Windows 11 Auto Login: Sign In Without a Password or PIN

Windows 11 auto login takes you straight to the desktop without typing a password or PIN at startup. You can configure it with netplwiz, provided your account and device settings allow password-based automatic sign-in. Your account password stays in place: Windows supplies the saved credentials for you.

To set it up, press Windows + R, enter netplwiz, select your account, and clear the option that requires a username and password. When prompted, enter your actual account password, not your Windows Hello PIN. If the checkbox is missing, first check the Windows Hello-only setting under Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.

Security warning: Automatic sign-in removes an important barrier between your files and anyone who can start your computer. Avoid it on laptops, shared computers, and devices containing confidential information. These instructions are for an account you can already access, not for recovering a forgotten password.

Set up Windows 11 auto login with netplwiz

The built-in User Accounts tool lets you configure automatic sign-in without manually editing the Registry. Before starting, make sure you know the password for the account you intend to use. A PIN that unlocks your PC is not a substitute for that password.

Step 1: Check the Windows Hello-only setting

On a PC that uses a Microsoft account, Windows can be configured to allow only Windows Hello sign-in. Check this setting before opening the automatic login dialog, especially when the expected checkbox is missing.

1. Press Windows + I to open Settings, then go to Accounts > Sign-in options.
2. Under Additional settings, look for the option labeled “For improved security, only allow Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts on this device (Recommended).”
3. Turn the switch off if it is enabled and you are permitted to change it.
4. Close any open User Accounts window before continuing.

The wording and availability can vary with your account and device configuration. A local account may not show this Microsoft-account-specific switch. Turning the switch off allows password sign-in; it does not itself enable automatic login or remove your PIN.

Step 2: Configure automatic sign-in

1. Press Windows + R to open Run.
2. Enter netplwiz and select OK. Complete any administrator approval Windows requests.
3. In User Accounts, select the account that should sign in automatically.
4. Clear “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.”
5. Select Apply. Windows should display the Automatically sign in dialog.
6. Check the username, then enter the account password in both password fields. For a Microsoft account, use the associated account email address and password. For a local account, use its local username and password.
7. Confirm with OK and close User Accounts.
8. Save your work and restart the computer to test the result.

If the configuration succeeds, Windows signs in to the selected account and opens the desktop without asking you to type its password or PIN. This changes the sign-in process, not the password itself. Keep the password available for situations where manual authentication is still required.

Do not leave the password fields empty merely because you normally use a PIN. An account with a password still needs that password for this setup. A genuinely passwordless Microsoft account requires a different approach, as explained below.

Netplwiz checkbox missing in Windows 11: what to check

If the username-and-password checkbox does not appear, return to the Windows Hello-only setting above. After changing it, close netplwiz completely and open it again. Restarting Windows is also a reasonable next check if the dialog has not refreshed.

A missing checkbox does not automatically mean that Windows is damaged. Account restrictions and organization-managed settings can affect the available controls. On a work or school computer, ask your administrator rather than trying to override the sign-in policy with Registry changes.

If clearing the checkbox produces no password confirmation dialog, check whether automatic sign-in was already configured. You can select the checkbox again, apply the change, and then repeat the setup. Confirm the selected account before saving new credentials.

Automatic login, passwordless sign-in, and PIN removal are different

The phrase “start Windows 11 without a password” can describe several different goals. The distinction matters because removing a PIN or enabling passwordless sign-in does not tell Windows to open an unattended desktop.

Your goal	Relevant setting or method	What happens
Go straight to the desktop at startup	Automatic sign-in with netplwiz or Autologon	Windows uses saved account credentials.
Avoid typing your account password while keeping sign-in protection	Windows Hello	You authenticate with a PIN, face, or fingerprint.
Stop using a Windows Hello PIN	Remove the PIN in Sign-in options	Another permitted sign-in method is still required.
Avoid signing in again after sleep	The sign-in requirement under Additional settings	Windows changes when it requests authentication after you have been away.

For most everyday computers, Windows Hello is the better compromise between convenience and protecting your account. Our guide to setting up Windows Hello with a PIN, face, or fingerprint explains the available options and their requirements.

What about a passwordless Microsoft account?

A passwordless Microsoft account has had its account password removed through Microsoft’s account security settings. It is not simply an account that you usually unlock with a PIN. The password-based automatic login methods in this guide need usable account credentials, so an empty password field or a Hello PIN cannot replace a password that no longer exists.

Turning off the Windows Hello-only switch on the PC does not recreate the online account password. Keep Windows Hello for convenient authenticated sign-in, or review the account configuration before attempting password-based auto login.

