Motivation:
There are two distinct idle states reachable from power-on:
- Leaving the computer unattended after pressing the power button will reach an idle state on the login screen, with no user logged in and no user-level programs started.
- Logging in from 1. the next idle state will be reached once all user-level programs have been started.
Nowadays, it seems that even on a well-groomed system, 2. does always take considerably longer than 1. . In the meanwhile, user-started programs open quickly but then grow (often partially) unresponsive, until the background processes have caught up. Waiting an odd minute without action after logging in nicely works around this and usually yields a fully-ready system earlier than trying to get work done right as the desktop appears.
The tried and trusted "power on and leave, come back when it's done" approach does not work well under these circumstances, as either 1. has to be waited out on-site, or 2. cannot be circumvented.
Note that a Windows system with single user and no password protection will automatically login the single user and proceed to desktop.
- No problem here ... except that the unattended computer is not password-protected - an unfortunate combination.
Note that a logged-in user may return to the login screen without logging-off - and all programs will keep running, programs scheduled for automatic tasks will be started and stopped normally, etc. .
- If this were the state the computer would automatically progress towards from power-on, the issue were resolved amiably.
Desire:
To allow a "power on the PC and go do something else until it's ready" approach as was common in the DOS era and as is still common for non-password-protected single user accounts, I would like to configure my systems to automatically login the user on start, but keep displaying the login screen until the password is entered.
Ideally without third-party software.
Research:
So far I was only able to find solutions to one half of the problem: logging in automatically. They all circumvent the necessity to enter a password in the first place (among other, less general issues).
- This is not acceptable - if it were, I'd just remove the password entirely and be done with it.
[1][2] (and two more I have not enough reputation to include)
Note: I was not able to find the english name of the start menu button which displays the login screen without logging off the current user. If you could provide it in a comment, so I can use it to make the question more clear, that would be appreciated.
Note: This is not a security question.
