Microsoft Vista: Remote Desktop w-o Password?

• digity / 210 / Fri, 19 Feb 2010 21:40:00 GMT / Comments (14)
• My Windows Vista machine's sole purpose is to run Media Center so naturally Windows logs in using the default/only user account without a password.
  The thing is Remote Desktop won't allow me to remote in since the account doesn't have a password.
  How do I get around this (... so that Windows auto logs in and launches Media Center and I can still remote in)?
  P.S. I'm running Vista Ultimate.
• Keywords:

  remote, desktop, w-o, password, microsoft, vista

• http://www.edevs.com/ms-vista/69859/«« Last Thread - Next Thread »»

• 1. Try logging in as administrator first.
     
     Type in netplwiz into the start menu search box.
     
     Uncheck the box that says Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer, and then hit Apply.
     
     Youll see a username and password box. Enter in the appropriate information here and hit OK:
     
     Now the username will still auto logon but now it will have a password to it which may be the answers for your situation.

     mobo | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:09:19 GMT |

  2. thanks. worked like a charm

     digity | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:10:19 GMT |

  3. Anytime..

     mobo | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:11:29 GMT |

  4. Okay, that makes three ways I know of now to get at that utility.

     jmwills | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:12:23 GMT |

  5. And people wonder why there computers get infected with viruses and trojan horse downloaders. A little security goes a long way. I don't care what anybody thinks about their computer habits or how secure they think their network is. Setting up any computer to Autologin is a bad bad bad idea. Especially if it can be accessed by other computers on the network.

     squashman | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:13:22 GMT |

  6. i agree, but it's my media center computer sitting under the HD TV in the living room. having to use a keyboard and enter a password every time it boots up seems to just take away from it's set-top box functionality.
     
     plus i don't have internet and my wireless router is off, so i should be okay security wise

     digity | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:14:30 GMT |

  7. So what you have is a really expensive TIVO and DVD player, right?

     jmwills | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:15:31 GMT |

  8. "The thing is Remote Desktop won't allow me to remote in since the account doesn't have a password"
     
     This can be solved also. Is it still an issue?

     bobcerelli | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:16:34 GMT |

  9. Quote:
     

     Originally Posted by jmwills So what you have is a really expensive TIVO and DVD player, right?

     yes. but i put in around $35 bucks to put this HTPC together, so i was lucky (and being cheap on eBay)

     digity | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:17:31 GMT |

  10. Quote:
      

      Originally Posted by Bob Cerelli "The thing is Remote Desktop won't allow me to remote in since the account doesn't have a password" This can be solved also. Is it still an issue?

      u mean it can be solved without creating a password and turning off the "require password to login" option in netplwiz?

      digity | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:18:32 GMT |

  11. Yes it can be solved if that is still an issue for you.

      bobcerelli | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:19:28 GMT |

  12. i guess it's not. thanx

      digity | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:20:37 GMT |

  13. Ok. Just wanted to check since there is a relatively simple group policy that be changed to allow remote desktop without a password. But it sounds like things are as you would like them.

      bobcerelli | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:21:33 GMT |

  14. As it so happens I was just googling to find the group policy entry that would allow me to RDP using an account without a password. If you wouldn't mind posting it I would really appreciate it.

      white_devil | Sat, 01 Mar 2008 04:22:39 GMT |