Delayed automatic login

[Reddwarf]

When I turn on my HTPC, I have to wait some minutes to log in until all services etc har started or else things will not work properly. I'd like this process automated so that in case of a powerbreak or other event makes the computer restart while I'm away, it starts up and continues all scheduled tasks and so on.

Does anybody know of a way to make this happend without using some software one have to pay for?

[Snooze]

TweakUI or MC Standby tool come to mind. They both have a auto login section.

[Reddwarf]

Thanks for the tip, but these tools enables the ordinary windows autologon, what I need is an autologon that can delay a cretin number of minutes atfer restart before logging on.

[Snooze]

MC Standby tool can run scripts on resume or standby/hibernate.. how about that with a delay built in? Hibernate trigger can also run bat and script files.

[Reddwarf]

Can it do that after reboot? My htpc never goes to standby/hibernate, it runs 24/7 and is working most of the time

[Snooze]

Maybe I am way off track on what you are trying to do, but you could run the same *.bat w/ a shortcut to it in your startup folder.

[Reddwarf]

Problem is that shortcuts in the startup folder does not execute until you ARE logged in, and it is the login itself that needs to be delayed.

[fuzzweed]

Sounds like your trying to work round a problem that would be better fixed
how about doing it the other way round and use normal auto login (easy) and delay all the start up services that are causing problems (google startup delay)...

[Reddwarf]

Now THAT would make things even worse, most of the apps that starts automatically is dependent of the system services running. And all of the apps are not in the startup folder, some are in the registry (HKEY/LOCALMACHINE/SOFTWARE/MICROSOFT/WINDOWS/CURRENTVERSION/RUN), so it is of no use to put a delay into the startup folder.

The easyest way is probably just to buy the piece of software that can do a delayed start, cost about $20, but I was just wondering if someone knew of a free solution.

[HtV]

Maybe this could help you:
http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Micro...51400.html

Scroll down to the bottom of the page.