Windows 10 Fall Creator Logs in user Automatically (in background)
If you have updated to the Fall Creators Update (build 1709) already, you might have noticed that windows logs in faster? In some cases, there is even no waiting time and you can start working immediately. As it seems, Windows users log in automatically in the background.
Don't let any alarm bells ring you on this new feature, it does so in a discrete manner. Myce.com noticed this when the person that noticed this got away from his PC: he had turned on his computer but had logged in yet. He, however, received notifications on his mobile with login requests, which turned out to be OneDrive afterward, here's that story:
Initially I thought that Microsoft improved the logon process until I received an unexpected sign-in request on my mobile one day at work. I switched on my PC and headed out for a few minutes. While away from my desk, my mobile bleeped asking to approve a sign-in request, which got me concerned. I headed straight back to my desk, logged in and saw OneDrive showing the awaiting sign-in approval screen.
Prior to the Fall Creators update (version 1709), OneDrive did not automatically sign in until I logged into Windows. To test whether this was just OneDrive or Windows discretely logging in, I created a simple batch file that displays the current time and added it to the Windows start-up folder. I rebooted the computer and left it at the Windows logon screen for several minutes. When I signed into Windows, the batch file clearly started several minutes earlier:
On a computer with multiple user accounts, Windows will automatically log into the last user account that shutdown or restarted the PC, while displaying the password screen. If another user logs in, Windows will give the impression that the previous user had already signed in. This is particularly noticeable when that user later shuts down the computer and gets this surprise:
Although this new feature may be convenient, it is worth checking what software launches when signing into Windows, particularly on PCs with multiple user accounts. For example, chat software such as Skype and Yahoo Messenger that automatically signs in will show the user as online. This can be an issue on a multi-user PC where another user signs in. If the last user’s account has chat software that signs in automatically, it give the impression that this last user has come online, which would not happen before the Fall Creators update.
From further testing, Windows version 1703 does not automatically log in the last user in the background, unless a user account has no password. According to a thread on TenForums, the Fall Creators update also disabled a registry key that prevented a password-free account from automatically signing in.
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Senior Member
Posts: 750
Joined: 2015-05-19
There is actually an option to turn this off in the login settings. I noticed this right away because the Skype startup sound appeared right on the login screen.
Senior Member
Posts: 148
Joined: 2016-10-13
I actually like this. My current PC being due for an hardware update, it does help that when I log in (I'm the only user) all the background apps such as fan control and mouse/keyboard controllers are already running minimised in the background.
I can see however that with multi-user PC's this might be an annoying feature.
Senior Member
Posts: 6913
Joined: 2010-10-16
Yes it's annoying as it messes up startup apps if used in multiple accounts. Plus you always get "someone else is using this PC" when shutting down.
In reality W10 doesn't "auto log"-in at startup, it actually never logs you out at shutdown (unless you choose log out first).
Where did you find this? I tried searching user account and login settings, found nothing related.
Senior Member
Posts: 8158
Joined: 2008-07-31
I noticed this when i reset my PC once and was in a discord audio channel when i did it. When the login screen came on, i was not at the PC yet, so it was a few moments before i logged on. To my surprise, people were talking to me (but i could not talk to them) through discord, on my login screen, without ever touching the PC after restarting it.
There is actually an option to turn this off in the login settings. I noticed this right away because the Skype startup sound appeared right on the login screen.
Where did you find this? I tried searching user account and login settings, found nothing related.
I'm curious about this as well. Is it this option?

Senior Member
Posts: 886
Joined: 2002-09-14
I'm a scavenger, with the feathers of a dove
No need for you to have a secret fear
Whether ur logged on or off, I'm always near