How do I get rid of the log-in window that now appears when I wake up my Mac?

I believe that is in the same box where you set the screen timeout and sleep options (Power or Energy)—there are tabs at the top of that dialog box… the setting to require a password when waking may be under the 2nd tab.

If not there, look in the security settings.
I’m on my iPhone with a kitty on my belly, so I can’t go check on my iMac… sorry!

Try this

# Open the System Preferences application. It is found in the Apple menu.
# Click on the “Accounts” icon in the System Preferences window.
# Click on the “Login Options” item in the list of accounts on the left side of the “Accounts” System Preferences window.
# Turn ON the “Automatically log in as” option.

However, both the link above and another suggest not using the auto-login for security reasons. just FYI

I have done all that, including your last step; “Automatically log in as” is turned on. Maybe if I restart the computer? It is simply irritating. And I know that I need to face getting a new computer with Leopard soon. This one is showing its age. (Aren’t we all?)

Yes, restart if you changed the settings.

Otherwise, try threatening it by placing a hammer on the desk…

By George, you got it. I checked the log-in settings, teased Milo with a fishing rod for a few minutes, thought about the hammer, restarted and whatya know? It worked.

Thanks.

The hammer always does it for me.

There is still so much I have to learn and never enough time. The Mac “Help” files are extremely unhelpful, I have discovered. And the spotlight is simply a joke.

My best friend is computer-illiterate; the only other occasional user is my daughter. Milo may be a risk soon; he is a very quick learner.

Maybe he did it so that you would spend a few minutes playing with the fishing rod…

Careful; he is reading this as I write.