• To enable automatic login on Windows 10, open “netplwiz” from the Start menu, clear the “User must enter a user name and password to use this computer” option from the “Users” tab, click “Apply,” and confirm the account password.
  • You can also set up auto login from the Registry from the “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon” by creating the “AutoAdminLogon” DWORD (32-bit) Value and setting it to “1,” creating a “DefaultUserName” string to store the account name, and creating the “DefaultPassword” string to store the password.

UPDATED 1/5/2024: On Windows 10, you can enable automatic login in two ways, and in this guide, I’ll teach you how. Using a password to sign in to your account is one of many security features the operating system provides to keep the account and files secure from unauthorized access.

Although it is always recommended to use a password on an account, it can be a tedious process to enter a long and complex password every time Windows 10 starts. However, if you are the only person who uses the device or are in a secured physical location, you configure the system to automatically sign in to your account, skipping the Lock screen in at least two ways using Control Panel (Netplwiz) and Registry.

In this guide , I will teach you the steps to sign in to Windows 10 automatically using a local or Microsoft account. (You can also refer to these instructions for older versions, including Windows 8.1.)

  • Set up automatic login on Windows 10 using Netplwiz
  • Set up automatic login on Windows 10 using Registry

Set up automatic login on Windows 10 using Netplwiz

To configure automatic login on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Start on Windows 10.
  2. Search for netplwiz and click the top result to open the legacy User Accounts settings.
  3. Click the Users tab.
  4. Uncheck the “ User must enter a user name and password to use this computer” option. Quick note: If this option is missing, use these instructions to fix this issue and continue with the steps below.
  5. Click the Apply button.
  6. Confirm your Microsoft account (email address) or local account information.
  7. Click the OK button.
  8. Click the OK button again.
  9. Restart the computer

Once you complete the steps, Windows 10 should automatically sign you into your account, bypassing the Lock screen.

You can always revert the changes by following the same steps, but in step 3 , check the “User must enter a username and password to use this computer” option.

Set up automatic login on Windows 10 using Registry

To configure automatic login through the Registry, use these steps:

  1. Open Start .
  2. Search for regedit and click the top result to open the app.
  3. Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
  4. Right-click the “Winlogon” key, select New , and choose the DWORD (32-bit) Value option.
  5. Name the key AutoAdminLogon and press Enter.
  6. Double-click the newly created key and set its value from 0 to 1 .
  7. Click the OK button.
  8. Right-click the “Winlogon” key, select New , and choose the String Value option.
  9. Name the key DefaultUserName and press Enter .
  10. Double-click the newly created key and confirm the user account name.
  11. Click the OK button.
  12. Right-click the “Winlogon” key, select New , and choose the String Value option.
  13. Name the key DefaultPassword and press Enter .
  14. Double-click the newly created key and confirm the account password to log in automatically. Quick note: The password will be saved in plain text and won’t be encrypted.
  15. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the next time you restart the computer, Windows 10 will log in automatically using the account information configured in the Registry.

If you change your mind, you can always revert the changes following the same steps, but in step 5 , right-click and delete the “AutoAdminLogon,” “DefaultUserName,” and “DefaultPassword” keys.

It’s important to emphasize the security risks of setting up Windows 10 to log you on automatically. Usually, it would be best if you only do this on a device that does not store sensitive data or on a computer you are using in a secured location, and you know no one will have physical access to it.

Finally, it’s not recommended to use this method on computers with multiple accounts because the nature of automatic logon works best in a single account scenario.

Alternatively, remember that you can always use Windows Hello to get faster and more secure access to your device using facial recognition or fingerprint scanners.

If your computer does not include hardware to support Windows Hello, you can try adding an external peripheral, such as the VeriMark fingerprint reader from Kensington or the BRIO 4K webcam with facial recognition technology from Logitech.

Update January 5, 2024: This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the configuration process.

On Windows 10, Windows Hello is a name that describes the support for new and more secure ways to sign in to your device using biometric and PIN authentication.

In other words, Windows Hello allows users to ditch traditional complex passwords in favor of more personal and secure methods of authentication, including face and iris recognition, fingerprint, and PIN to unlock a device.

In this guide , you’ll learn the step to configure and remove Windows Hello using a fingerprint reader on Windows 10 .

  • Set up Windows Hello Fingerprint on Windows 10
  • Remove Windows Hello Fingerprint on Windows 10
  • Windows Hello compatible hardware for Windows 10

Set up Windows Hello Fingerprint on Windows 10

To unlock device using a fingerprint reader with Windows Hello, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 10.
  2. Click on Accounts .
  3. Click on Sign-in options .
  4. Under the “Manage how you sign in to your device” section, select the Windows Hello Fingerprint option.
  5. Click the Set up button. Set up Windows Hello Fingerprint
  6. Click the Get started button. Windows Hello Fingerprint wizard
  7. Confirm your account password.
  8. Touch the fingerprint sensor as indicated in the wizard. Fingerprint setup on Windows 10
  9. Continue with the on-screen directions to capture your fingerprint from various angles. Quick tip: It’s recommended to click the Add another finger option to configure a second and even a third finger that you can use in case you’re having problems signing in, or you just forgot which finger is the one that unlocks your device.

Once you complete the steps, you can now lock your device ( Windows key + L ), and then use the fingerprint reader to sign in with the finger that you configured.

Remove Windows Hello Fingerprint on Windows 10

To remove Windows Hello to sign in on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings .
  2. Click on Accounts .
  3. Click on Sign-in options.
  4. Under the “Manage how you sign in to your device” section, select the Windows Hello Fingerprint option.
  5. Click the Remove button. Remove Windows Hello Fingerprint
  6. Click the Remove button again.
  7. Confirm the account password.
  8. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, you can continue signing in with a traditional password. If you have configured Window Hello Face or PIN, you’ll need to remove those configurations using the same steps to completely disable the Windows Hello feature.

Windows Hello compatible hardware for Windows 10

Although face recognition and fingerprint authentication has been around for years, it’s still a technology that isn’t available on all devices. If you want to sign in to Windows 10 using your face or fingerprint, there are a lot of devices that come with Windows Hello built-in, such as the Surface Pro 7 , Surface Laptop 3 , Surface Go , and many others.