Windows – Can’t run a service under local user account with no password (“logon failure”)

windowswindows 10windows-services

I'm trying to run a service under the local user instead of the default "Local System Account". The account has no password. I picked the user and left the password fields blank. When I press "Apply", the password is filled with asterisks; I don't know if it's just to obfuscate the field's contents or if it inserts some non-blank password (but I guess it's the former). But when I start this service, I get "logon failure". What's the problem, and how can I fix it?

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Best Answer

This is controlled by a security policy. I encountered this a long time ago.

You could try creating a password for the account then enter the password in the service login dialogue. If this works then it's almost certainly the security policy.

Open gpedit.msc then go to Computer Configuration/Windows Settings/Security Settings/Local Policies/Security Options/Accounts: Limit local account use of blank passwords to console logon only.

Here you will probably see that it is enabled which will prevent using a blank password anywhere other than to logon to Windows. Your best solution is to create a Windows password which will obviously secure Windows too.

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