diff --git a/xpra/platform/win32/auth.py b/xpra/platform/win32/auth.py
index 332aec25f9..35ea09d14c 100755
--- a/xpra/platform/win32/auth.py
+++ b/xpra/platform/win32/auth.py
@@ -23,15 +23,13 @@
 LOGON32_PROVIDER_DEFAULT = 0
 
 
-def check(domain="", username: str = "", password: bytes = b"") -> bool:
+def check(domain="", username: str = "", password: str = "") -> bool:
     token = HANDLE()
     # domain = os.environ.get('COMPUTERNAME')
-    pstr = password.decode("utf8")
     if LOG_CREDENTIALS:
         log("LogonUser(%s, %s, %s, CLEARTEXT, DEFAULT, %#x)",
-            username, domain, pstr, addressof(token))
-    #LogonUser.argtypes = [LPCWSTR, LPCWSTR, LPCWSTR, DWORD, DWORD, POINTER(HANDLE)]
-    status = LogonUser(username, domain, pstr,
+            username, domain, password, addressof(token))
+    status = LogonUser(username, domain, password,
                        LOGON32_LOGON_NETWORK_CLEARTEXT,
                        LOGON32_PROVIDER_DEFAULT,
                        byref(token))
diff --git a/xpra/server/auth/win32.py b/xpra/server/auth/win32.py
index 9d8f889cb0..5258b665db 100755
--- a/xpra/server/auth/win32.py
+++ b/xpra/server/auth/win32.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ def get_challenge(self, digests: Sequence[str]) -> tuple[bytes, str]:
         self.req_xor(digests)
         return super().do_get_challenge(["xor"])
 
-    def check(self, password: bytes) -> bool:
+    def check_password(self, password: str) -> bool:
         domain = ""  # os.environ.get('COMPUTERNAME')
         if check(domain, self.username, password):
             self.password = password