[enola]

Hi,

I've just installed a demo version of Parallels. Whenever I start the virtual machine or reboot it, it always auto logs me to the account called "Administrator". I've created another account with my name that's got admin priviledges but I'm not getting a "Welcome" screen so that I can log into that account. I always have to log "Administrator" out and log in with the other one.

I have the "Use the Welcome screen" box checked in the User Accounts control panel. What else am I missing?

[qsxga]

I would love an answer to this question. I am having the exact same problem with Parallels running on Mac OS 10.4.8. My virtual machine OS is Windows XP Pro. All system updates have been applied. Parallels is build 1970, downloaded and activated yesterday. I cannot change the Administrator account password or name, lest the boot process stalls. I have tried all of the User Accounts control panel settings without success. It happens with or without Parallels Tools installed. This is frustrating.

[ghporter]

Go to the Control Panel, open the User Accounts applet and click on "Change the way users log on or off". Now check the box for "Use the Welcome screen" and click "Apply Options" and you're done. It should work just fine.

[harding]

Changing the way users log on does NOT fix this issue...

Parallels modifies the windows registry to automatically log in as Administrator. In order to undo this you just need to modify the registry:

go to: Start>Run
type: regedit

Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>Windows NT>CurrentVersion>Winlogon

locate the string value named: AutoAdminLogon
Click on it and change the value data to: 0

you may also want to change the DefaultUserName value to one you most commonly used. If you have problems there are plenty of pages that tell you how to hack the registry to enable automatic logon - just follow those steps backwards

[ghporter]

Ouch! Thanks for the correction, harding, and WELCOME!

There are so many different ways to goober up the Registry that you must do TWO things before you edit anything in it. First, BACK UP THE REGISTRY!!!! It has a built in feature to do this; you "Export" the registry, which writes the files that make it up to a new location you specify. You MUST do this!!! Murphy says that if you don't terrible things will happen, but if you do, then all will go well.

The second thing is KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING BEFORE YOU START. Know the Registry key, the type of value, what the value should be, and so on before you click on anything in the registry.

While goobering (sorry for the technical terms!) your Registry under Parallels isn't fatal, it's a royal pain, so avoiding it is a priority.

With all that said, this particular registry hack is fairly simple and easy to do. Tread lightly and carefully, but go for it. I'm going to uninstall my current Parallels version to dump an un-activated copy of XP, and when I get it reinstalled, I'll probably do this too.

[qsxga]

Originally Posted by harding 

Changing the way users log on does NOT fix this issue...

Parallels modifies the windows registry to automatically log in as Administrator. In order to undo this you just need to modify the registry:

go to: Start>Run
type: regedit

Navigate to:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SOFTWARE>Microsoft>Windows NT>CurrentVersion>Winlogon

locate the string value named: AutoAdminLogon
Click on it and change the value data to: 0

you may also want to change the DefaultUserName value to one you most commonly used. If you have problems there are plenty of pages that tell you how to hack the registry to enable automatic logon - just follow those steps backwards

Thanks, harding. That worked.

Anyone know where Parallels documents this behavior? I looked all over their website and did not find a thing.

[spice003]

or you just give you account a password and it asks you for it , and don't say that it dosn't cause i just did it and it asks me for the password at the welcome screen.