Last Updated on May 11, 2026
Cybersecurity is an ongoing problem that seems to get worse every year. I’m sure you have most likely received spam emails, phone calls and text messages trying to get you to divulge your personal information. And of course there are all the unsafe websites and popups you may have encountered as well.
When you turn on your Windows based computer, you are prompted to enter your password or PIN number or maybe even your fingerprint if you are on the technical side. Even though this may be a bit of an inconvenience, Windows has you do this for your own safety so nobody who shouldn’t be accessing your computer can get into it.
But if you are the type who is not concerned about security or you have your computer in a location where you do not need to worry about unauthorized people accessing it, then you can configure it to sign in automatically. In this article, we will be showing you 3 ways to have Windows automatically log in your user account on startup.
Method 1: Windows User Accounts Method
1. Open the Windows User Accounts App
The first method we will be discussing involves using the older Windows user accounts app built directly into the operating system. This legacy utility can be easily accessed by clicking your Start button and typing netplwiz directly into the search box on the taskbar. Once you hit enter and have the User Accounts app open on your screen, you will clearly see any active user accounts currently registered on your computer.
2. Identify the Missing Checkbox
When looking at this configuration window, one very important thing that might be missing is the specific checkbox that says “Users must enter a username and password to use this computer.” If this is the case for your machine, you will need to actively change a specific system setting to have this hidden option shown again. You will absolutely need to use this specific checkbox in order to have your account automatically logged in moving forward.
3. Navigate to Your Sign-in Options
To quickly fix this missing checkbox problem, simply close the utility and go to your main Windows settings app. From the left-hand menu, navigate to Accounts, and then click on Sign-in options on the right side of the screen. Scroll down this page until you find the specific configuration section called Additional settings.
4. Disable the Windows Hello Requirement
Inside that section, you need to find the security option that says “For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device.” You must disable this feature by flipping the toggle switch to the Off position. Turning this off removes the strict modern security requirements that purposefully hide the auto-login checkbox from standard users.
5. Relaunch the Netplwiz Utility
Now that the security toggle is turned off, you can run the netplwiz command from your taskbar search box again. When the window opens this time, you should successfully have the prominent checkbox that says “Users must enter a username and password to use this computer” sitting at the top. Next, you will need to carefully select the user account that you want to have Windows automatically log in as, and then completely deselect that checkbox.
6. Enter Your Account Credentials
When you finally click the OK or Apply button at the bottom of the window, you will be prompted to enter the current password for that specific user account. You must type the password in twice so Windows can securely store it and use it to automatically log into your account during the next boot cycle. Once this has been completed, your computer will automatically log itself in using this account, and if you need to log into a different account later, you will need to manually log off or switch users to do so.
Method 2: Classic Auto Login Method
7. Download the Classic Auto Login Utility
The next method we will be using to have Windows automatically log in your user account on startup will involve using a highly trusted, free third-party app. This lightweight software is called Classic Auto Login, which can be safely downloaded directly from their website here. This is a great alternative if you do not want to mess around with your internal Windows settings or registry keys manually.
8. Run the Executable File
Because this is a portable utility, there is actually nothing to permanently install on your hard drive. Once you run the downloaded executable file, it will launch immediately and automatically fill in your username based on the user account that you are actively logged in with when you start the program. Then, all you need to do is carefully enter your current Windows password into the blank field and click the Ok button.
9. Confirm the Automatic Login Status
After clicking the confirmation button, the software will quickly modify your system settings in the background. You will then be visually notified that the automatic login has been successfully enabled via a small popup prompt. The very next time you start your computer, this specific account will be automatically logged in without pausing at the lock screen.
10. Disable the Automatic Login Feature
If you ever change your mind or decide to move your computer to a less secure location, turning this feature off is incredibly simple. To completely disable the automatic login, simply run the portable app again and click on the Disable button located on the right side of the menu. You will then be notified that the auto login has been safely disabled, restoring your standard password prompt.
You can check out a video demonstrating how the software works here.
Method 3: Microsoft Sysinternals Autologon Method
11. Download the Sysinternals Autologon Tool
Microsoft actually provides their own free tool called Autologon that is part of their highly respected Sysinternals suite of administrative tools. You can reliably use this official tool to configure Windows to automatically log in your user account on startup without using third-party software. Just like the previous method, there is nothing to permanently install; all you need to do is download the zip file here and then extract it to a folder.
12. Run the Autologon Executable
Once the folder is extracted, you can safely run the Autologon64.exe executable file to launch the configuration menu. The Autologon software will automatically fill in the currently logged-in user account name, and the Domain section will be filled in with the active name of your computer. Then you simply just need to put in your exact Windows password and click the Enable button to finalize the process.
13. Acknowledge the Successful Configuration
After clicking the button, the Microsoft utility will securely process your request and adjust the necessary registry keys. You will then be shown a popup message confirming that the app was successfully configured for your machine. It will also note that your saved password has been safely encrypted in the registry, keeping it secure from unauthorized plaintext viewing.
14. Disable the Sysinternals Autologon
Should you ever decide that you want your lock screen security back, reverting this official Microsoft workaround is very straightforward. To safely disable the automatic login, simply run the Autologon64.exe app again from your extracted folder and click on the Disable button.
You can check out a video demonstrating how the software works here.
Either one of these 3 methods to have Windows automatically log in your user account on startup will work so all you need to do is choose the one that works the best for you.
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