How To Turn On Remote Desktop Automatic Logon in Windows XP

This article describes how to turn on Remote Desktop automatic logon. By default, this version of Windows XP is configured to prompt each user to enter a password when connecting through the Remote Desktop client. This behavior holds true even when a correct user name and password are entered in the Remote Desktop Connection box before logon. This article describes how to alter this behavior.

Enable Remote Desktop Logon

To allow automatic logon to a computer running this version of Windows XP through Remote Desktop, follow these steps while logged on as an Administrator:

1. Click Start, click Run, type MMC, and then press ENTER.
2. Click File, and then click Add/Remove Snap-in.
3. Click Add, select Group Policy, click Add, and then click Finish.
4. Click Close, and then click OK.
5. Navigate to the following directory:
   Local Computer Policy/Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/Windows Components/Terminal Services/Encryption and Security
6. Double-click Always prompt client for password upon connection.
7. Click the Disabled box, and then click OK. You may now quit the MMC snap-in. Remote Desktop clients should now be able to connect to this Windows XP computer using the automatic logon feature of the Remote Desktop client.