Deleting Windows Logon

When I originally installed XP, it would boot and bring up my desktop with no intervention. I don't know how it happened, but suddenly the Windows Logon dialog box now comes up when I boot the computer, and it asks for a password. I can continue the boot by just clicking "OK" and not entering a password (I DO NOT want to use this feature!), but how do I restore XP to the original configuration where it skips this password dialog box?

Also, when I hit CTRL + ALT + Delete to bring up Task Manager, I now get a "Windows Security" dialog box where I have to click a button to get Task Manager - before the above happened, I would get Task Manager without this dialog box. I assume whatever changed the first problem caused the second, too! If the fix for the first problem will resolve both these issues, great, if not, I would like to know how to restore this to the way it originally worked, too.

Thanks!

Click on start then run and type the following in (without the quotes) "control userpasswords2" then uncheck the box that reads "Users must enter a password to use this computer"
Then click ok and a dialog box will come up that asks you which user you want to automatically logon, type the username then the password in and click on ok.

As for the second problem, I dont know how to fix it, but after you have done the above, check and see if it still comes up.
Hope that it helps.
Yuri.

Yuri,

I did as you said - initially, it didn't seem to work - the computer quit booting altogether! It would stall at the "starting Windows" screen. I don't know where I remembered it from, but I held down the CTRL key while booting and it booted OK. I went into Control Panel and while tinkering with User Accounts - Change the Way Users Logon, I got an error message indicating that another program was interferring and it even gave the .exe command of the program. Turns out it was a Micro-Star program (the makers of my motherboard) that I had recently downloaded as an "update". I deleted it and everything was returned to normal - it now boots without intervention and also Task Manager shows up by simply hitting CTRL ALT DEL.

Thanks for your help!