Start Windows 11 without a PIN: do you need to remove Windows Hello?

Removing your PIN is not the same as enabling automatic login, and it should not be treated as a universal prerequisite. Start with the Hello-only setting and the automatic sign-in configuration. If automatic login works, deleting additional sign-in methods is unnecessary.

To stop using the PIN itself, first confirm that you can sign in with another permitted method. On a personal PC where password sign-in is available, the removal process is:

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
2. Expand PIN (Windows Hello) and select Remove.
3. Confirm the removal and complete the account verification Windows requests.

If Remove is grayed out, check the Hello-only switch and any applicable device policy. Removing the PIN can also affect biometric sign-in, which uses a PIN as a fallback. To stop using only your face or fingerprint, remove that particular enrollment instead.

After PIN removal, Windows may simply request your account password instead. Automatic sign-in must still be configured separately if the goal is to reach the desktop without entering anything.

Alternative: use Microsoft Sysinternals Autologon

Microsoft Sysinternals Autologon configures Windows’ built-in automatic sign-in mechanism. It stores the password as an encrypted Local Security Authority secret rather than a readable DefaultPassword entry in the Winlogon key.

1. Download Autologon from the official Microsoft page and extract the archive.
2. Run the appropriate executable and complete the administrator approval.
3. Check the account name and domain fields. For a local account, the domain is the local computer name.
4. Enter the account password and select Enable.
5. Restart Windows to test the saved credentials.

Autologon does not validate the submitted credentials when you enable it. An incorrect password can therefore produce a failed sign-in at the next startup. Encrypted storage also does not make the password inaccessible to someone with administrative privileges.

To undo this configuration, reopen Autologon and select Disable. Holding Shift before automatic sign-in occurs skips it for that particular logon.

Registry method: configure AutoAdminLogon and DefaultPassword

The manual Registry method is an advanced alternative, not the first choice for a personal computer. Its main drawback is that the account password is stored in plain text. Anyone who obtains sufficient access to that entry can read it.

Before editing the Registry, make a backup and record the existing values. The example below is for a local account on a PC you control. Avoid experimenting with these settings on organization-managed devices or mixing several automatic login methods.

Open the Winlogon Registry key

Press Windows + R, enter regedit, and confirm the administrator prompt. Navigate to the following location:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

With the Winlogon key selected, File > Export lets you save a copy of that branch before making changes. Keep Registry exports private, especially if they contain an existing password entry.

Set the automatic login values

Use the following entries in the right-hand pane. These are String Values, shown as REG_SZ, not DWORD values. To create a missing entry, right-click an empty area and choose New > String Value.

Value name	Type	Value data
AutoAdminLogon	REG_SZ	1
DefaultUserName	REG_SZ	The actual local account username
DefaultPassword	REG_SZ	The account password, stored in plain text
DefaultDomainName	REG_SZ	The local computer name for this local-account example

The computer name is available under Settings > System > About. Use the actual account username rather than assuming that its display name is identical. After checking the entries, close Registry Editor and restart the PC.

For a domain account, the account context differs. Microsoft’s documented domain-joined configuration uses the fully qualified domain name for DefaultDomainName. That is an administrator-managed scenario, not a reason to copy the local-account example onto a company computer.

The clear-text password warning applies to Registry backups and screenshots as well. Never include a real DefaultPassword value in an image, support message, or shared configuration file.

Stop Windows 11 asking for a password after sleep

Startup auto login and the sign-in requirement after sleep are separate settings. Successfully reaching the desktop after a restart does not necessarily stop Windows from asking you to authenticate when the computer wakes up.

1. Go to Settings > Accounts > Sign-in options.
2. Under Additional settings, find “If you’ve been away, when should Windows require you to sign in again?”
3. Select Never if the option is available and you accept the reduced protection.
4. Put the PC to sleep, wake it, and check the result.

The control can be unavailable or restricted by a security policy. Leaving the normal sign-in requirement enabled is the safer choice when other people can access the device. Automatic login does not require you to disable this additional protection.

Windows 11 auto login not working: common causes

Start by identifying when Windows asks you to sign in: after a restart, after sleep, or after manually locking the computer. These are different situations. Then check the account and saved credentials before changing additional system settings.

Symptom	What to check
The netplwiz checkbox is missing	Review the Windows Hello-only setting, reopen netplwiz, and check whether the device is managed.
Windows reports an incorrect username or password	Check the selected account, account context, and actual password. A Hello PIN is not the account password.
Automatic sign-in stopped after a password change	Update the saved credentials using the same method that originally configured automatic login.
Two similar account entries appear at sign-in	Check for an incorrect automatic login identity before assuming that a second user account needs to be deleted.
Login works after restarting but not after sleep	Review the separate sign-in requirement under Additional settings.
Windows still asks for authentication after Windows + L	A manual lock normally requires you to authenticate again. Startup auto login does not mean every lock is removed.

