How to Use Auto Login in a Domain Scenario

How to Use Auto Login in a Domain Scenario

You will not be able to configure your Windows computer to use an auto login in exactly the way described above if your computer is a member of a domain.

In a domain login situation, which is common in larger business networks, your credentials are stored on a server run by your company's IT department, not on the Windows PC you're using. This complicates the Windows auto login setup process a little bit, but it's still possible.

Here's how to get that checkbox from Step 2 (instructions above) to appear so you can check it:

1. Open Registry Editor which, in most versions of Windows, is most easily done by executing regedit from the search box after you tap or click the Start button.
   
   Important: While following the steps below exactly should be perfectly safe, I highly recommend that you back up the registry prior to making the changes. See How to Back up the Windows Registry if you need help. 
2. From the registry hive listing on the left, choose HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, followed by Software. 
3. Continue drilling down through the nested registry keys, first to Microsoft, then Windows NT, then CurrentVersion, and then finally Winlogon. 

1. With Winlogon selected on the left, locate the registry value of AutoAdminLogon on the right. 
2. Double-click on AutoAdminLogon and change the Value data to 1 from 0. 
3. Click OK. 
4. Restart your computer and then follow the standard Windows auto-login procedure outlined above.

That should work, but if not, you may have to manually add a few additional registry values yourself. It's not too difficult.

1. Work back to Winlogon in the Windows registry, as outlined above from Step 1 through Step 3. 
2. Add the string values of DefaultDomainName, DefaultUserName, and DefaultPassword, assuming they don't already exist.
   
   Tip: You can add a new string value from the menu in Registry Editor through Edit > New > String Value. 
3. Set the Value data as your domain, user name, and password, respectively. 
4. Restart your computer and test to see that you can use the auto login without entering your normal Windows credentials.

Automatically Logging Into Windows Isn't Always a Good Idea

As great as it sounds to be able to skip over that sometimes-annoying login process when Windows starts, it's not always a good idea.

In fact, it may even be a bad idea, and here's why: computers are less and less physically secure.

If your Windows computer is a desktop and that desktop is in your home, which is probably locked and otherwise secure, then setting up automatic logon is probably a relatively safe thing to do.

On the other hand, if you're using a Windows laptop, netbook, tablet, or another portable computer that often leaves your home, I highly recommend that you do not configure it to automatically log in.

The login screen is the first defense your computer has from a user that shouldn't have access. If your computer is stolen and you've configured it to skip right over that basic protection, the thief will have access to everything you have on it - email, social networks, other passwords, bank accounts, and more.

Also, if your computer has more than one user account and you configure an auto login for one of those accounts, you (or the account holder) will need to log off or switch users from your automatically logged in account to use the other user account.

In other words, if you have more than one user on your computer and you choose to auto login your account, you're actually slowing down the other user's experience.

credits: https://www.lifewire.com/how-do-i-auto-login-to-windows-2626066