Prompt for User Credentials After Specifying Not to Be Prompted

• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional

SYMPTOMS

After you clear the "Users must enter a user name and password for this computer" check box in the "Users and Passwords" tool in Control Panel, you may still be prompted for a password when you start Windows.

CAUSE

When you clear the "Users must enter a user name and password for this computer" check box in the "Users and Passwords" tool in Control Panel and then close the tool, you are prompted to enter your name and password for use in subsequent logons. If you do not enter this information, you are prompted for a name and password the next time you log on.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

Clearing the "Users must enter a user name and password for this computer" check box in the "Users and Passwords" tool in Control Panel does not mean that no user credentials will be required for subsequent logons. Instead, it allows you to enter your credentials so you will not be prompted in subsequent logons.

Credentials are still required for logon unless you enter the necessary logon information when you close the tool. If you enter the logon information, it is used for subsequent logons and you are not prompted for a user name and password.

Whether or not you are also required to press CTRL+ALT+DELETE to log on is determined by the setting on the Advanced tab in the "Users and Passwords" tool. Microsoft recommends that this option be enabled to provide additional password security during logon.

Windows 2000 Professional-based computers that are part of a workgroup instead of a domain can also start without prompting for a user name and password. If a new user account is not created during the installation (the default Administrator account is being used), Windows 2000 boots into that account without prompting for a user name or password. If a user was created during installation, Windows boots into that created account. This behavior is also by design, and can be changed by selecting the "Users must enter a user name and password for this computer" check box in the "Users and Passwords" tool in Control Panel.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbenv ntsecurity
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbprb