Autostart problem

[Paul T Burton]

On my Windows 10 desktop server I have been running auto startup (no password needed). Suddenly today startup is asking for a password on startup. It is showing two identical userid, one of which uses the normal password and the other is a new one. Investigation said to use netplwiz to uncheck automatic startup and the problem would go away. This was successful. But now I want to go back to having automatic startup, so I went to netplwiz to reinitiate automatic startup and it asked for the password which I entered. But after all this startup STILL asks for a password and shows two identical userids. Any help would be appreciated.

Paul

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi Paul, It seems like your Windows 10 desktop server is experiencing an issue with the automatic startup and user account settings. Let's try a few troubleshooting steps to resolve this problem.

1. Remove Duplicate User Account: Start by deleting the duplicate user account that is causing the issue. Go to "Control Panel" and select "User Accounts." Look for the duplicate user account and delete it. Make sure you choose the right account to avoid any accidental deletion.
2. Reset Autologon Settings Using Registry Editor: If removing the duplicate user account doesn't resolve the issue, you can try resetting the autologon settings using the Registry Editor. Follow these steps:
   • Press "Windows + R" keys to open the Run dialog box.
   • Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
   • Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
   • In the right pane, locate and delete the following values: "DefaultUserName", "DefaultDomainName", and "DefaultPassword".
   • Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
3. Run Automatic Startup Setup Again: After restarting your computer, follow these steps to set up automatic startup again:
   • Press "Windows + R" keys to open the Run dialog box.
   • Type "netplwiz" and press Enter to open the User Accounts window.
   • Uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer" checkbox.
   • Click "Apply" and enter the password for the user account you want to log in automatically.
   • Click "OK" to save the changes. Once you have completed these steps, restart your computer and check if the automatic startup is now working without asking for a password. If the issue persists, there may be some other factors affecting the automatic startup, such as group policy settings or a third-party application. In such cases, you may need to seek further assistance from a technical expert or Microsoft support. I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

 

[Paul T Burton]

Hi Paul,

It seems like your Windows 10 desktop server is experiencing an issue with the automatic startup and user account settings. Let's try a few troubleshooting steps to resolve this problem.

1. Remove Duplicate User Account:
Start by deleting the duplicate user account that is causing the issue. Go to "Control Panel" and select "User Accounts." Look for the duplicate user account and delete it. Make sure you choose the right account to avoid any accidental deletion.

2. Reset Autologon Settings Using Registry Editor:
If removing the duplicate user account doesn't resolve the issue, you can try resetting the autologon settings using the Registry Editor. Follow these steps:
- Press "Windows + R" keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Type "regedit" and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
- Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
- In the right pane, locate and delete the following values: "DefaultUserName", "DefaultDomainName", and "DefaultPassword".
- Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

3. Run Automatic Startup Setup Again:
After restarting your computer, follow these steps to set up automatic startup again:
- Press "Windows + R" keys to open the Run dialog box.
- Type "netplwiz" and press Enter to open the User Accounts window.
- Uncheck the "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer" checkbox.
- Click "Apply" and enter the password for the user account you want to log in automatically.
- Click "OK" to save the changes.

Once you have completed these steps, restart your computer and check if the automatic startup is now working without asking for a password.

If the issue persists, there may be some other factors affecting the automatic startup, such as group policy settings or a third-party application. In such cases, you may need to seek further assistance from a technical expert or Microsoft support.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further questions.

Thanks for the help, but I am unable to delete the duplicate account name on startup, since it is identical to the correct one. Only one name shows up in the User Accounts but two identical name show up on the Windows Hello screen at startup.

 

[Paul T Burton]

OK, I disabled the Windows Hello for the good account at directed, but the problem persists. Prior to coming here for help, I did a system restore to a previous restore point, but that didn't help. So I guess I need to dig deeper. I really appreciate your help.