Summary: This is a tutorial on configuring auto authentication towards vCenter on the old vSphere client before everything was changed to a web client.
Date: Around 2013
Refactor: 4 January 2025: Checked links and formatting.

The vSphere client is (by default) installed in:

C:\Program Files\VMware\Infrastructure\Virtual Infrastructure Client\Launcher\VpxClient.exe

Since VirtualCenter 2.5.2 you can pass your Windows credentials automatically to the virtualcenter when you log on. To do so, add these switches to the executable:

-passthroughAuth -s <VirtualCenter hostname/ip-address>

In stead of using your own Windows credentials there are also possibilities to login with a different username and password. To do so, add these switches to the executable:

-s <VirtualCenter hostname/ip-address> -u <username> -p <password>