Cannot Automatically Login as Administrator

Re: Snow Leopard 10.6.2

I would like to adjust my login preferences so that when the computer starts up, it goes directly to the desktop without asking for a password, which is the present situation.

There is only one user on my computer, me, and I am the Administrator as such. Within the Accounts window under "Automatic Login" I have my name listed as the Administrator. Despite this setting, each time the computer starts up a password window appears and asks for a password.

How can I automatically start up the computer without the login window prompt, given the above setting within the Accounts window?

Thanks for any tips.

System prefs / security / uncheck require password
and uncheck disable auto login

Hope this helps
Clay

Do you have it set up like this?
If so, Clay's advice should fix it

Yes, my accounts window looks exactly like the above graphic you've posted.
Within the general tab of the security window, all password related options are unchecked.
Yet I still have the login window prompt when starting up the computer given the above settings.

I do, however, have a master password set up. Could this be causing the problem somehow?

That it could and would I'm certain.
PS I recommend against using filevault! When it goes wrong (and it does) all is lost.

Although I have a master password set up through FileVault, the FileVault feature is currently turned off.
The same login password prompt is still happening during computer start up, though.

I don't know what's going on then...... but I still suspect it has something to do with having set the master password.

I would try setting up a new account, and then selecting that as the automatic login account and see if that works!

From Apple help menu:
Changing the way users log in
You can require users to enter a password to log in to your computer, or you can turn on automatic login, which automatically logs in a specified user each time the computer starts up.

Automatic login is useful if you’re the only person who uses your computer, and the computer is always in a safe and secure place. If you have more than one user account on your computer, or if you’re concerned about the security of information on your computer, you should require users to log in with a password. Automatic login is not available for accounts that are using FileVault encryption.


To have the computer automatically log in to a particular account when the computer starts up, choose the account from the “Automatic login” pop-up menu, enter an administrator password, and click OK.

I just got this computer so I called up AppleCare.

Here's what we did: turned off automatic login and then turned it on again with my system administrator account within the Accounts window.

Turning the feature off then on jarred it into working properly.
Thanks to all for the great online support.