Setting Up Auto-Login on Windows 10

Skipping the login screen on your Windows 10 desktop is super convenient. You don’t have to remember your password anymore and can jump right into using your apps and programs without any delay. It’s definitely something worth considering.

“That does sound pretty awesome. How do I do it?”

A lot of Microsoft customers find the Windows 10 login process pointless and annoying. It feels redundant to type in your password every time you want to log into your own PC.

Skipping the Windows account login step to save a few seconds during boot-up is a great feature. However, I only recommend it if you’re the only user of the computer. Because if someone gets their hands on your PC, it becomes easy for them to access it.

Keep in mind that by setting up auto-login, you might compromise the security of your sensitive data, like bank card details, login credentials, insurance information, and personal emails. It’s important to prioritize the privacy and security of your data over convenience. So, be wise when making this decision.

Methods to Set Up Auto-Login for Windows 10

I’ll explain a few different methods to bypass the login screen in the Windows 10 boot-up process. These methods work for both local user accounts and Microsoft accounts. Although they are specific to Windows 10, the procedures are similar to what you would do in Windows 7 or 8.1.

Method 1 – User Accounts

The first method is the most well-known one. To change the auto-login settings using User Accounts:

1. Press Win+R to open the Run function.
2. In the dialog box, type netplwiz and press Enter.
3. This will open the User Accounts window.
4. Go to the “Users” tab, highlight your account in the “Users for this computer” section, and uncheck the box that says “Users must enter a username and password to use this computer”.
5. Click the Apply button on the bottom-right of the window.
6. A pop-up window will appear asking for your username, password, and password confirmation. Enter the required information and click OK.
7. If you want to undo this process, follow the same steps, but check the box labeled “Users must enter a username and password to use this computer”.

Windows will automatically log in to this account when you start your PC.

Method 2 – Settings Menu

The easiest method to set up your Windows OS to boot without the login screen is through the Settings app. Here, you can change the sign-in options directly.

1. Open the Start menu and click on the Settings icon (the cog).
2. You can also right-click the Start menu and select Settings from the menu.
3. Click on Accounts.
4. From the left side menu, click on Sign-in options.
5. Change the drop-down below “Require sign-in” to Never.
6. Scroll to the “PIN” section and click the Remove button.

Now, you can bypass the login screen completely.

Method 3 – Registry Editor

If you’re unable to configure Windows 10 to auto-login by following the previous method, you can use the Registry Editor. However, be careful as editing files in the registry can cause complications with your Windows OS. Make sure to perform a backup of your registry before proceeding.

If you’re confident in your abilities or familiar with the Windows Registry, these steps should work fine:

To use the registry for auto-login:

1. Either type regedit in the Start menu search box or the Run function and press Enter.
2. This will open the Registry Editor. You might need to click Yes when prompted by the UAC (User Account Control) pop-up window.
3. In the Registry Editor, navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows NT > CurrentVersion > Winlogon.
4. Double-click on the DefaultUserName entry and make sure your username is correct in the Value data box.
5. In the right-side window, double-click on DefaultPassword.
6. If the entry doesn’t exist, right-click on an empty space in the right-side menu, click New, then String Value. Rename it to DefaultPassword.
7. Enter your password into the Value data box and click OK.
8. Locate the AutoAdminLogon entry and double-click on it.
9. Change the Value data number from ‘1’ to ‘0’ and click OK.
10. Restart your PC for the changes to take effect.

Method 4 – 3rd Party Program/Application

There are several free software programs and applications available that can automate the Windows 10 login process. These aren’t necessarily recommended since the above options should be sufficient. However, if you find the above steps overwhelming, downloading and installing a program might be your best choice.

One such tool is Autologon, designed by Microsoft to help you skip both the lock screen and login screen for Windows 10. It’s the safer option as it’s directly from Microsoft’s website.

You can download the program from this link: Autologon Download

After downloading, extract the zip file to retrieve the executable.

To use Autologon:

1. Run the tool and click Yes when prompted by the UAC.
2. A license agreement will pop-up. Click the Agree button to accept it.
3. Your username will already be filled in, along with the domain. Just enter the password for your Windows user account.
4. If you’re using a Microsoft account to sign in, you’ll need to enter the full email address in the username box.
5. To finalize the process, click Enable.
6. If you want to disable Autologon, follow the steps up to step 4 and click Disable instead.
7. You can also hold down the Shift key during boot-up to turn off the Autologon feature.
8. An Autologon dialog box will appear, stating “Autologon successfully configured”.