Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows 10 Version 1903
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Logon Options Description
This policy setting controls whether a device will automatically sign in and lock the last interactive user after the system restarts or after a shutdown and cold boot. This only occurs if the last interactive user didn’t sign out before the restart or shutdown. If the device is joined to Active Directory or Azure Active Directory, this policy only applies to Windows Update restarts. Otherwise, this will apply to both Windows Update restarts and user-initiated restarts and shutdowns. If you don’t configure this policy setting, it is enabled by default. When the policy is enabled, the user is automatically signed in and the session is automatically locked with all lock screen apps configured for that user after the device boots. After enabling this policy, you can configure its settings through the ConfigAutomaticRestartSignOn policy, which configures the mode of automatically signing in and locking the last interactive user after a restart or cold boot. If you disable this policy setting, the device does not configure automatic sign in. The user’s lock screen apps are not restarted after the system restarts.
Registry
Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System Value name: DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn
Enabled: DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn = 0
Disabled: DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn = 1
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/AllowAutomaticRestartSignOn Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows 10 Version 1903
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System]
"DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn"=dword:00000000More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10 Version 1903
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn' -Value 0 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/WindowsLogon/AllowAutomaticRestartSignOn
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10 Version 1903
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System' -Name 'DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10 Version 1903
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn' -Value 0 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10 Version 1903
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10 Version 1903
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System' -Name 'DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn' -Expected 0 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Sign-in and lock last interactive user automatically after a restart
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows 10 Version 1903
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'DisableAutomaticRestartSignOn' -Value 0 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.