After a Windows reboot I need to login in to make it start again

Question

I have a virtual Windows instance on Lightsail which hosts my .exe apps as servers for my network games. When there's a Microsoft Patch Tuesday my Lightsail Windows instance gets rebooted. But, the .exe files don't start to run until I manually log in using RDP, and then they automatically run as that's how I've set them up.

Why do I need to manually log in each time? Is there a way to make it so I don't need to log in, and the Windows instance just starts up after being rebooted?

MikeLim · Answer

I assume you put the app in the startup group, which means someone needs to login for it to start.

An option is to configure your Windows to auto login after restart. You can use SysInternals autologon utility to configure Windows’ built-in autologon mechanism. Instructions and download at [Autologin site](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autologon)

kranthi putti · Answer

Hello,

To automatically start your .exe apps after a Windows reboot without needing to log in manually, follow these steps:

*  Download Autologon from the SysInternals website. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/autologon

* Run Autologon.exe and enter your Windows username, password, and domain (if applicable).

* Click "Enable" to activate auto-login.

* Restart your instance.

This will ensure Windows logs in automatically after a reboot, starting your .exe apps if they're configured to run at startup or via a scheduled task.

After a Windows reboot I need to login in to make it start again

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