No Password Prompt After Network Adapter Is Detected

• Microsoft Windows 95

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. Before you edit the registry, you should first make a backup copy of the registry files (System.dat and User.dat). Both are hidden files in the Windows folder.

SYMPTOMS

You may experience either of the following symptoms:

• When you remove a Plug and Play network adapter in Device Manager and then restart your computer, the network adapter is redetected, and you are logged on to the network and validated by a Microsoft Windows NT server without entering a password.
• When you remove a PCMCIA network adapter from the PCMCIA socket in your computer, restart your computer, and then reinsert the PCMCIA network adapter, you are logged on to the network and validated by a Windows NT server without entering a password.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the following conditions exist:

• You have a null Windows password.
• Password caching is enabled.
• User profiles are enabled, or the Dial-Up Networking adapter is installed.

After the Plug and Play network adapter is detected by Windows 95, or you reinsert the PCMCIA network adapter, Windows 95 installs the appropriate drivers for the adapter and then attempts to log on to the network. Because your password list file has been opened, and your Windows NT domain password was previously cached, you are logged on and validated by the Windows NT server without being prompted for a password.

RESOLUTION

Configure Windows 95 so that your Windows password is not null, or use System Policy Editor to disable password caching. To configure Windows 95 so that your Windows password is not null, follow these steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Passwords.

2. Click Change Windows Password.

3. If you want your network password to be the same as your Windows password, click the Microsoft Networking check box to select it, and then click OK. If you do not want your network password to be the same as your Windows password, verify that the Microsoft Networking check box is not selected, and then click OK.

4. Type your new password in the New Password and Confirm New Password boxes, and then click OK.

System Policy Editor (Poledit.exe) is available in the Admin\Apptools\ Poledit folder on the Windows 95 CD-ROM. Use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel to install System Policy Editor.

NOTE: System Policy Editor is not included in the floppy disk version of Windows 95. You can download Policy.exe, a self-extracting file containing Poledit.exe, from online services. Please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base for information about downloading Policy.exe:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q135315
   TITLE     : CD-ROM Extras for Microsoft Windows 95 Upgrade

1. Click the Start button, and then click Run.

2. Type "poledit" (without quotation marks) in the Open box, and then click OK.

3. On the File menu, click Open Registry, and then double-click Local Computer.

4. Click the plus sign (+) next to Network, and then click the plus sign next to Passwords.

5. Click the Disable Password Caching check box to select it, and then click OK.

6. Save the changes to the registry, exit System Policy Editor, and then restart Windows 95.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about situations in which you are not prompted to enter a password when Windows 95 starts, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q141858
   TITLE     : No Windows or Network Logon Dialog Box at Startup