Log on Automatically to Windows 7 & Windows 8 Without Typing Your Password

In this article I will show you how to setup Windows 7 and Windows 8 so that it will log you in automatically, without requesting you to type your user account password every time. Even though this tutorial can be found on many other sites, we decided to publish it as well. The problem with other similar guides is the fact that they are not complete and fail to give you all the information you must know. Therefore I will try to guide you through all the steps and share with you all the information you need to know, in order not to deteriorate your computing experience.

How to Open the Hidden User Accounts Window

First, open the Run window by pressing the Windows key + R or launch the Command Prompt. Type one of the following two commands: netplwiz.exe or control userpasswords2. No matter which one you use, they have identical results and launch the same window.

In Windows 8 you can type any of the search terms shared above directly on the Start screen and click or tap the appropriate search result.




Once you run the command, a User Accounts window similar to the one below will launch. There you will see the list of users registered on your PC.

How to Set a User to Log On Automatically

Select the user for which you no longer want to type the password in order to log in to Windows.
Uncheck the option which says 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer' and click or tap OK.





Now you will are asked to type the password of that user twice. When done, click or tap OK.



The next time you will start Windows, you will be automatically logged on with the user you just selected. This user will become the default log on user to Windows 7.

Important Security Implications

If you have multiple users defined on your PC, setting this up might be an inconvenience. Windows will always log in automatically to the user which you selected during this procedure. In order to log in to another user, you need to wait for Window to start-up & log in automatically, sign out and then select the other user you want to log on to. If you want to set things back to the way they were, follow the same procedure and make sure you check the option which says 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer'.

If your Windows computer or device is part of a network domain, such as a corporate network, this procedure will not work. In network domains, the policies regarding the log on procedure are set by the network administrator and cannot be overwritten by users. If you try this on your work PC, it is very likely not to work.