[Quiet1]

In the earlier 9X to ME versions of Windows, one simple and brief trip into the
control panel was all that was needed to enabled direct bootup to the desk.
Simply go to the network icon and change the setting from Client for MS to a
Windows logon setting.

XP Home version? This requires a slight edit in the system registry. The guide
for performing this type of edit is found at: http://www.winguides.com where
a registry guide is even free to download.

[Squashman]

I personally stay away from the registry if a utility exists to do it for me.
Microsoft's Power Toy TweakUI will make this setting for you.
Sysinternal's has a program called Autologon.

And it is built right into Windows 2000 and XP.
In 2000 you can do it right from the Control Panel > users and passwords.

In XP Home or Pro.
start > run > control userpasswords2
Uncheck the box......click apply
type your username and password.

[Quiet1]

Hey if you can find a utility that does it for you go for it. The instruction in the guide
does work. But this isn't for anyone not familiar with doing registry edits. For you guys
/gals out there that can get in there without issue the guide can be a time saver. But
even that guide warns that registry modifications are not guaranteed.

The guide can also be used in earlier Windows versions like 9X-ME, NT, and 2000. But
you still need to be careful there.

[bassetman]

Originally Posted by Squashman

I personally stay away from the registry if a utility exists to do it for me.
Microsoft's Power Toy TweakUI will make this setting for you.
Sysinternal's has a program called Autologon.

And it is built right into Windows 2000 and XP.
In 2000 you can do it right from the Control Panel > users and passwords.

In XP Home or Pro.
start > run > control userpasswords2
Uncheck the box......click apply
type your username and password.

How would I do it in XP Pro?

The Pack finally won another game!

[Quiet1]

The page at Winguides doesn't see a difference between versions apparently by the way
they illustrate here. http://www.winguides.com/registry/display.php/13/ It would be a big
help to know if this also applied to the XP 64bit edition.

[Stoner]

I've used winguides as a referrence for quite some time.
Personally, I prefer to do the registry editing manually so I can see/control what is being altered and change back, exactly, if necessary.

And yes, registry backups are a smart thing to do