How to Enable Autologon for Windows Server 2008 Member Servers and Windows 7 Member Workstations

note: this post is for my own reference only

In a previous post I showed how to enable Autologon for workgroup servers and workstations.

Once you join a server to a domain, Windows will automatically delete the AutoAdminLogon value from the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon registry key. This causes the userpasswords2 control to hide the “Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer” check box shown above.

Here’s how to get the missing checkbox back and configure Autologon:

• Open a CMD prompt and enter the following (all on one line):

reg add “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon” /v AutoAdminLogon /t REG_SZ /d “1” /f

• Click Start, Run and enter control userpasswords2
• Clear the checkbox for Users must enter a user name and password to use this computer and click OK
• Enter the user name and password that will be used for Autologon and click OK

You may find that you need to configure the default domain, as well.  If so, enter the following (all on one line) at a CMD prompt, edited to user your domain name:

reg add “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon” /v DefaultDomainName /t REG_SZ /d “domain” /f

When the computer starts up the account you specified will be logged in automatically. Note that the password is encrypted on the computer.

This tip works for Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

Installing VMware tools on Debian

Install VMware Tools on Debian 8

Please do note that this is a straight forward with no explanation since this is for my own reference. But, if this will help. I’m so glad.

#apt-get install binutils cpp gcc make psmisc linux-headers-$(uname -r)
#mount /dev/cdrom /mnt/cdrom
#tar -C /tmp -zxvf /mnt/cdrom/VMwareTools-x.x.x-x.tar.gz
#cd /tmp/vmware-tools-distrib
#./vmware-install.pl
#umount /mnt/cdrom

Install VMware Tools on Debian 6

– apt-get install linux-headers-$(uname -r)
– apt-get install gcc make
– sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/vmware-tools/libconf
– sudo rm -rf /usr/lib/vmware-tools/bin
– sudo mkdir /usr/lib64
./vmware-install.pl -default

Installing VMware Tools On Debian Lenny 5.0.2 With Gnome Desktop On ESX Server 3.5 Update 4

From time to time, installing VMware Tools on a Linux guest will cause you some grief. While there are lots of howto’s, usually they’re for VMware Workstation. Here’s one that works in Debian/Lenny 5.0.2 on ESX Server 3.5 Update 4.

Important: before making changes on the guest, create a snapshot on your ESX Server. This way you can revert the changes if you get something wrong.

1. Install required Debian packages

On the Debian guest, open a root terminal:

Applications -> Accessories -> Root Terminal

Note: if you’ve installed the openssh server, you can connect using a Putty/SSH client if you prefer.

Before running the VMware Tools installation script, we need to install a few Debian packages:

apt-get install binutils gcc-4.1-base make linux-headers-$(uname -r)

To allow the vmware-user daemon to start after the install and prevent it from failing thereafter, do the following:

ln -s /usr/lib/libexpat.so.1 /usr/lib/libexpat.so.0

2. Copy and extract the VMware Tools installation files to a local directory

On your Virtual Infrastructure Client, from the menu load the VMware Tools virtual CD:

Inventory -> Virtual Machine -> Install/Upgrade VMware Tools

(You should see a CD-ROM icon appear on your Debian desktop. Just ignore it.)

Create and/or navigate to a directory where you’d like to store the installation files (e.g., /var/installs), then extract the files:

mkdir /var/installs
cd /var/installs
tar zxvf /media/cdrom/VMwareTools-3.5.0-153875.tar.gz

Unmount the CD-ROM by canceling the VMware Tools Install/Upgrade on the VI-Client:

Inventory -> Virtual Machine -> End VMware Tools Install

Ignore the mount error on the Debian desktop by clicking ‘Close’ on the window that pops up.

3. Install VMware Tools

Important: if you are running a Putty/SSH session connected to the guest, at this point you must run the next three commands from a terminal session inside the guest, otherwise you’ll be disconnected by the installation script after it reinitializes the network. In Debian/Lenny, Applications -> Accessories -> Root Terminal.

The VMware Tools Install detects and uses the ‘CC’ environment variable so it knows which compiler to use. We must specify gcc-4.1:

export CC=/usr/bin/gcc-4.1

(If you make a mistake, you’ll be prompted during the install for the right file; no problem, just enter /usr/bin/gcc-4.1.)

Switch to the installation directory and run the installation script:

cd /var/installs/vmware-tools-distrib
./vmware-install.pl