WIN10 login for work laptop

[rh71]

I got a new laptop for work [apparently with full admin privileges] and they told me my username to login to WIN10 starts with .\myshortname

Typing the .\ is cumbersome (every unlock too) so I went into the User Accounts and the Users tab shows myshortname without the .\. The only other 2 accounts are company-admin related names.

So why is it that I have to type the .\ before my username? Without it, I get "incorrect function". Any way around this or is it a hidden policy set by IT?

Secondary question: I have to physically hit ctrl-alt-del to unlock the laptop (Thinkpad T450) and then type user/pass which is also a pain. I work full time from home. It has a fingerprint reader but when I go to set it up under sign-in options, it brings up a dark gray Windows Hello box for a brief second (no text or anything in the box) and then it disappears completely. Does this mean IT disabled that too?

Alternatively I've tried setting a PIN and it asks me to "First, verify your account password" which I enter then it says "Incorrect function."

 

[bbhaag]

Since you have admin privileges how do you feel about auto login? It's a work laptop so that might not be allowed but it sounds like it might make your life easier. I setup auto login on my personal laptop for a lot of the same reasons you're describing and it works great.
Anyway, if it's something you're interested in checking out just use the netplwiz command in the run box when you right click on the Start Button. It has been awhile since I have done it but these instructions from Into Windows should do the trick.

 

[rh71]

Since you have admin privileges how do you feel about auto login?

The option isn't there so I'm sure they took it away with this image. I see it on my personal desktop though.

 

[mikeymikec]

I got a new laptop for work [apparently with full admin privileges] and they told me my username to login to WIN10 starts with .\myshortname

Typing the .\ is cumbersome (every unlock too) so I went into the User Accounts and the Users tab shows myshortname without the .\. The only other 2 accounts are company-admin related names.

So why is it that I have to type the .\ before my username? Without it, I get "incorrect function". Any way around this or is it a hidden policy set by IT?

I've switched on watching for this thread because I'm definitely curious about this. I'd expect that if I were switching the domain I was logging on to (ie. from domain to a local login or vice versa), I'd expect to type domainname\username or computername\username accordingly, but that's as far as my two cents go on this point.

Secondary question: I have to physically hit ctrl-alt-del to unlock the laptop (Thinkpad T450) and then type user/pass which is also a pain. I work full time from home. It has a fingerprint reader but when I go to set it up under sign-in options, it brings up a dark gray Windows Hello box for a brief second (no text or anything in the box) and then it disappears completely. Does this mean IT disabled that too?

Alternatively I've tried setting a PIN and it asks me to "First, verify your account password" which I enter then it says "Incorrect function."

I suspect that's a domain policy at work, but AFAIK you're stuck with the C-A-D bit. No comment on Hello.

 

[crashtech]

Seems like if you are admin, you could muck about in the group policy editor, but if it were me, I'd image the drive and use the image, in case something goes south.

 

[mxnerd]

.\ is telling the computer you are logging into the machine locally, not logging into company's domain.

You are at home and not connected to your company's network.

 

[mikeymikec]

.\ is telling the computer you are logging into the machine locally, not logging into company's domain.

Does that work on any modern version of Windows?

 

[mxnerd]

Does that work on any modern version of Windows?

It's like that since Windows Vista if your computer ever joined company domain.

 

[mxnerd]

Actually I wonder why OP's company don't setup a VPN to company's network if OP always work from home?

Unless OP's always does his job just using company's web pages.

If OP doesn't want to press CTRL-ALT-DEL to login once in a while, you just have to change power option in control panel to High Performance so the laptop won't go into power saving mode.

 

[rh71]

I connect to VPN after I log in. No need to join any domain really.

The other weird thing is it requires my username and not just my password every time I try to unlock. Even though I set it to high performance power profile, I can't find the setting that keeps it from locking after X minutes.

 

[crashtech]

First step to remove Ctrl-Alt-Del logon:
As admin, run secpol.msc. Go to:
"Local Policies>Security Options>Interactive logon: Do not require Ctrl-Alt-Del"
Right-click, select properties, and enable it.

There are probably a bunch of things set up in there and in GPE to modify behaviors, it might be a disk image that everyone gets.

 

[mxnerd]

I connect to VPN after I log in. No need to join any domain really.

Your company already joined the laptop into the domain when IT dept set it up and configured the user profile (which is stored locally on your laptop).

VPN only connect the laptop to the domain network and check the credential, so you can retrieve network shared files if you need to.

And yes, if you have local admin rights, you can do what crashtech suggested to remove the Ctrl-Alt-Del login.