Do you sometimes power on your computer and leave immediately afterwards for other activities, like making coffee or breakfast, taking a shower or going into a meeting? There are two possible scenarios here. If you have not configured auto login, you will see the the logon screen where all user accounts of the Windows operating system are shown when you return. When you are back, you need to log in and wait until the desktop has been loaded. Not an optimized way of logging in.
The second option is to configure Windows to perform the login automatically. The benefit here is that the desktop loads completely so that there is not a waiting period after coming back to the computer desk. The operating system may lock the computer eventually if it is configured this way, but there is a period where the computer is accessible by anyone.
Windows Auto Logon & Lock offers all the benefits of the second method without the security implications. The free software configures the Windows operating system to auto log in users and lock the desktop afterwards automatically as well.
The benefit of this option is that the desktop is fully loaded, but the system stays protected at the same time.
The program has been tested by the developers on 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows Vista and Windows 7. The program is available for download at the developer website.
Update: The developer website is no longer available. We have uploaded the latest version of Auto Logon & Lock to our own server. You can download it from the following link: Auto-Logon-Lock-v1.0.zip
Note that we do not support the software and take no responsibilities for it either.
You can use a different script for that alternatively if you want. Mike McQuaid has published a guide that explains how to log on automatically and lock the workstation afterwards.
It requires you to run a script using the operating system's Group Policy. Note that not all versions of Windows come with Group Policy support.
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Ghacks is a technology news blog that was founded in 2005 by Martin Brinkmann. It has since then become one of the most popular tech news sites on the Internet with five authors and regular contributions from freelance writers.
I enable auto-login then set a password protected screensaver that goes off in a minute.
Hoi Martin, your link http://torch.freeweb7.com/autologon.html is not working do you know outher link?
The page is working, but it seems to go on and off at times.
Paulus you can also download it from softpedia http://www.softpedia.com/get/System/Launchers-Shutdown-Tools/Auto-Logon-Lock.shtml
Thanks Martin, For quick the follow-up, with other words ‘i got it”.
I set my work pc to turn itself on every day at 8:50am, so it is ready when I arrive. So I have autologin enabled (using netplwiz method) and added a simple shortcut to startup folder, pointed to
C:\Windows\System32\rundll32.exe User32.dll,LockWorkStation
So it logins, then locks, but continues to load everything windows needs or is supposed to do.
That’s a great tip, especially since it does not require an additional software to lock the PC.
;-) Glad you liked it. I picked it up somewhere quite some time ago. The real beauty of it (besides not requiring additional software like you said) is that it doesn’t lag boot; I mean, windows will run the shortcut almost right after showing the desktop even though it’s loading other stuff.
I know it’s an old post, but I just installed it, and it works like a charm. Thanks.
I love ferkK solution !!!!! It’s simple and safe !!
Before installing this software, i read the comments to see if the program was any good before downloading. Noticing some people saying their anti-virus warns the user that its a virus made me not want to download this piece of software just in case. I don’t like the dodgy installation of this program. It feels very amateur like and/or dodgy. When have you ever had to do this for any other piece of software…….hhhhmmmmm………..makes me wonder what this program actually does.
ferkK solution works like a charm! I’ve used his method on my HP laptop.
Laptop is also Windows 7…..i forgot this important fact.
ferkK’s solution isn’t very secure though. The software works just as it’s supposed to, and the anti-virus software that flags it? Not so good.
It’s true it could do with a fancy installer, but you can’t complain when you get something for free, it actually works, and is a much better solution than relying on timing and luck and the user not realizing that the shortcut method can be easily bypassed.
Locking a desktop at logon
I use TSDISCON simply
Good antivirus software does not mark this as a virus. Its just a compressed exe file. Bad virusscanners report all compressed exe files as virusses.
Anyway the packege also protects your safe mode. And its started before explorer.exe. Much safer then using the startup folder.
I understand that the rundll32 method is ok too but I haven’t tried if that can be made to work in the safemode.
Otherwise a person who wants to use your login can just use the safemode and change your password.
brilliant!
does it work on safe mode ?
LogonExpert works both in Safe mode and Lock machine after logon
http://www.logonexpert.com/help/security.html
http://www.logonexpert.com/help/options.html