Today’s post is about changing the way users log on or off in Windows XP. If you want to get rid of the prompt that requires you to type in your user name and password every time, or if you want to add it for extra security, please follow these steps:

• Click on the Start Menu
• Go to the Control Panel
• Click on User Accounts
• Select the Change the way users logon or off link
• In the next Window, untick the Use the Welcome screen option for extra security (if you want the users type in their user name and password)
• Otherwise, if it’s ticked, users will simply click on their logon name and type in their passwords (if they have one)
• If you don’t have a password and you don’t want to use the logon screen, make sure the Welcome screen is ticked. On the other hand, if you do have a password and you still don’t want to use the Welcome screen, then you’ll have to remove the password

To remove the logon password:

• Go to User Accounts again
• Click on your user name
• Select the Remove my password option

Note: It’s not a good idea to remove a password unless you know that no one will ever access it except you (but how can you be 100% sure?) or if you are not storing any private files in the PC.

In User accounts, you can enable or disable Guest accounts. This is handy if you want to provide access to users who don’t have an account on your computer, for example your kids. For a detailed description of the Guest account and its purpose, please visit this Microsoft support page.

You can also Create a new account, where you can pick a name and select an account type: administrator or limited access.