Out of the blue. And how can I make it stop? I’m able to cancel out of the dialog box, but I’d like it to go back to not asking.
Have you recently installed a modem or something?
Anyway, you should be able to make it stop by doing a search on all files *.pwl and deleting them; the next time you boot up you will be asked for a password, just leave it blank and it should not ask you again.
(make sure you know any dialup passwords you have before you do that)
I had to replace my video card, but I don’t know why that would trigger requests for a password.
Thanks, I’ll try your suggestion.
It may be that you have a network card installed or on the MoBo (even though you may not be on a network) and that it previously wasn’t working because of some sort of conflict with your old video card - in which case disabling the network card in Control Panel/System/Device manager should be another way of making the password box go away.
Go to Control Panel/Network, and under Primary Network Logon, select Windows Logon, and hit OK.
Then got to, Control Panel/Passwords, select Change Windows Password. If you have used a password, enter it in Old Password. If you have not used a password leave it blank. Leave New Password and Confirm New Password blank, and hit OK.
The next time you start Windows the logon dialog will not appear. I don’t know what could has reset your preferences, but that is the default setting. By the way, if you have ever been plagued with a dialup dialog box that won’t let you select autodial, it’s because you canceled past the logon dialog when Windows started.
Mangetout’s suggsetion didn’t work. Will Fear Itself’s suggestion work even if I have an ethernet card which I need for my cable modem?
Thanks
puts on tech hat
This should fix it (in most cases)
Provided you are running a stand alone machine do this. If you are on a network do not.
Start
Settings
Control panels
Networks
Remove Client For Microsoft Networks
Click ok out
Restart … should work.
I have posted this before:
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
Yes, this will do the trick…HOWEVER, some broadband internet solutions require that Client for Microsoft Networks be installed. If yours is one of those, you will just have to enter a password each time (or change the password to blank, and you can just hit <enter> at the password screen).
critter42
I’m with Fear Itself. When I was working tech support, that was ALWAYS the way I got the password to go away and you aren’t deleting anything.
Thanks to all who replied. The problem has been eliminated with your help.
Which one worked?