Tuesday, April 29, 2008

How to Enable Autologon for Windows Server 2008 Member Servers and Windows 7 Member Workstations


In a previous post I showed how to enable Autologon for workgroup servers and workstations.

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" check box 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
You may find that you need to configure the default domain, as well.  If so, enter the following (all on one line) at a CMD prompt, edited to user your domain name:
reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon" /v DefaultDomainName /t REG_SZ /d "domain" /f
When the computer starts up the account you specified will be logged in automatically. Note that the password is encrypted on the computer.

This tip works for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

7 comments:

Ryan Shillington said...

Yeah, that Logon expert stuff is spam.

If you want to automate auto-logon, then see this sys-internals tool:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb963905.aspx

Jeff said...

Thanks, Ryan. I deleted the spam comment. I usually catch these before they get posted.

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately none of the 2 suggestions worked on HPC Edition of Server 2008; anything special blocking this in the registry of this ditro?

Jeff said...

Sorry, you can't get there from HPC Edition. It lacks the binaries for the Windows Desktop Experience, which Aero requires. See http://tinyurl.com/yc9dvda

Anonymous said...

Worked first time for me!!!!!!!!
Thanks for the tip

Anonymous said...

Thank you. Very helpful!

Anonymous said...

Worked for me! I have Windows Server 2008 R2 Standard.

Thanks!

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