ALWAYS ASKING FOR A PASSWORD BUT I WANT TO KEEP MY SETTINGS

[SPYDERIX]

Hi,

Every time I start windows I get a password box, with my name in it (Nate). Then I can either press OK, or CANCEL.
I always press OK, and I have set up everything the way I like it.

If I press CANCEL at the screen it shows a different screen different resolution different Start Menu, etc.

I don't want to have to enter a password, and I know how to disable it, but the problem is that, I want to keep the settings that I have set up under the (Nate) profile in the regular profile as well, I want all my icons to be the same, and have my start menu the same, and have my desktop theme theme to be the same.

Is this possible to do without having to start over and reset all my settings.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Nate There is a solution to everything!
If something can't be done, then
it just means the solution has yet
to be discovered!

 

[Scotsdude]

what version of windows are you using? if its windows 95/98/Me, then all you need to do is press ok,as long as you haven't set a password, and it shouldn't ask you for a password again, and should keep the same settings. As for w2000, i think you always have to go via the password screen.

if you have set a password, then you should be able to change it, although I admit I'm not sure how, as I never bother setting one in the first place.....

Scotsdude
********
I do the best I can with the info that I have.
If it works, let me know.
If it don't, ditto!

 

[SPYDERIX]

Hi,
I'm using Windows ME.
I think I set a password but my computer doesn't care if you get it right or wrong.

I always press OK, and the password screen pops up every time I restart my computer.

Any other suggestions,
Thanks
Nate There is a solution to everything!
If something can't be done, then
it just means the solution has yet
to be discovered!

 

[FozzyBear]

If you can click OK without entering a password then right-click on MY NETWORK PLACES and click PROPERTIES. In the box labeled PRIMARY NETWORK LOGON select WINDOWS LOGON and click OK. Then reboot and you will not be prompted for username/password.

 

[cdogg]

Fozzybear was off to a good start, but it's not quite complete.

Try it in this order:

Go to the Control Panel:
1) Double-click Passwords. On the User Profiles tab, make sure it's set to "All users share the same preferences..." and click OK.

2) Double-click Network and make sure it says "Windows Logon" under Primary Network Logon. Click OK and DO NOT REBOOT IF PROMPTED.

3) Open up System.ini(which is located in C:\Windows) in Notepad. Look for a section titled [Password Lists]. Remove any entries in this section deleting the lines. Close Notepad saving changes.

4) Go to Start->Find->Files or Folders. Do a search for *.pwl on the C: drive. Delete all results (you should have at least one).

5) Empty the recycle bin and reboot.

6) Windows should ask you for a Windows Password ONE LAST TIME. Just type in your name, leave the password field empty, and click OK. You may get a warning; just OK through it.

 

[SPYDERIX]

Unfortuneately neither worked,

FOZZYBEAR-Your suggestion just led to my computer asking for a password, then asking for it again

and

cdogg- Your suggestion killed my (NATE) username and so I would have had to start all over again by re-setting all of my settings. I had to use scanreg /restore to get my old profile back. Also when I searched for a .pwl file, you said I should have a least one, but none were found in the search of my C: drive.

Any body have any other suggestions.

I want my (Nate) profile to be my only profile. Now also I should have mentioned this before. I have this computer networked as a peer-to-peer network for file sharing and printer sharing, but the other computer doesn't need a password to connect but mine does. The only time the computers want a password is when I open the Neighbourhood Network and then open the other computer. I have set it up that way, I can remove the password if that might help. My computer runs Windows ME, and the other computer runs Windows 98.

So with that in mind, does anyone have any comments or suggestions.

Thank-you

Nate There is a solution to everything!
If something can't be done, then
it just means the solution has yet
to be discovered!

 

[xkjdhdg]

Go to start>>control panel>>password>>right click open
Select the user profile tab.
move the dot from users can customize to all users of this computer use the same settings.
It will not ask for a password.
When you cancel the password it default to the systems settings for safe mode.

 

[xkjdhdg]

Go to start>>control panel>>password>>right click open
Select the user profile tab.
move the dot from users can customize to all users of this computer use the same settings.
It will not ask for a password.
When you cancel the password it default to the systems settings for safe mode.

 

[xkjdhdg]

Go to start>>control panel>>password>>right click open
Select the user profile tab.
move the dot from users can customize to all users of this computer use the same settings.
It will not ask for a password.
When you cancel the password it default to the systems settings for safe mode.

 

[SPYDERIX]

First of all, thankyou to everyone who has been trying to help with my problem, but still nothinh seems to work you all sound like you know what you're talking about, but the problem remains.

This is so frustrating.

There must have been someone in the Microsoft Team that thought that if someone has set up their computer the way I have, by just pressing OK that the configuration can be copied to "the default system setting" as Mr Fixit implied.

Is there a system file which lists all the settings that my username has created (ie-startmenu, taskbar, background, resolution, icons, sounds, themes, my documents folders, etc.). And is there a system file which lists all the default settings. And can you just overright the other file with the file from my settings?

There MUST be a way to do this. Fair enough to say that the system will always have a special reserve file which can't be tampered with for safe mode startup, but the profile (pressing CANCEL at startup), could have been configured the way I have set every thing up with the username. So hence, there must be a file with all the settings listed (an.ini file or something that can be replaced).

Once I can figure out how to have the preferences and settings, etc as the way I have them now, by either pressing OK Or CANCEL, then I will turn off the "users can customise their settings.

Any help???????????????????????????????????????????
If worst comes comes to worst and no-one knows how to do this I will go through my harddrive delete almost all of the stuff (programs) burn my important files, then change the setting to "all users use the same settings) and start from scratch. (That will be the most time consuming job ever, and I wish not to do that.

