I need a little Windows help if you please...

Factual Questions
1

Hopefully this will be an easy little question that a few of you might be able to help me out with.

I recently built myself another computer and loaded Windoze 98 on it. (My grand total of computers is 7 now: 3 Windoze, 2 Macs, 1 NT, and a RH Linux box to handle my DSL line/IPMASQ/Firewall) Anyway, my brother decided to use it and created a user profile for himself. After giving him a stern lecture about installing/changing stuff on my computers he now knows that if he does this again he will lose some very important bodily functions. (The funny thing is, he is 3 years older and a cop, so imagine a 20 year old lecturing a 23 year old cop. Ok, ok, it seemed funny at the time)

Now whenever the computer starts up it asks for a log-on password and then it asks for the Microsft Networking Password. Does anyone know how to get rid of this? I used to know a while ago but I forgot how to do it. The way I remember it, you had to find a file and delete it and that would remove any kind of log-on crap that you encounter when you start your computer up. So does anyone know the name of the file to delete? Or does anyone have a different way to get rid of this shit? Any help or suggtestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot.

-N

2

Click Cancel at the log-in prompt it will give you the ‘default’ profile. From this point, open Control Panel, click on Passwords, and click on the User Profiles tab. Then click on “all users use the same”… something or other.

I think. It’s late, and I have to go bowling :wink: .

3

You may have to delete the username.pwl file in the Windows directory.

4

Mr. Sheepshead:

If I am following you correctly, then I think this will simply make all users use the same password, right? What I am looking for is a way to avoid ALL prompts at start-up. The effect I want is that when I start-up my computer and go to the kitchen to grab a coke, when I come back I want to see the desktop and be ready to start computin’. If I am wrong please let me know, though as you said you are going bowling. Good luck by the way.

RealityChuck:

I think you may know what I was looking for. If I remember correctly the file that I needed to delete ended in .pwl, though I don’t think the name was username. Is there one called network, or something along those lines? I am going to try your approach when I get home tonight (5 hours to go) and see if that works for me.

Thanks A LOT for your replies guys. And if anyone knows what I am talking about, or if you think I am crazy, reply also. This stupid lon-on prompt is driving me crazy and I am going to start breaking stuff pretty soon.

-N

5

If all users have the same access level, nobody needs a password. That’s how Windows works. Hope that helps.

6

I have posted this before in other threads so a search would have found it. At any rate, here it is again:
HOW TO GET RID OF THE LOGON PROMPT

del all *.pwl files in c:\Windows

del all entries under the [Password Lists] option of System.ini

reboot/restart the computer

You will get the LogOn prompt.
Enter your name. Do not hit ESC or close this dialog.
Hit the “ENTER” key or click OK.
Hit the “ENTER” key or click OK. (this is not a typo.)
reboot/restart the computer

Are you no longer plagued with the log on prompt?
If no, you’re done, if yes, keep reading.

|START|SETTINGS|CONTROL PANEL|PASSWORDS icon|USER PROFILES tab
|make sure that “All users of the PC use the same …” is selected
|OK button

|START|SETTINGS|CONTROL PANEL|NETWORK icon|CONFIGURATION tab
|PRIMARY NETWORK LOGON field|select “Windows logon”|OK button
(Between you, me and the fence-post, I’ve never found that step to be necessary.)

reboot/restart the computer

You will get the LogOn prompt.
Enter your name. Do not hit ESC or close this dialog.
Hit the “ENTER” key or click OK.
Hit the “ENTER” key or click OK. (this is not a typo.)
reboot/restart the computer

Are you no longer plagued with the log on prompt?
If no, you’re done, if yes, keep reading.

If you have TweakUI from the powertoys installed, then:
|START|SETTINGS|CONTROL PANEL|TWEAKUI icon|PARANOIA tab
|uncheck “Clear Last User at logon”
|NETWORK tab (in TweakUI)
|uncheck "Log on automatically at system startup
|APPLY button|OK button

Reboot, that is,
|START|SHUTDOWN|“Restart the computer?” item"|YES button
You will get the LogOn prompt.
Enter your name. Do not hit ESC or close this dialog.
Hit the “ENTER” key.
Hit the “ENTER” key. (this is not a typo.)

Reboot
More info on passwords : PC WORLD December 1999 page 310

7

sailor, I love you.

-N

btw, I did a search but I came up with nuttin. I had no idea what the hell to search for so I was un-successful.

8

What sailor posted should work. However, I just change the logon to WINDOWS LOGON & thats all I needed to do.

But then maybe you should have a password screen so you can keep your brother from using the computer?

9

Strider, I am glad I could be of help and thanks for letting me know. I just hate it when I post the answer someone was looking for and the person never returns to the thread to even say “thank you”.

The password problem is common enough that I kept the recipe in a file I have about windows tips.

10

sailor:

Well I must say that I followed the directions and it worked PERFECTLY. When I restarted the computer it ask for my name and password and at the bottom it said “If you do not enter a password, this prompt will no appear in the future.” or something to that effect. YAH!!! I am soo happy that I do not have to deal with this crap again. I am also gonna save it so that in the future, when I need it again, I can fix it. Again, Thank you so very much.

-N

So what else is contained in your little Window’s tip’s file? =)