How To Enable Windows 10 Auto Login

Having a password can be a great security feature. It is still the best way to ensure privacy. However, if you are the only person with access to the computer then it does not really make sense to enter your password each time you log in.

Moreover, it can be tiring to authenticate each time you log into Windows 10. You also run the risk of locking out your account if you enter the password incorrectly too many times.

In Windows 10, this process can be automated and done away with. But if other people have access to your computer then this maybe a less secure option. There are two methods through which you can achieve this – By setting up Auto-login or by Enabling Windows 10 auto login using the Registry Editor.

Setup Auto Login (Easy Method)

First, let us start with the easy method. Setting up auto login can help you bypass authentication whenever you log in.

1. Open the Run command window

Open the Run command window. You can do it either by holding down the windows key and then tapping R, or by typing “run” in the search box in the Taskbar. The run command dialog box should appear through either method.

2. Type in netplwiz and click ‘OK’

In the text box of the run command, type “netplwiz” and click OK to open the User Accounts pop-up window.

3. Uncheck Users must enter a user name and password

In the User Accounts window, look for an option called “Users must enter a user name and password”. It should be right below the window description. Uncheck the check box to disable this option. If you find that the option is already unchecked, then check it and then uncheck it again. Press Apply.

4. Enter your login credentials

When you press apply in the previous step, an authentication window pops up asking for your credentials. You must enter your login credentials here to apply the option. Press OK after you’ve entered the details and then OK again on the User Accounts Window.

Enabling Windows 10 auto login using the Registry Editor

If you are comfortable with tweaking the Registry, then you can use this foolproof method. This method involves manually changing a registry key. This could also end up messing with your computer. So before you perform this method, it is highly recommended that you create a system restore point. In case anything gets corrupted, you can also come back to this point.

1. Open the Registry Editor

You can open the Registry Editor for Windows by launching it from the run command window. Open the Run command window by either pressing the Windows Key + R or by typing “Run” in the search box of the taskbar.

After you have launched the run command window, type “regedit” and press OK to launch the Registry editor.

2. Navigate to the Winlogon subkey

In the Registry Editor window, you need to get to the Winlogon subkey. You can do this by expanding the branches of the following option on the left pane:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SOFTWARE Microsoft Windows NT CurrentVersion

Look for the “Winlogon” key under this branch. Left-click on it and you will get its values on the right pane.

3. Edit the Default username and password keys

Here, you need to look for the value called “Default User Name”. Right-click on the value and select Modify. In the text box for entering value data, type your username. Next, you need to modify the “DefaultPassword” value. In case it doesn’t already exist, you have to create it by following these steps:

Step 1. From the menu at the top of the Registry Editor, select Edit Item.

Step 2. Click on New and then proceed to select “String Value’ item in the subsequent popup.

Step 3. A new entry called DefaultPassword is now present. Right-click on it and click on Modify from the menu.

Step 4. Enter a password in the String Value and click on OK.

4. Create the AutoAdminLogon value if it’s missing

You can create the AutoAdminLogon value in the same way as you have created the DefaultPassword value. Follow the steps given below:

Step 1. From the main menu at the top of the window, left-click on “Edit Item”.

Step 2. Take your mouse over ‘New’ and click on it. Choose “String Value” from the contextual menu.

Step 3. Type “AutoAdminLogon” to create the key and then hit enter to save it.

Step 4. Right-click on the newly created key “AutoAdminLogon” and select modify to change its value. Change its value from the current one to ‘1’. Select OK to save this.

5. Close and restart

Finally, you can get rid of the authentication process now. However, whenever you modify the registry settings, you need to restart your system. Therefore, after saving and closing the Registry Editor, restart your computer to complete the process.

Conclusion

Auto login is a great automation feature for single users. It saves a lot of unnecessary time and effort, especially if you need to restart or log-in and log-off several times in a row. However, you need to be extra careful in case you have a mobile device like a laptop or if your PC is accessed by multiple people. This is because the entire process will leave your account’s security in a vulnerable state. So make sure you want this setting on your computer before you get it.