Windows XP: How to skip the user's select screen at boot ???

[Prevost]

Hello friends, I am back to find answer to this "problem":

I am tired of having to click on "OWNER" to have Windows XP started...if I am the only user, why does have it to ask?

Please, if there is a way to make XP skip that request, tell me.

By the way, it NEVER asked until I installed a new graphics card.

[MarcFou]

I think the easiest option is to use MS Tweak UI. A free download from MS. Within the small 147kb application you can setup "Auto Login" and even specify the password to the account. So you'll never see the login screen and retain the security of a password.

Get it from this page (on the right):
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

Direct DL:
http://download.microsoft.com/download/f/c/a/fca6767b-9ed9-45a6-b352-839afb2a2679/TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe

After installing the app, you'll find the feature I referenced towards the bottom of the list (in the program). Look for "Auto Login" and check the box. Set password if your acct. has one. Otherwise leave password alone.

[Janak Parekh]

I am tired of having to click on "OWNER" to have Windows XP started...if I am the only user, why does have it to ask?
Because you're not the only user. If you install the .NET Framework, it creates a (hidden) ASP.NET user account. If you do not do any ASP.NET programming, you can safely delete it via Computer Management, Local Users and Groups.

MarcFou's solution may also work, although the TweakUI trick was primarily necessary on Win2000, which didn't support single-user autologin.

By the way, it NEVER asked until I installed a new graphics card.
I'm guessing that the new graphics card uses .NET for its video drivers...

--janak

[MarcFou]

MarcFou's solution may also work, although the TweakUI trick was primarily necessary on Win2000, which didn't support single-user autologin.I'm using it under WinXP SP1 with a single user account + password. This is a different build from the old Tweak UI. :wink:

Thats good info to know about the .NET user account. I have it installed on another machine and often wondered if the account could be disabled or removed. Thanks!

[Prevost]

By the way, it NEVER asked until I installed a new graphics card.
I'm guessing that the new graphics card uses .NET for its video drivers...

--janak

Now Janak, I suppose that if I DARE to delete ASP.NET under such condition, my video card drivers would recreate it, or in the worst scenario the video card would render unusable by the system...

Marc, thanks. Check! So far so good. :mrgreen:

[globaloffice]

Control Panel/User Accounts/ Change the Way Users log on or off/

Deselect Welcome Screen and Deselect Fast User Switching.

If you have a password you still get prompted, but it's username/password. MUCH more secure than the Autologin hack someone suggested.. And newer video cards that use the .NET framework for their control panels (ATI as an example) will still work when you're done.

-Roger

[Vincent M Ferrari]

If you really want the autologin:

Click Start, Run

Type:

Control userpasswords2

At the top of the box that pops up, uncheck "Users must use password to log in to this machine"

After you uncheck that, it'll prompt you for a username and password. Use the one you normally do. Click Okay, and reboot, and it won't ask you anymore.

[Prevost]

Well, Tweak UI failed the purpose. Now I'm following vincenzosi's suggested method. Let's see...

[Janak Parekh]

Now Janak, I suppose that if I DARE to delete ASP.NET under such condition, my video card drivers would recreate it, or in the worst scenario the video card would render unusable by the system...
No. It's created by the .NET Framework install, but again, unless you're running IIS and ASP.NET code on your system, deleting it is perfectly safe. It will not affect .NET Framework execution functionality, so even if your videocard uses it it'll be fine.

Some of the other techniques mentioned this thread should work okay, although they're again vestiges of a Win2k environment. Best of luck with whichever one you use.

MUCH more secure than the Autologin hack someone suggested.
This is correct -- TweakUI stores the username/password in the registry in plaintext. However, he wants autologin functionality. It's possible without doing such a sensitive store of the above if your primary account has no password -- and, if XP was doing it before the video card install, he doesn't have a password on that account. (Admittedly, you're losing physical security if you are set up to autologin. <shrug>)

--janak

[Prevost]

Guys,

To this point neither Marc's nor vincenzosi's ideas have worked. Even worse, XP ask me thru more steps than before!

Right now, I'm making a general backup to flush the hard drive, since the PC is not working properly. Afterwards, I'll try Janak's suggestion.

[Constant Caffeine]

Perhaps the ‘owner’ profile is corrupt? I would create a couple other accounts with administrator rights and delete the ‘owner’ profile. Then I would go in and delete the other accounts to resolve the issue. Hope this helps.

[Prevost]

Caffeine, I just flushed my hard drive and reinstalled everything. So, although that could be happening, I guess anything that got corrupted should be fresh and clean by now.

I've been busy with all my reinstalls, but I'll try again to find the way into automating my booting...