# Why is Windows 98 suddenly asking me for a password? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 1, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108 "2003-01-01T23:40:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/1 "2003-01-01T23:40:17Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/2 "2003-01-01T23:44:15Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/3 "2003-01-01T23:45:57Z")
(make sure you know any dialup passwords you have before you do that) ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/4 "2003-01-01T23:52:36Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/5 "2003-01-02T00:23:53Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/6 "2003-01-02T00:44:39Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/7 "2003-01-02T10:14:13Z")
**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 ---
**Author:** ![Trader\_of\_shorts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/90ced4/32.png) [@Trader\_of\_shorts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trader_of_shorts)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/8 "2003-01-02T10:31:18Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe Mahma \* > \*\*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. \*\* _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. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/9 "2003-01-02T13:27:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Joe Mahma \* > \*\ ***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 \*\* Yes. [Turning off Password at start-up](http://www.windows-help.net/windows98/tune-10.shtml) ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/10 "2003-01-02T15:51:25Z")
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 ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/11 "2003-01-02T16:18:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Trader\_of\_shorts \* > \*\*_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. \*\* 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 \ at the password screen). critter42 ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/12 "2003-01-02T16:48:10Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Mahma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@Joe\_Mahma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Mahma)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 11:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/13 "2003-01-03T11:02:32Z")
Thanks to all who replied. The problem has been eliminated with your help. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 12:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-windows-98-suddenly-asking-me-for-a-password/146108/14 "2003-01-03T12:39:57Z")
Which one worked?