Windows 2019 Autologin Domain User

Question

I have downloaded Autologin from here : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autologon

This works perfectly in a Domain in my test environment with normal user . ( non admin )

If I try this on the Company Domain, the software says User Unknown or Password incorrect . BUT if I add the user to the Local Administrators it works and it can also log in. BUT this is not allowed.

Can anyone please tell me which GPO or Settings might be preventing a normal user from using Autologin to a Server ?

Thank you

Answer 1

Autologin is a local login. On Windows Server systems local login is only allowed by adminstrators by default (not totaly sure about the default) There is a group policy to change that: open gpedit.msc and add the user you want to use: Computer Configuration --> Windows Settings --> Security Settings --> User Rights Assignment --> Allow log on locally

Without the policy adjusted Sysinternals Autologon will throw an error invalid username password. Apparently it tries a local login as validation which then fails.

See also https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/security-policy-settings/allow-log-on-locally