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passwords: entry required versus automatic entry


masterpointer

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John, after some googling, if you encrypt then autologon is supposedly disabled.

http://itk.samfundet.no/dok-filer/ms-xp-sp...edadminpassword

http://www.msfn.org/board/index.php?showtopic=7714

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I looked at 2 VMs that I had. Both appear to be nlited because nlite.inf was in the inf folder. It's been a while since I created them so not sure the exact steps I took.

Anyways, 1 has DefaultPassword filled out and the other one didn't.

I'll mess around with some VM installs and report back when I get to it.

Edited by -X-
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I looked for an encrypt option in nLite Unattended and found none. I was wrong. My PW shows up in clear text in the Registry as -X- pointed out. I have found no way to keep my key from showing up there or on the installation CD. The command to set the key is in the nLite.inf (NLITE.IN_) file in the ISO. The only thing I can think of is to change the PW after installation. Perhaps I could delete the command in the nLite.inf file before the ISO is cut. Setting the EncryptedAdminPassword="No" to "Yes" in the Winnt.sif file causes Setup to stop and ask for the Administer PW. It does not effect the account I defined. I hope someone has some ideas. Enjoy, John.

EDIT: Well, I tried deleting the command to set the Registry key from nLite.inf and during the install, on the last boot, I was prompted for my PW. After this, installation completed, but when I restarted, just before the Login screen, I got a message to enter my PW, but it did not pause for me to do it. It went to the Login screen and hung with "Windows is starting..." I have a modified Login screen and perhaps this is part of the problem, but deleting the command that sets the key is not the solution.

EDIT2: I deleted the DefaultPassword key in my VM and it trashed my Auto Login. It now asks for my PW. Funny, this key does not exist in my real machine and Auto Login works. I used control userpasswords2, to setup my Auto Login in my host.

Edited by johnhc
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[OT]

I read an interesting tidbit on one of the MSVP sites.

If you create a User w/ a blank password, WinXP and above - that is one of the more secure users...

Apparently, a Login w/ a blank password can only login locally.

So if you don't need remote login access w/ that UserName, a blank password means there is no password for someone to try to crack or gain remote access to your machine with that ID (no password, no remote access).

[/OT]

That maybe so, but I'm using a fingerprint for my secure data. We found to our horror that if we have a blank password, we could just hit Enter to gain access to all our sites!!! This is because the fingerprinter program uses the log-in password to verify that you are really "ÿou". Hence, "Ënter" becomes your "password"!

Secondly, be aware that if you have a password, but you set the boot to automatic log-on (i.e. by-passing the need for entering the password), that password becomes readable by various password reading programs (SIW and Spotmau to mention a couple). Hence, having somehow ascertained the password, you can just type in the password in lieu of the fingerprinter.

Finally, if you enter the password (or use your fingerprinter in lieu thereof) to log on after on each boot, the password becomes scrambled can no longer be found in the password reading programs. I have also searched for the password in the register, without success.

Thus if you need a "secret" password, the only way is to enter the password each time you log-on.

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I looked for an encrypt option in nLite Unattended and found none. I was wrong. My PW shows up in clear text in the Registry as -X- pointed out. I have found no way to keep my key from showing up there or on the installation CD. The command to set the key is in the nLite.inf (NLITE.IN_) file in the ISO. The only thing I can think of is to change the PW after installation. Perhaps I could delete the command in the nLite.inf file before the ISO is cut. Setting the EncryptedAdminPassword="No" to "Yes" in the Winnt.sif file causes Setup to stop and ask for the Administer PW. It does not effect the account I defined. I hope someone has some ideas. Enjoy, John.

EDIT: Well, I tried deleting the command to set the Registry key from nLite.inf and during the install, on the last boot, I was prompted for my PW. After this, installation completed, but when I restarted, just before the Login screen, I got a message to enter my PW, but it did not pause for me to do it. It went to the Login screen and hung with "Windows is starting..." I have a modified Login screen and perhaps this is part of the problem, but deleting the command that sets the key is not the solution.

EDIT2: I deleted the DefaultPassword key in my VM and it trashed my Auto Login. It now asks for my PW. Funny, this key does not exist in my real machine and Auto Login works. I used control userpasswords2, to setup my Auto Login in my host.

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I looked for an encrypt option in nLite Unattended and found none. I was wrong. My PW shows up in clear text in the Registry as -X- pointed out. I have found no way to keep my key from showing up there or on the installation CD. The command to set the key is in the nLite.inf (NLITE.IN_) file in the ISO. The only thing I can think of is to change the PW after installation. Perhaps I could delete the command in the nLite.inf file before the ISO is cut. Setting the EncryptedAdminPassword="No" to "Yes" in the Winnt.sif file causes Setup to stop and ask for the Administer PW. It does not effect the account I defined. I hope someone has some ideas. Enjoy, John.

EDIT: Well, I tried deleting the command to set the Registry key from nLite.inf and during the install, on the last boot, I was prompted for my PW. After this, installation completed, but when I restarted, just before the Login screen, I got a message to enter my PW, but it did not pause for me to do it. It went to the Login screen and hung with "Windows is starting..." I have a modified Login screen and perhaps this is part of the problem, but deleting the command that sets the key is not the solution.

EDIT2: I deleted the DefaultPassword key in my VM and it trashed my Auto Login. It now asks for my PW. Funny, this key does not exist in my real machine and Auto Login works. I used control userpasswords2, to setup my Auto Login in my host.

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masterpointer, why have you posted two replies with only the quote from one of my replies? Enjoy, John.

I'm probably doing something wrong!?

I click on the "Quote"below the entry, type my reply (like here) and then click on the "Ädd Reply" button below.

I finf the setup a bit confusing. It would have been easier if it said: ""Reply to this Entry" and then after your reply "Submit your Reply" or something along those lines. Not sure what the "Quote" boxes mean.

Sorry if I have done it wrong.

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masterpointer, I, too don't understand how to use the Quote and Quote+, so I just quit using them. No big deal, I was just wondering where you were headed. I have never seen your reply. Enjoy, John.

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masterpointer, I, too don't understand how to use the Quote and Quote+, so I just quit using them. No big deal, I was just wondering where you were headed. I have never seen your reply. Enjoy, John.

I believe the [ Quote+ ] is supposed to enable multi-post quoting, so that if you choose [ Add Reply ] and have selected [ Quote+ ] on multiple posts, all of those posts would be inserted as quotes in your reply. It doesn't work though.

The only functioning Quote appears to be the right of that, which lets you quote one post in question.

Edited by Crash&Burn
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