How to enable Windows 7 Auto-Login

It was way back in July 2007 when I talked about enabling Windows Server 2003 (and Windows XP) to auto-login using a specific username and password.

You’d have hoped that with the heightened focus on security since then, that we’d no longer find ourselves in a situation where this was necessary. Ideally, all applications would be able to run as background Services, so merely by a PC booting up to the Windows logon screen, everything on the PC would function as though interactively logged in.

Sadly, that’s simply not the case, as I found out setting up a PC to act as a CCTV Security Camera server recently (oh, the irony of it all!).

So, whilst it isn’t recommended to have any PC automatically login, here’s how you can accomplish it within Windows 7.

1. Bring up the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows Key + R.
2. Type in control userpasswords2 and press Enter to display the User Accounts window.
3. Uncheck the option “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” and click OK.
4. You will then be prompted to enter the current password and confirm it.

After following the above steps, you will no longer be prompted to enter your password upon login.

Use at your own risk!