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How to Launch Windows 11 without Password
How to Launch Windows 11 without Password
The password's primary aim is to keep prying eyes away from your computer. If you use a local account, you can bypass the login screen and go straight to your Windows desktop every time you power up. However, if you're logged in using a Microsoft account, you must verify yourself at the log-in screen.
Contents
- How to Disable the Password Option in Windows 11
- How to Enable the Password Option in Windows 11
- How to Add a Picture Password in Windows 11
- How to Setup a PIN Authentication System in Windows 11
- What is Netplwiz command?
- Is password required for Windows 11?
How to Disable the Password Option in Windows 11
This procedure is just for a local account, not a Microsoft account.
- Press the Windows key + R at the same time.
- Enter netplwiz in the Run window search box field.
- The User Accounts window will open. Select the account you want to use to automatically log in.
- Check the option that indicates Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.
- Click the OK button.
- Enter your password once, then again to confirm it.
- Click the OK button.
Restart your computer and the login screen password lock will now be skipped and directly opens the desktop.
How to Enable the Password Option in Windows 11
- Press the Windows key + R at the same time.
- Enter netplwiz in the Run window search box field.
- The User Accounts window will open. Select the account you want to disable the password option.
- Uncheck the option that indicates Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.
- Click the OK button.
Restart your computer and the login screen password lock will appear.
How to Add a Picture Password in Windows 11
- On Windows 11, open the Settings app.
37 Replies
Unfortunately there is no check box as is indicated in step 4. Probably an update that some MS coder thought would be amazing and give him extra kibbles in his afternoon snack pack. I don't know why they can't just leave settings alone and do anything they feel inclined to do strictly on the back end.
Pls. see this comment to show the check box if it's not shown: How to Launch Windows 11 without Password | Microsoft Community Hub
- Thanks for the tip. I followed the steps and it worked like charm.
- Really great tutorial! Sometimes, we need to turn off password login for home computers.
It cold be better with screenshot steps. Thanks for the tip!
- Adding a password for login is highly recommendation. This could be a disaster if the device fell into the wrong hands and no password protection.
Yarisyoyo That potentiality is NOTHING compared to having a home-bound geriatric person scream at you constantly because she cannot remember her 4 number pin. I'll take my chances with the passwordless login, if I can ever make it work on Windows 11, which is looking pretty doubtful right now. I hate Microsoft right now for making this so difficult. Can't they understand that there are legitimate use cases for making this easier?
- As a 53-year-old, who manages webhosting servers and designs websites, I also scream at that password requirement in Windows. I have never lost access to a personal asset through theft or hacking. I have lost access to multiple personal assets over passwords - and sometimes I think it has as much to do with the vendor as me. I manage over 900 passwords for various things, so it's not like I'm inept. I know from experience, these passwords are far more likely to steal from me than anyone who has access to my Windows laptop. After maybe 24 hours of work and research, I've managed to remove the password requirement from my new laptop except for when it wakes up from sleep mode. I'm just done. Windows already stole my last laptop by being bugging out on Windows updates and making a perfectly good laptop unusable. Let Microsoft steal a second laptop from me, and I'll just have to switch away from Microsoft for the first time in my life. This situation is infuriating and is the last straw in my Microsoft fandom.
Yarisyoyo That all depends on what you're using it for. This computer I was using was to run a specific program that has to be unattended. The computer is not connected to the internet while doing this. It has nothing in it but that one program that runs some robotics. It contains no personal information. Just a fresh install of windows and this one bit of software. In this case, I believe I am safe. No one can hack in since it's offline, and if it was physically stolen, there is no useful information in the computer.
If you are using a computer that is online and has all kinds of personal data on it, then running without a password is not recommended as you said.
ammarjavedNone of the options outlined in this discussion worked. However I did find a process which did work perfectly.
Here it is in detail:
Step 1: Enable Automatic Login
- Open the Registry Editor:
- Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
- Navigate to the Registry Key:
- Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon.
- Modify Registry Values:
- Double-click on DefaultUserName and ensure it is set to your local account name.
- Double-click on DefaultPassword (if it does not exist, create it as a String Value) and set it to your password. Since you want no password, leave it blank.
- Double-click on AutoAdminLogon and set its value to 1.
- Create a New Value:
- If the AutoAdminLogon value is not present, create a new String Value named AutoAdminLogon and set its value to 1.
Step 2: Disable Lock Screen
- Open Group Policy Editor:
- Press Windows + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
- Navigate to the Policy:
- Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization.
- Enable "Do not display the lock screen":
- Find and double-click Do not display the lock screen.
- Set it to Enabled and click OK.
Step 3: Ensure Your Application Starts Automatically
- Add the Application to the Startup Folder:
- Press Windows + R, type shell:startup, and press Enter.
- Place a shortcut to your application in this folder.
Step 4: Adjust Power Settings
- Open Power Options:
- Press Windows + R, type powercfg.cpl, and press Enter.
- Modify Advanced Power Settings:
- Ensure that the computer is set to never sleep or hibernate.
- Go to Change plan settings > Change advanced power settings.
- Expand Sleep and set Sleep after and Hibernate after to Never.
Step 5: Additional Tweaks
- Task Scheduler:
- If the above steps don't work, you can create a Task Scheduler task to start your application at logon.
- Open Task Scheduler (Windows + R, type taskschd.msc, and press Enter).
- Create a new task, set it to trigger At logon, and configure it to start your application.
Troubleshooting
If the computer still prompts for input at the lock screen or doesn't start the application, check:
- Windows Updates:
- Ensure that Windows is fully updated, as some updates might affect auto-login behavior.
- User Account Control (UAC):
- Disable UAC temporarily to see if it's causing the issue. Search for User Account Control settings, drag the slider to Never notify, and restart the computer.
- Startup Application Permissions:
- Ensure the application has the necessary permissions to run at startup.
I don't know how to create a string, I've tried most everything, and I don't have the string in my regedit either. Any ideas? HalloweenBob
- If I remember correctly, just right click in an open area of the box and select "String" from the choices that show up. It's not much more than that. I assume someone else has answered this before now, however.
- I have tried this check and unchecked, over and over. When I first started turning all this stuff off, Windows settings told me I had to set up a local account. I entered my name as a user name, but Windows told me that was already in use. I entered my name beginning with Mr. and proceeded through the screens. Now, when I check that box, Windows has me log in as Mr. and when I uncheck that box, Windows has me login without the Mr. (or vice versa). I think the box is doing something, but all it does is let Windows revert to some other login demanded on startup. When I am ticking and unticking that box, there is only one user account.
Seriously?
Okay, this is in German, but you all get the idea i guess. Find User Account and UNTICK the box that says something like "user must enter usr name and pwd" .. and that should take care of the login nonsense at start-up?
ammarjaved When I open the netplwiz from Run, I just get this window:
I don't get any option to check or uncheck any box.
How can I prevent the pc from automatically signing in to the non-admin user, when that's the most recently used user?
- +1 !
[MS fat trol]mapkona I've tryed all the ways, I don't have the password option in the CMD commend and windows will not let me leave the password blank. Any other suggestions?
You need to edit the registry to make that box appear, see here:
https://www.howtogeek.com/838506/how-to-sign-into-your-windows-11-pc-automatically/- Thanks il really work.
- Uhhh, you got that the wrong way round. Look at check and uncheck and think.....
I know it looks backwards, but following these directions actually makes it so my system automatically logs in without me even selecting a user.
Also by checking that box, it fixed file sharing for me. File sharing just did not work after I upgraded to windows 11, nobody on the network could access any of my shared folders. Following these directions to turn off password login fixed file sharing immediately.
