Log-on screens

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Guest

Using XP Pro, stand-alone, with admin and user accounts. Is it standard, on
restart or start-up, for the computer to auto-load (default to) a user
account? Mine does, and no password is requested. Is there any way by which
to force the computer to present a log-on screen that requests a password for
one or the other account on start-up or restart, similar to
control-alt-delete on a network?

I've tried classic windows and user switching--neither has any effect on
start-up or restart. Thanks,
 
Go to Start -> Run and type the following in the Open box and
click OK:

control userpasswords2

On the Users page, put a check next to "Users must enter a user
name and password to use this computer". Click OK and reboot.

Note: On the Advanced tab of User Accounts you'll find a section
titled "Secure Logon" in which you can require users to have to
use the Ctrl + Alt + Del key combination to bring up the Windows
Logon prompt. This will only work if you have disabled the
Welcome screen (in Control Panel -> User Accounts) and are using
the classic logon box.
 
Thanks very much, as your instructions worked perfectly. All I wonder now is
why a simple command, such as that you list, is nowhere included in MS help
screens regarding logon or security, especially when such a fuss is made over
the matter of not running as "admin." True, my computer was default logging
to a "user" account, but even so, that of which I was speaking seems to me to
be elementary stuff, or rather, it should be, if security is the issue. If
you've any "pull" with MS, I'd suggest that what you recommend be added to
more than one help/support site. Thanks again.
 
I'm afraid that I have absolutely no "pull" with MS. The vast
majority of people who respond to questions on these newsgroups
are computer users who take the time to share their knowledge
with others.

Microsoft does provide a mechanism for individuals to submit
suggestions for features they'd like to see incorporated into
future products. It's available here:

http://register.microsoft.com/mswis...=/isapi/gomscom.asp?target=/mswish/thanks.htm

That said, I agree with you. It's not a very secure situation.
With Windows 2000 it was just the opposite, you had to make the
changes to enable automatic logon instead of turning it off. I
don't know why they changed it.
 
I'm sorry to hear you have no "pull." Obviously, you're knowledgeable. In any
case, thanks for the link, and I DID send off a comment to MS about updating
their knowledge base. Very odd too about W2K ??? That seems to make no sense
at all! Thanks again for your help, and things are working fine here.
 
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