmond.com/blog/how-to-sysprep-in-windows-2008/
Pay special attention to the bottom of the post, where he shows how to delete files after the machine joins the domain and the Sysprep process completes.
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