He focuses on support and Microsoft windows 10 auto login guest account free download but is an expert in all areas of tech. There are plenty of good reasons to auto log in to your computer. For one, you no longer need to enter your password every day, speeding up the impression of how long it takes your computer to start.
Of course, there are also several reasons not to set up your computer to auto log in. The most important reason is that you'll lose the ability to secure your files from others that have physical access to your computer.
However, if security isn't an issue, we must say that being able to have Windows fully startwithout having to sign in, is pretty handy It's something you can configure in just a few minutes. You can do this by making changes to a program called the Advanced User Accounts Control Windows 10 auto login guest account free download applet which, depending on your version of Windows, is neither an applet nor available in Control Panel.
One of the steps involved in configuring Windows to automatically log in differs depending on which Windows operating system you're using. Open the Advanced User Accounts program.
A different command is used in Windows XP:. You can also open Command Prompt and do the same if you'd rather, but using Run is probably a bit quicker overall. To make it more confusing, the title of the windows says just User Accounts.
Uncheck the box next to Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer from the Users tab. Select OK at the bottom of the window. When the Automatically sign in box appears, enter the username you wish to use for your automatic login, followed by the password in the next two boxes.
In Windows 10 and Windows 8, if you're using a Microsoft account, be sure to enter the entire email address that you use to sign into Windows with, in the User name field.
The defaults there might instead be the name associated with your account, not your actual username. Select OK to save and close windows 10 auto login guest account free download open windows. Restart your computer and make sure that Windows automatically logs you in. You may catch a glimpse of the sign-in screen, but only long enough to see it log you in without you having to type anything! Are you a Desktop lover looking to speed up your Windows 8 boot process even more?
In Windows 8. See How to Boot to the Desktop in Windows 8. You won't be able to configure your Windows computer to use an auto login in exactly the way described above if your computer is a member of a domain. In a domain login situation, which is common in larger business networks, your credentials are stored on a server run by your company's IT department, not on the Windows PC you're using.
This complicates the Windows auto login setup process a little bit, but it's still possible. Here's how to get that checkbox from Step 2 instructions above to appear so you can check it:. Open Registry Editor which, in most versions of Windows, is most easily done by executing regedit from the search box after you select the Start button.
While following the steps below exactly should be perfectly safe, it's highly recommended that you back up the registry prior to making the changes. Continue drilling down through the nested registry keysfirst to Microsoftthen Windows NTthen CurrentVersionand then finally Winlogon. Windows 10 auto login guest account free download Winlogon selected on the left, locate the registry value of AutoAdminLogon on the right.
Double-click AutoAdminLogon and change the Value data to 1 from 0. Select OK. Restart your computer and then follow the standard Windows auto-login procedure outlined above. That should work, but if not, windows 10 auto login guest account free download may have to manually add a few additional registry values yourself. It's not too difficult. Work back to Winlogon in the Windows registry, as outlined above from Step 1 through Step 3.
Set the Value data as your domainuser nameand passwordrespectively. Restart your computer and test to see that you can use the auto login without entering your normal Windows credentials. As great as it sounds to be able to skip over that sometimes-annoying login process when Windows starts, it's not always a good idea. In fact, it may even be a bad idea, and windows 10 auto login guest account free download why: computers are less and less physically secure.
If your Windows computer is a desktop and that desktop is in your home, which is probably locked and otherwise secure, then setting up windows 10 auto login guest account free download logon is probably a relatively safe thing to do. On the other hand, if you're using a Windows laptop, netbook, tablet, or another portable computer that often leaves your home, we highly recommend that you don't configure it to automatically log in.
The login screen is the first defense your computer has from a user that shouldn't have access. If your windows 10 auto login guest account free download is stolen and you've configured it to skip right over that basic protection, the thief will have access to everything you have on it—email, social networks, other passwords, bank accounts, and more.
Also, if your computer has more than one user account and you configure an auto login for one of those accounts, you or the account holder will need to log off or switch users from your automatically logged in account to use the other user account.
In other words, if you have more than one user on your computer and you choose to auto log in to your account, you're actually slowing down the other user's experience.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content. Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance.
Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance. Develop and improve products.
List of Partners vendors. Tim Fisher. General Manager, VP, Lifewire. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn. Updated on September 11, Jessica Kormos. Lifewire Tech Review Board Member. Jessica Kormos is a writer and editor with 15 years' experience writing articles, copy, and UX content for Tecca. Article reviewed on Mar 28, Tweet Share Email. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Email Address Sign up There was an error. Please try again.
You're in! Thanks for signing up. There was an error. Tell us why! More from Lifewire. How to Change the Taskbar Size in Windows How to Change Your Password in Windows. How to Change Account Names in Windows How to Start Windows 8 or 8. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for Lifewire. At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page.
These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. I Accept Show Purposes.