Windows 7 Pro Login issue

[Greg Starr]

Hi All! I've searched the threads but not found anything matching this issue - I'm sure it's a simple setting fix.

WHen I launch Win7, the VM opens, Win7 launches and the tries to login. I get the Win7 error "The User Name or Password is incorrect". I want to change the setting so the Win7 OS does not automatically login. The login credentials match my MacBookPro account - I even changed the MBP account to match the Win7 acount, just to see if that helped - no dice.

Thanks!

Greg

[YYT]

Hi Greg

It's not a Parallels thing, and definitely not a OS X issue. Parallels basically installs Windows 7 in Express mode, which logs you in automatically as the Administrator using the password you initially gave.

To solve your problem, Win7 auto-login needs to be disabled from Windows 7 thusly:

1. In the Win7 desktop, hit Apple-R and type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotes).
2. Check the tickbox that says "Users must enter password..." near the top of the dialog box that pops up.
3. Click on the "Advanced" tab and check the tickbox that says "Secure logon"

The last step is optional but recommended to prevent login screen spoofing attacks.

The wonders of the Windows world, eh? :)

Rgds.

[JenaeC]

When I start up my VM, it takes me to the startup page. It reads Administrator and prompts me to enter a password. I never set one as I have recently installed Parallels and Windows 7. I was able to go directly in before and after I installed ACT and rebooted, now it is prompting me to enter a password. I entered the one I use to log in to my mac and that is not it I know. I tried just hitting enter and that didn't work, nothing has and i am unable to log in at ALL!!!

Please advise

Jenae

[joevt]

Did you use Express Windows Mode to install Windows? The Parallels Desktop documentation says that in this mode, Parallels creates an Administrator account with a blank password.

There are 3rd party tools to reset the password but I haven't tried any of them.

It might be safest to reinstall Windows 7.

[brec]

Per the KB, that may work for Vista; but in Win 7 "control userpasswords2" doesn't find anything. Nor could I find a place in Win 7 to specify that a password is required to log in, as shown for Vista in that KB article.

In Control Panel\User Accounts and Family Safety\User Accounts you can change your password or remove it, if you have one. What I did is create one for myself. Since then, I've had the problem which this thread describes.

Edit: I also changed the user name from Administrator to something else (a security measure that I brought over from my WinXP usage).

|| Desktop 6
Win 7 Home Premium 64-bit

... Parallels basically installs Windows 7 in Express mode, which logs you in automatically as the Administrator using the password you initially gave.

To solve your problem, Win7 auto-login needs to be disabled from Windows 7 thusly:

1. In the Win7 desktop, hit Apple-R and type "control userpasswords2" (without the quotes).
2. Check the tickbox that says "Users must enter password..." near the top of the dialog box that pops up.
3. Click on the "Advanced" tab and check the tickbox that says "Secure logon"

The last step is optional but recommended to prevent login screen spoofing attacks.

The wonders of the Windows world, eh? :)

Rgds.

[pjchris]

There is an excellent guide on how to set up automatic logon for Windows 7 here.

Also control userpasswords2 still exists but it is now called netplwiz

So type that in to the Run command and you are away.

[brec]

The problem is not how to get automatic login. I want manual login, requiring a password entry. The problem is that apparently Parallels Desktop 6 tries to automatically log in and thus I have to click OK on a ""The User Name or Password is incorrect" error message before I get to enter my password. Not the biggest problem in the world, but a minor nuisance that it would be nice to have fixed. If I'm wrong about needing a fix from Parallels, I'd appreciate a heads up.

There is an excellent guide on how to set up automatic logon for Windows 7 here.

Also control userpasswords2 still exists but it is now called netplwiz

So type that in to the Run command and you are away.

[pjchris]

Surely netplwiz will allow you to turn off the automatice logon?

Try unchecking 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer' or on the Advanced Page check the box 'Require users to pres Ctrl-Alt-Delete'

[brec]

Surely netplwiz will allow you to turn off the automatice logon?

Try unchecking 'Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer' or on the Advanced Page check the box 'Require users to pres Ctrl-Alt-Delete'

I checked "Users must enter ..." and that solved the problem.

[pjchris]

Opps... That's what I should have said....