Windows 7 login requiring keyboard enter after coming out of sleep while there is no password on the account looking to login automatically to desktop

Question

SPECS: I am running windows 7 Ultimate 64bit Most of all the windows updates have been implemented

Hello community,

I spent way, way too long on this. I am finally going to make an account here so I can ask this question.

I want to login automatically after my PC comes out of sleep mode to the desktop. As it is, it is forcing me to press enter to login. I do not have a password for my admin account (don’t want a password and will not put one). I Googled heavily and spent a lot of hours to find this answer.

I tried going to “netplwiz” from the start prompt and removed “users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.” check box. It did not work.

I tried going to my power options plan under “choose what the power buttons do” so I can change the password protection on wakeup to “don’t require a password” but it is grayed out. The radio button selection is grayed on the “Require a password (recommended”).

I tried going through my power plan “change advanced power settings” under “require a password on wakeup” options to turn “On Battery” and “Plugged in” to off but they are not selectable and are stuck on the “yes” option for both of them.

I changed wherever it needed it in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon to the following…

AutoAdminLogon (String) : 1

ForceUnlockLogon (DWORD) : 1

… and it did nothing. My issue still persists.

I am not on any domain. I am part of a Workgroup called WORKGROUP when I check under Control Panel/System and Security/System. As I understand through Googelling, more manual changes to the registry can be made if I was on a domain. As I understand, a Workgroup is not a domain. For that reason, I did not follow-up to change more in the registry. I don't even know what this WORKGROUP I am under represents. If this does make a difference, please advise. Just an FYI (for your information), what I found online was that if I was part of a domain, I would need to further add and or change the following...

AutoAdminLogon (String) : 1

DefaultDomainName (String): Domain Name

DefaultUserName (String) : User Name

DefaultPassword (String) : Password

ForceUnlockLogon (DWORD) : 1

My registry does not have the following entries...

DefaultDomainName (String): Domain Name

DefaultUserName (String) : User Name

DefaultPassword (String) : Password

... and if I followed the online guides, I would have to manually add them if I was on a domain.

I made sure I rebooted my PC every time I made a change to see if my issue is resolved.

I can’t even find third party software that would claim to fix this issue to do this for me. Any professional enlightenment is desperately welcomed.

Answer 1

I feel a bit foolish. I continued to Google away and finally I found the answer. The answer is under "Control Panel/Hardware and Sound/Power Options/choose what the power buttons do" where I mentioned that under "password protection on wakeup" radio button is grayed out on "require a password (recommended)" with another grayed out choice "Don't require a password", I did not notice at the time (maybe all the tinkering I have been doing made this option visible?) but in any case, there is an option called "Change settings that are currently unavailable" right under the heading I mentioned "password protection on wakeup" with that administrator symbol next to it. I clicked on it and the grayed out options became available. I clicked on "don't require a password". Now I can put my PC on sleep mode and when it comes out of sleep mode, it goes straight into my desktop. The issue has been resolved.