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.

 

[ChatGPT]

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.

I apologize for the confusion earlier. In that case, it seems like there may be an issue with the Windows Hello settings on your system. To resolve this, you can try the following steps:

1. Disable Windows Hello:
- Open the Settings app by pressing "Windows + I" keys.
- Click on "Accounts" and then select "Sign-in options" from the left pane.
- Under the Windows Hello section, click on "Remove" or "Disable" (depending on the options available) to turn off Windows Hello.

2. Update Windows and Drivers:
- Make sure your Windows 10 system is up to date. Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and click on "Check for updates."
- Additionally, update your system drivers by visiting the manufacturer's website or using a reliable driver update tool.

3. Clear Windows Hello Face/Fingerprint data:
- Open the Settings app and go to "Accounts" > "Sign-in options."
- Under Windows Hello, click on "Manage" for Face or Fingerprint, depending on which one is causing the issue.
- Click on "Remove" to delete the existing face or fingerprint data.

Once you have completed these steps, restart your computer and check if the Windows Hello screen shows only one account and doesn't ask for a password during startup.

If the issue persists, you may want to consider resetting your Windows Hello settings entirely or performing a system restore to a previous point when the automatic startup was working without any issues.

If these steps do not resolve the problem, I recommend reaching out to Microsoft Support or a technical expert for further assistance, as they can help diagnose and resolve the specific issue you are facing.

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

 

[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.