When credentials are rejected, sign in through your normal working method and correct the automatic login configuration from there. Avoid deleting user profiles or clearing security settings as a first response. If the underlying account password is forgotten, use account recovery before attempting automatic sign-in.

Is Windows 11 automatic login safe?

Automatic login can suit a narrowly defined task on a physically controlled computer, but it is a poor default for a normal personal or business PC. Anyone who can start the device may gain access to the selected account’s files, applications, and already signed-in services.

On a shared computer, Windows automatically opens one person’s profile instead of asking everyone to choose their own account first. Other accounts are not deleted, and switching users remains possible. The problem is that the automatically opened profile is already accessible.

Saved browser passwords may have separate protection

An open desktop can expose email, documents, browser sessions, and other private information. Some password managers require additional authentication before revealing saved passwords, so it would be inaccurate to say every stored password becomes immediately readable. Our guide to saved passwords in Windows and web browsers explains these separate stores and prompts.

BitLocker is not a replacement for Windows sign-in

BitLocker protects encrypted data, but its protection depends on how the drive is unlocked. With a TPM-only configuration, the system drive can unlock during a normal startup without a person entering a separate PIN. If Windows then signs in automatically, that person can reach the desktop.

Drive encryption therefore does not cancel out the risks of automatic login. A separate BitLocker startup PIN changes the boot experience, but it is not the same credential as your Windows Hello PIN. Do not turn off encryption simply to avoid a sign-in prompt.

Manually locking the PC does not solve the startup risk

Windows + L still provides a useful way to lock an existing session when a working sign-in method remains configured. However, it does not remove automatic sign-in from the next startup. A person who can restart an auto-login computer may reach the automatically opened account again.

For a laptop or a PC containing private files, keep authenticated sign-in enabled. A Windows Hello PIN, compatible fingerprint reader, or supported face camera offers convenience without automatically opening your account to whoever presses the power button.

How to turn off automatic login in Windows 11

Undo the configuration with the same method you used to enable it. Afterward, restart the PC and confirm that it asks you to sign in before opening the desktop.

For netplwiz, press Windows + R, enter netplwiz, and select “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer.” Apply the change and close the window. For Sysinternals Autologon, use its Disable button instead.

For a manual Registry configuration, set the AutoAdminLogon string to 0 and remove the clear-text DefaultPassword value you created. Do not delete the Winlogon key. You can also restore the Windows Hello-only setting and the normal sign-in requirement after sleep where appropriate.

FAQ: Windows 11 auto login

Can Windows 11 sign in automatically without a password or PIN?

Yes. On a compatible account configuration, netplwiz or Autologon can make Windows use saved credentials at startup. You avoid typing the password, but the account still needs valid credentials for these methods.

Why is the automatic login checkbox missing in netplwiz?

Check whether Windows is set to allow only Windows Hello sign-in for Microsoft accounts. Turn that option off where permitted, then reopen netplwiz. Organization-managed policies can also restrict the available settings.

Should I enter my Windows Hello PIN in netplwiz?

No. Use the actual password for the selected local or Microsoft account. A Windows Hello PIN belongs to the device and is not a replacement for the account password in the automatic login dialog.

Does removing the PIN enable automatic login?

No. Removing the PIN changes the available sign-in methods. Windows can still ask for your account password. Automatic login is a separate configuration.

Why does Windows still ask for a password after sleep?

The sign-in requirement after sleep is separate from startup automatic login. You can review it under Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options, and Additional settings. A device policy may prevent changes.

Does BitLocker make automatic login safe?

Not by itself. With TPM-only unlocking, the system drive can unlock during normal startup without user input. If Windows then signs in automatically, someone at the computer can reach the account.

How do I turn Windows 11 auto login off again?

Undo the configuration with the same method you used to enable it. In netplwiz, select the checkbox requiring a username and password, apply the change, and restart to confirm that manual sign-in is required.

Conclusion: skip password entry only when the trade-off makes sense

To start Windows 11 without typing a password or PIN, configure automatic sign-in with valid account credentials. Netplwiz offers a built-in route, while Sysinternals Autologon avoids manually placing a readable password in the Winlogon key. PIN removal and sign-in after sleep remain separate decisions.

The convenience comes with a clear cost: someone who can start the computer may be able to use your account. For most everyday devices, Windows Hello is the better way to make sign-in easier while keeping an authentication step in place.