Thank-you

Nate There is a solution to everything!
If something can't be done, then
it just means the solution has yet
to be discovered!

 

[cdogg]

IT MAKES A HUGE DIFFERENCE NOW THAT YOU MENTION A PEER-TO-PEER NETWORK!!

Look, my suggestion altered the System.INI file and asked that you delete PWL files. That's it! Every other change in the registry could have been restored by simply undoing steps 1 & 2. The lines we took out of System.INI were just "pointers" to PWL files on your C: drive, which you said didn't exist. I find that hard to believe since Windows will create a "default.pwl" file even if you never enter a username or password.




Follow the same procedure above substituting the following:

First of all, make sure you are searching for *.pwl EXACTLY including the *.
To be safe, move the results to your recycle bin. Also, make a copy of your system.ini file and throw that in the recycle bin as well.

In step 2, set Primary NL to "Client for Microsoft Networks" instead of "Windows Logon".

Add this to step 2:
- double-click "Client for Microsoft Networks" under the components list
- make sure "Log on to Windows NT Domain" is NOT checked
- if you want to avoid having to enter a password everytime at startup, select "quick logon"

For step 5, leave the recycle bin full and just reboot

Change step 6
- after rebooting, it should now be a Network Prompt; verify this before continuing
- make sure you enter your username exactly as it was displayed before
- DO NOT LEAVE THE PASSWORD FIELD EMPTY this time; use whatever password is required when you open Network Neighborhood.




Assuming the username is identical, Windows will direct the desktop, start menu, sounds, etc., to match your old profile. Your old profile will be a folder listed under C:\Windows\Profiles (probably called NATE). If for some reason this didn't work right, post back before you undo everything. You have the backups in your recycle bin still, so there's no hurry. If it works as expected, you shouldn't even have to enter a password when you open Network Neighborhood...

 

[cdogg]

Just read your post...

When you change the option to "all users share the same settings", you're not removing your old profile. It will still be located under C:\Windows\Profiles. What you need to do is copy your old profile's contents to C:\Windows (Cookies, Desktop, Start Menu, etc.). Overwrite the folders or back them up if it would make you feel better.


I know this seems like a lot and can be frustrating...
Let's take it one step at a time B-)

 

[SPYDERIX]

Before I start to do those steps you mentioned, I first searched for *.pwl <-- copy paste from search (there were no .pwl files at all. Also, when I changed the all users use the same settings, it goes to the other profile, and then I can;t access the internet because my dail-up icon is gone.

Just to let you know, and I went to c:\windows\profiles\and there is only one profile. Instead the NATE profile, there is the start menu and desktop etc. You said I could overwrite the other files with these ones, but where do I put the profile start menu, etc.

You said that I just have to put them in the C:\WINDOWS folder, I just want to confirm this.

Then I will re-do your steps with the system.ini file and I'll set up a new dailup in the other profile so I can still access the internet.

Thankyou

Nate There is a solution to everything!
If something can't be done, then
it just means the solution has yet
to be discovered!

 

[cdogg]

Tipster,

Yes, you can copy them over to the Windows folder safely. They're just lists of Favorites and Shortcuts - nothing that will harm your system.

Before you do, however, have a look at the desktop folder first (the one under C:\Windows\Profiles\Profile name\Desktop). Make sure your desktop icons are all there and look familiar. Do the same for the Start menu folder. if they look right, go ahead and COPY them over to C:\Windows

 

[SPYDERIX]

OK, after somehow corrupting my windows files, I called tech-support dell canada, and they couldn't help me (start menu corrupted, notepad corrupted, my system font (which you can't change was constantly changing)). So I have re-installed windows, and I have re-set all the settings to the profile (CANCEL-button <--didn't enter a password).

cdogg,

you mentioned to double-click the Client for Microsoft Networking, but on each second click it just drops down the menu.

Now, I <B>KNOW</B> for a fact that this computer is set up for Windows NT, because it used to be on an NT Network at my school.

How do I un-click log on to NT Domain.

Other than that, my problem is solved.

Nate There is a solution to everything!
If something can't be done, then
it just means the solution has yet
to be discovered!

 

[cdogg]

Nate,

You are double-clicking the wrong &quot;Client for Microsoft Networks&quot;!

The drop-down box you are referring to is under &quot;Primary Network Logon&quot;. That's the wrong place. Look above that in the &quot;Component List&quot;. The first component in that list should be &quot;Client for Microsoft Networks&quot;. You can either double-click it, or highlight it and click properties.

 

[SPYDERIX]

Actually I had just figured out how to do that yesterday. But it still wants a password after I remove, Login to NT Domain, and selected quick logon.

I also tried clicking on the other option (I forget what it said), and it too wanted a password.

I find this very unusuall, because, if I press CANCEL, then I can still get on to the Network because it asks for the password when I open the other computer under the Entire Network.

Also, if I put the password in the Network Logon box at startup it accepts the password, then asks for it again when I open the other computer under Entire Network.

???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Is there no other way to disable the password screen at starup. It only wants the Network password, I have managed to disable the windows user password.

Thanks

NATE There is a solution to everything!
If something can't be done, then
it just means the solution has yet
to be discovered!

 

[cdogg]

Nate,

I'm about all out of answers, but try leaving the &quot;log on to Windows NT domain&quot; checked and fill in the Domain. Leave it set to &quot;Quick Logon&quot;. This is if you want to be validated on the Network every time automatically. It should work, but I've come across several of thos rare cases where it just won't take.

If not, change the primary network login back to &quot;Windows Login&quot;. This will tell the system to avoid the network all together until you try and access a network resource (such as double-clicking Network Neighborhood). If you get the Windows prompt after rebooting, you may need to follow the steps in my first post to get rid of it all over again.

Hope I'm not throwing you back into a constant loop! s-)