Windows 8: Log in automatically with a Microsoft account

If you don't always want to log in manually after starting Windows 8, you can also use your Microsoft account to log in automatically. A small registry trick makes it possible.

Enter the Microsoft login in the Windows 8 registry

You use your existing Microsoft account to log on to Windows 8 so that apps like Skydrive have immediate access to your personal data. Nevertheless, you always have to enter the access data when starting the system. This is annoying if you only use the computer at home, for example. Therefore, despite certain security risks, you want to implement an automatic login again. With the right settings, it even works with the Microsoft account.

• You simply store the registration information in the registry. To do this, press the key combination [Windows] + [R], enter "regedit" and confirm with the Enter key. Acknowledge the user account control by clicking "Yes".
• Navigate to the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows NT \ CurrentVersion \ Winlogon".
• Then right-click twice to edit the value »Auto AdminLogon«, change it to »1« and confirm with »OK«.
• Now open »DefaultPassword« with a double click and enter the password of your Microsoft account here. You may have to create this string again. You also edit the value »DefaultUsername«. However, your actual user name must be preceded by the domain name "MicrosoftAccount". The required entry is then, for example, "MicrosoftAccount \ chipleser".
• Then confirm this with »OK«, close the registry and restart the PC.