Tech Tips / Windows XP / Desktop and GUI
Windows XP is built on Windows NT/2000 kernel, which means it's quite secure. Every user must have a username and a password. While security is very important in corporations, home users usually don't need a strict security policy. A typical home user needs moderate security but with a simplified interface; it is precisely this balance that Windows XP attempts to strike with the Welcome Screen.
The Welcome Screen, which appears at start-up, lists all user accounts defined on the local machine. To make the user interface more appealing, Microsoft has added a small picture to each account (which you can change, of course). When users want to log on, they simply have to click on their account. If they have a password defined, the operating system will ask for it and then log the user in upon authentication.
This Welcome Screen is so useful that many administrators wanted to deploy it in their networks. Unfortunately, this isn't possible as the Welcome Screen is available only on the machines that are part of a workgroup. When they join a domain, the Welcome Screen is automatically disabled.
You can also manually disable the Welcome Screen by going to the User Accounts in the Control Panel and selecting Change The Way Users Log On Or Off. You'll find an option to disable the Welcome Screen in the next dialog box. Note that you need administrative privileges to disable the Welcome Screen feature.
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