When you open the User Accounts dialog by running control userpasswords2 or netplwiz.exe in order to configure automatic login to your user account, the Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer option may be missing in that dialog.
As a result, you’re unable to configure auto-login to your user account. Note that this issue is seen only if there is a Microsoft account configured in the computer. This post tells you how to bring the option checkbox back in Windows 10.
Cause
The “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” option may be hidden/missing if the “only allow Windows Hello sign-in” option is enabled in Settings. Windows Hello is a more personal, more secure way to get instant access to your Windows 10 devices using fingerprint, facial recognition, or a secure PIN.
The Windows Hello setting was turned on automatically during the clean installation of Windows 10 2004 on some computers with Windows Hello compatible devices. This led to the rumor that Microsoft has discontinued the auto-login feature altogether. This, of course, is not true.
Resolution
If you want to configure auto-login, then you need to disable the “only allow Windows Hello sign-in” option using the following steps:
- Click Start, Settings, and click Accounts.
- Click on Sign-in options
- Turn off the radio button under the Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts section.
The description “For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device (Recommended)” is self-explanatory.
NOTE: The Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts option would be missing if no Microsoft accounts are configured on the computer.Windows 11 Screenshot
Registry Editing
Alternately, you can disable the Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts option using the registry. This can be helpful if you want to automate the setting using a .reg file in multiple computers.
Registry branch:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\PasswordLess\Device
Value name:
DevicePasswordLessBuildVersion
Data:
0means Require Windows Hello sign-in is disabled2means Require Windows Hello sign-in is enabled
Deleting
DevicePasswordLessBuildVersionor setting it to0would enable the “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” checkbox. - After disabling the above setting, close and reopen the User Accounts dialog by running
netplwiz.exeorcontrol userpasswords2
The “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” checkbox is now restored.
Autologon utility from Microsoft
If the above methods don’t bring back the “Users must enter a user name…” option, as a workaround, may use the Autologon utility from Windows Sysinternals to configure the automatic login.
Autologon enables you to easily configure Windows’ built-in auto-login mechanism.
Launch autologon.exe, fill in the username and password for the account you want to enable automatic login. Then click on the Enable button.
This utility stores the credentials of the specified user in an encrypted form in the Registry.
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Thank you SO much. Although your note says if only Local accounts this wouldn’t matter, it did. The registry fix got rid of the problem because, even though I only have local accounts, it must have been set up in the background.
Like xaeryth, I set up a Windows 10 Pro mini PC with only a local account — no Microsoft account — and netplwiz did not show the option. I brought up regedit, changed DevicePasswordLessBuildVersion from 2 to 0 per your instructions, the option reappeared in netplwiz, and I was good to go. Thank you very much — this was a big help!!
Oops! Just an extra bit of information … As I was about to close the Google search results that brought me to this page, a result mentioning domains caught my eye. From that page, I learned that the netplwiz user/password option is ALSO disabled if the computer has “joined a domain”.
I vaguely remember something about a domain during set-up, but I thought it just referred to my LAN. In the Windows CMD prompt, “systeminfo” will print out the domain to which your computer belongs:
C:\Windows\System32> systeminfo
…
Domain:
…
In my case, it showed “Domain: WORKGROUP”, so that might have been what was causing the netwplwiz option not to show up despite only having a local account. Anyway, your registry fix worked and I’m happy!
You can still get the checkbox to appear even if you have work access turned on or joined a domain.
\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
Create a new DWord called AutoAdminLogon and set the value to 1. Reboot.
Great!
Perfect ..Works!
Very good article. Thank you.
Hello Ramesh,
This did work for me .. A BIG thank you !!!!
exactly what i needed, huge thank you
thank’s , you realy save me , i was so frustated , you mae my day , keep going !
Ramesh, thank you very much for this. I wish Microsoft would stop removing useful stuff every time there’s a new OS. There are 3 application files in the folder: Autologon, Autologon64, & Autologon64a. Not sure which one to use. If “64” means for 64-bit computers, what is “64a”? Thank you again.
@DCJ: Autologon64a is for ARM-based systems. You probably need Autologon64.exe.
Hello. I don’t have the “Require Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts” option. What can I do
Nevermind bro, I used the registry trick and it worked. Thank you so much 🙂