Log on screen in XP

I didn't have the bothersome log on screen.

Then, I activated a guest account for a few days AND signed up for .NET Passport.

Guest left, and I deactivated that account.

Now I have the bothersome log on screen.

I thought maybe it was because of the .NET Passport, so I removed that, but I still get the log on screen.

Why??? And how can I get back to where I was before the guest came to visit?
Alice

 

Go to Start>Run, type in (or copy and paste from here) "control userpasswords2" (without the quotes, with the space after "control "), click OK.

In the resulting window, uncheck the box for "Users must enter a username and password to use this computer," click OK.

Click once on the account you want to logon automatically to select it, click OK. Enter the password for that account (or leave it blank if there isn't one) and click OK.

That should do it.

 

Miz, thank you for responding. The box you mention was not checked, and I cannot select any of the users listed. What now?
Alice

 

1. Select Start > Control Panel and click User Accounts
2. Click "Change the way users log on or off "
3. Check to make sure that Use the Welcome screen is selected
Guest account access must be turned off (you said this has been done but I included it anyway in case others use this information)
1. Select Start > Control Panel and click User Accounts
2. Click the Guest account
3. Click Turn off the Guest account
There must be only one user account on the computer and the user account must not have a password
1. Select Start > Control Panel and click User Accounts
2. Click the user account
3. Click Remove the password

 

Miz, I'm afraid that, in my effort to be brief, I've not been clear. Sorry. Here is what happens at start up:

In front of the "Log on to Windows" window, there is another window that says: "The system could not log you on. Make sure your user name and domain are correct, then type your password again. Letters in passwords must be typed using the correct case. "

When I click OK, I'm taken to my user name on a screen that says: "To begin, click your user name. "

When I click on my user name, the computer finishes coming up.

Before I created that guest account, I didn't even get the "Log on to Windows" window; it booted up straight to my desk top. That's what I'm trying to get back to.

Can you still help?
Alice

 

Thanx, PeteC, but I'm afraid to touch the registry.
Alice

 

Download PowerToys for XP and look in TweakUI. It has an option to log you on automatically.