[ad_1]
Logins and passwords are a wonderful way to safeguard your information from prying eyes, especially if you use public workspaces. However, if you’re using your computer in a safe place with a private network, logging in all the time can get tedious. If you want to cut through all that red tape and get to your desktop screen faster, auto logins are the answer.
Keep reading to find out more about auto sign-ins and other automatic features on Windows 10.
How to Enable Auto Login in Windows 10
When you enable auto logins in Windows 10, you’re bypassing that annoying password screen and getting straight to your desktop. Sounds like a time-saver, right?
The quickest way to make it happen is to follow the steps below:
Step 1 – Open Run Dialog Box
First, you need to access the Run dialog box on your computer. You can do this by pressing the Windows key + R or you can go to the hidden quick access menu using the Start button. To reach the quick access menu, right-click on the Start button and scroll down and select Run.
Step 2 – Open User Accounts Window
Type “netplwiz” into the Run window and click on the OK button.
Step 3 – Disable Password Protection
In the new window, you’ll see a list of users registered to use the computer. At the very top, there’s an option to check/uncheck a box that says, “Users must enter a username and password to use this computer.” Uncheck this box and click on the Apply button.
Step 4 – Confirm Your Action
Another window appears after you select the OK button. This one asks for your username and password for confirmation. Enter the required information and select OK a final time.
Keep in mind that you’ll see the sign-in screen the next time you restart your computer, but you won’t need to enter a password anymore. Using these steps also bypasses the Lock Screen as well.
How to Enable Auto Login with the Windows 10 Registry
Changing your registry is never a simple process. It can have negative effects on your system if you perform a step wrong. Before you start these steps, therefore, you may want to create a recovery point on your computer first.
Step 1 – Access Registry
Go to your Start menu and select Run. You can also press the Windows logo key + R to get the same text box.
Step 2 – Open Registry Editor Tool
Type or paste “Regedt32.exe” in the Run text box and hit the Enter button when you’re done.
Step 3 – Find the Right Subkey
The Registry Editor tool has a variety of folders in the left pane. The exact folder location you’re looking for is
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon.Step 4 – Define Registry Change
Now it’s time to start working in the right pane of the window. Double-click on the entry named DefaultUserName. In the next window, type your username and select OK.
Find the DefaultPassword entry and double-click on that select. Enter your password when prompted and click on OK again.
Some users may not have a DefaultPassword entry. If you don’t, you can create it manually by following the steps below:
- Go to the Edit menu, select New and then String Value.
- Name the new value as DefaultPassword and click Enter.
Now, you can double-click on DefaultPassword and enter your password when prompted.
Step 5 – Change Registry
This final step simply involves creating a new value for Windows 10 to run on startup. This is the part where you create the entry for automatic logins:
- Again, go to the Edit menu, select New, and click on String Value.
- Enter AutoAdminLogon for the new string value and click the Enter/OK button.
- Double-click on the new string value AutoAdminLogon, go to the Edit String box and type the number “1” in the Value data field.
- Click on Enter/OK again.
- For the changes to occur, exit the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
How to Enable Auto Login with the Windows 10 Domain Account
Enabling auto-login with a domain account means changing the registry and adding a new key for auto-login. Also, you need domain administrator rights to make changes to the registry. It’s a relatively simple process, though. This is how to get started:
- Open the Registry Editor by typing “regedit” in the Windows Search box or use Run and type “Regedt32.exe“, without the quotes.
- Find the following key in the folders located in the left-hand pane:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftWindows NTCurrentVersionWinlogon
- Double-click on DefaultDomainName and add your domain name.
- Double-click on DefaultUserName and add your domain username.
- Double-click on DefaultPassword and add your user password.
- Add the new key, AutoAdminLogon, by going to Edit > New > String Value.
- Double-click on AutoAdminLogon and edit the value of the field to “1.”
- Exit the Registry Editor and restart the computer.
How to Enable Auto Lock in Windows 10
Did you know that you can set your PC to automatically lock whenever you step away from it? Windows uses devices paired to your computer to detect when you step out of range and forget to set the lock screen. This is how you enable Dynamic Lock on your PC:
- Press the Start button and go to Settings.
- Then, click on Accounts.
- Next, click on Sign-in options.
- Now, select Allow Windows to automatically lock your device when you’re away under Dynamic Lock.
The next time you step away from your computer, take your phone with you because Dynamic Lock works with Bluetooth. Within a minute or two of being out of range, Windows automatically locks your PC without any extra steps from you.
Additional FAQs
How Do I Bypass the Lock Screen in Windows 10?
Bypassing the lock screen in Windows 10 involves a couple of quick edits in your registry. Here’s how to get started:
• Search for “regedit.exe” on your computer and open it.
• Copy and paste this key location in the address bar:
ComputerHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindows
• Right-click on the empty space in the right pane.
• Highlight Key and select New.
• Name it: “personalization.”
• Right-click on the empty space again and select DWORD.
• Create a New one and name it “NoLockScreen.”
• Enter the value as “1” and click the OK button.
If you ever want to undo this disabling, go back to the created DWORD and set the value to 0.
How Do I Enable a Guest Account on Windows 10?
Windows 10 doesn’t have a Guest account feature. Microsoft removed this ability in 2015 with build 10159. Using any of the tutorials online involving changes to the registry or using a command prompt could mess up your computer.
A Word About Registry Changes
You can find many resources online that casually advise you to make changes in your computer’s registry. But be careful about how you do this because a mistake can create some real problems in your computer’s operating system.
If you must make changes, create a restore point first just in case anything goes wrong. Or ask someone who has experience changing registries to do it for you. Automatic features can make life easier, but not at the expense of your PC.
What are some automatic features you can’t live without? Which ones do you always disable? Tell us about it in the comments section below.
[ad_2]
Source link
