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Windows Tips: Keep Prying Eyes at Bay With Windows' Passwords

Scott Dunn

Pass on Passwords

I'm the only person who uses my home PC. I find it time-consuming and frustrating to sign in with a password each time I start my computer. How can I eliminate this security feature?

Norman Ernst, Hauser, Idaho

Passwords aren't for everybody. Maybe your system isn't connected to any other PC (via the Internet or another method) and you're the sole user. Or you may have a lot of faith in your antivirus software and are unconcerned about privacy. Whatever the reason, you can skip the password prompt in all versions of Windows if you wish. In Windows 9 x and Me, choose Start, Settings, Control Panel and double-click the Passwords icon. Under the Change Passwords tab, click Change Windows Password. Type your old password in the Old Password box (duh), and leave the remaining two boxes blank. Click OK and then Close. Now double-click the Network icon. Under the Configuration tab, make sure that Primary Network Logon is set to Windows Logon. Click OK and close Control Panel. Click Yes if prompted to restart your computer.

In Windows 2000 and XP, you need to download and install Microsoft's free Tweak UI program. For Windows 2000, download Tweak UI 1.33. After double-clicking the download to extract the compressed files, right-click the tweakui.inf file (the icon looks like a notepad with a cog in front) and choose Install. After installation, you should be able to launch Tweak UI from Control Panel. Once it's open, click the Logon tab; check Log on automatically at system startup. Enter your name and password and click OK (see FIGURE 3).

For Windows XP, download PowerToys. Double-click the downloaded file to start the installer. You don't need to install all the PowerToys; instead, use the 'Custom setup' option to install only Tweak UI. Follow the setup wizard's instructions, and once the program is installed, choose Start, All Programs, Powertoys for Windows XP, TweakUI for Windows XP. In the left panel, double-click Logon, then click Autologon. In the right panel, check Log on automatically at system startup. Enter your name and domain (or current computer name), set your password, and click OK.

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