Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Note: See the PassMark™ website (www.passmark.com) for the latest version of the FAQ |

Q. Why trying to reboot, I get a message like, “Could not adjust privileges...” or “Could not open security token…” In Windows NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista you need to have the correct security permissions set in order to shutdown Windows. These messages can be avoided by using an Administrator account, which has full security permissions. The permission required is called, “Shut down the system”.

Q. Why doesn’t the Auto-login feature work in Windows95/98/ME

The different versions of Microsoft’s operating systems work differently internally. There is however some advice from Microsoft on how to avoid the network login prompt appearing in Windows95/98/ME. See question Q152104 in Microsoft knowledge base for more details.

Q. I have entered the correct User name and password but the auto-login fails.

If you have set the DontDisplayLastUserName flag in the registry, this prevents auto-login from functioning. See question Q159969 in Microsoft knowledge base for more details.

Q. Is setting auto-login a security risk?

Although enabling auto-login can make it more convenient to use Windows, use of this feature is a security risk.

Setting a computer for auto-login means that anyone who can physically obtain access to the computer can gain access to all of the computer contents, potentially including any network or networks it is connected to. A second risk is that enabling auto-login causes the password to be stored in the registry, in plaintext. The specific registry key that stores this value is remotely readable by the Authenticated Users group.

As a result, this setting is only appropriate for cases in which the computer is physically secured, and steps have been taken to ensure that untrusted users cannot remotely access the registry.

Q. How can I disable auto-login and remove my clear text password from the windows registry?

Just disabling the auto-login feature is not enough. You need to

• | Clear the Password field

• | Then use the Set Auto-login button to update the registry entry.

• | Then disable Auto-login

Q After setting up Auto-login how can I log in as a different user (without disabling it permanently)

To bypass the Auto-Admin Logon process, and to logon on as a different user, hold down the SHIFT key after a logoff or after a Windows restart.