How can I disable the Welcome Screen in Windows XP Pro? You want to make it a unattended event. So you can power up and go get your coffee while the system loads instead of the require patience to wait for the log on screen. Ok then here we go....
To turn the Welcome Screen on or off:
You must have a computer administrator account on a computer that is a member of a workgroup or is a stand-alone computer to turn on or turn off the Use the Welcome screen feature. Logging on at the Welcome screen is not available on computers that are members of a network domain.
Open User Accounts in Control Panel.
Click Change the way users log on or off.
Do one of the following:
To specify that users log on to the computer using the Welcome screen, select the Use the Welcome screen check box. A user logs on to the computer by clicking his or her user account name on the Welcome screen. If a password is assigned to the account, the user is prompted to type it.
To specify that users log on to the computer without using the Welcome screen, clear the Use the Welcome screen check box. The Welcome screen will no longer appear when you start the computer. To log on to the computer, type your user name (and password, if you have one) in the standard Log On to Windows dialog box.
Note: To open User Accounts, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click User Accounts. Fast User Switching is available only when the Welcome screen is turned on.
Note: To disable the Welcome screen you can also open the Registry editor and go to
Change the value for LogonType, from a "1" to a "0". This is because a 0 specifies Classic Mode and a 1 specifies Welcome Screen.
Now, exit the Registry and Reboot your computer.
To make logon an unattended process:
Click [Start] [Run] and type control userpasswords2 Click [OK] The [User Accounts] Property Sheet displays. On [Users] tab, clear the [Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer] check box. Click [Apply].
Enter a user name and password that should be used to logon automatically in the dialog box that appears. Click [OK]. Go to [Control Panel] [User Accounts] [Change the Way Users Log On and Off]. Uncheck [Use the Welcome Screen] and [Use Fast User Switching] as decribed above in the first section.