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I don't like to sit and wait for my computer. So I put this "Lock Console Session" (step 1) shortcut in the Startup folder of my Start Menu, and I set my computer to automatically log me in upon starting up (step 2).
This way I still have the security of my computer being password protected, but it's more convenient for me when booting up. I can turn on the power, go grab something from the kitchen or whatever, and when I come back, all I have to do is enter my password and it's ready to go. Without this workaround, when I got back from the kitchen and put in my password, I'd have to wait for the whole login sequence.
In other words, having my computer ready to use after a full "Shut Down" requires the same simple procedure as after Hibernating it (since I have my computer require a password upon waking out of hibernation).
A minor tradeoff is that I sometimes will not want that user account to get logged on when I bootup. But if I foresee those occurences, it's easy to go recheck the "Users must enter a user name and password..." checkbox in advance. Also, if I ever do a full logoff (usually I just use "Fast User Switching", i.e. "Lock the Console Session" without shutting down Windows, and then want to log back on, I'll have to enter my password twice. But that's a rare situation.
Step 1:
- right-click the Start button, choose "Open",
- double-click the Programs folder,
- double-click the Startup folder,
- right-click in the window and choose New -> Shortcut
- type in (or paste from here) the following line:
rundll32.exe user32.dll, LockWorkStation
- click Next
- type a name for the shortcut. Perhaps "Lock My Account"
- click Finish
Step 2:
- click Start
- click Run...
- enter the following line and click OK
control userpasswords2
- uncheck the "Users must enter a user name and password..." checkbox
- click OK
- enter the username and password of the preferred user account
- click OK