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Why doesn't the Welcome Screen in XP appear when I turn on my computer?
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On a Windows XP-based computer that is part of a workgroup and has the Fast User Switching feature enabled, the computer may start without displaying the "Welcome" logon screen.
The Guest account is not relevant when Windows determines if there is only one user without a password. If there is only one user registered on the computer, the "Welcome" logon screen is not displayed before the account is logged on. You can use the Fast User Switching feature to gain access to the Guest account.
Note that this behavior occurs only if the user account is part of a workgroup (not a domain) and any of the following conditions exist:
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No password is configured for the user account.
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No other users are registered on the computer.
To work around this behavior, either add a second user to the computer or create a password for the user account. This prevents the account from being logged on automatically.
After the administrator is automatically logged on, you can switch users to gain access to the Guest account by using the Fast User Switching feature.
Links
HOW TO: Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP - 279783
HOW TO: Configure Windows XP to Automatically Log On a User Account - 282866
