Windows Auto-Logon
Some game servers need to interact with the Windows desktop to work properly. For these games, a Windows user must be logged in at all times — including after the server reboots. TCAdmin provides a built-in command to set this up securely.
This feature only applies to Windows servers. If you're running Linux, you can skip this page.
Most game servers work fine without auto-logon. You only need it if a specific game requires the "Interact with Desktop" option to be enabled in its TCAdmin configuration. If you're not sure, skip this for now — you can always set it up later.
What Auto-Logon Does
Normally, after a Windows server reboots, it sits at the login screen waiting for someone to type in a password. If a game server needs desktop access to run, it can't start until someone logs in.
Auto-logon solves this by automatically logging in a Windows user account every time the server starts up. The game server can then start normally without anyone needing to manually log in.
Enable Auto-Logon
Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator and run:
tca enable-autologon
You'll be asked for:
- Username — the Windows user account to log in automatically (e.g.,
Administrator) - Password — the password for that account (you'll type it twice to confirm)
- Domain — the domain name (just press Enter to use the local computer name — this is correct for most setups)
The command verifies your credentials are correct before enabling auto-logon.
One-Line Version
If you prefer, you can pass everything in a single command:
tca enable-autologon --username Administrator --password YourPassword --domain COMPUTERNAME
| Option | Short Form | What It Does |
|---|---|---|
--username | -u | The Windows user account |
--password | -p | The password for the account |
--domain | -d | The domain (defaults to local computer name) |
--force | -f | Skip the Shift-key bypass check |
Yes. The password is stored using Windows LSA Secrets (encrypted), the same method used by Microsoft's own Sysinternals Autologon tool. The password is not stored in plain text in the registry.
Disable Auto-Logon
To turn off auto-logon and remove the stored credentials:
tca disable-autologon
You'll be asked to confirm. To skip the confirmation prompt:
tca disable-autologon --yes
This removes the stored password and disables automatic login.