User Accounts and Fast User Switching
Microsoft Windows XP includes a new feature that provides multiuser access to a single computer. Fast User Switching, which is available in both the Home
and Professional editions, allows users to access the computer with their specific settings, including the desktop and various applications, without requiring
the previous user to log off. New users log on and switch from the original user's session to their own. New users can run their desktop and applications
without interfering with the original user. When the original user returns, that user can switch back to the desktop and applications with the original settings.
All of this is accomplished without the delay of each individual user logging off the computer.
During setup, the computer administrator creates all the accounts that will be used on the computer. (For information on types of accounts and adding new
accounts, see "
How to Add Users
.") When the computer starts, the main user screen appears with all of the user names. From this screen you select an
account and log in to that session.
How to Use Fast User Switching
To access Fast User Switching, perform the following steps:
1.
Click the
Start
button and click
Log Off
.
2.
When the
Log Off Windows
screen appears, click either
Switch User
or
Log Off
.
When you select
Switch User
, the main user screen appears. You can then select your account name and log in. Your personal desktop appears.
What Happens When a Fast User Switch Occurs?
When a fast user switch occurs, the original user is not logged off the computer as previously happened on other Microsoft operating systems. On Windows
XP, the user's logon remains active, but is replaced by the new user. Users can switch between login IDs as often as they want.
However, user applications active during a user switch remain active and running in the background while the new user is working; this can result in a slower
computer until the process finishes. For example, if one user is downloading a large file from the Internet and another user logs on to the computer, the file
download continues in the background until it is complete.
While most applications continue to run in the background during a fast user switch, multimedia applications do not. Because multimedia applications use
resources that cannot easily be shared between different users on a single computer, those applications terminate during the user switch, allowing the new
user to take full advantage of the multimedia capabilities.
Special Considerations With Fast User Switching
Considerations when using Fast User Switching include:
l
Some older Windows games may not operate with a fast user switch.
l
Multimedia games may shut down on a fast user switch.
l
DVD software shuts down and requires a restart when the user comes back.
l
Computers with low memory configurations can experience problems. The computer uses memory to keep the first user's programs running in the
background while the second user is logged on. On computers with limited memory, this can cause the entire computer to run slowly. Fast User
Switching is off by default on computers with less than 128 megabytes (MB) of random
-access memory (RAM).
Fast User Switching is unavailable if the computer has Windows XP Professional installed and is a member of a computer domain.
How to Turn Off Fast User Switching
You must have a computer administrator account on the computer to turn off Fast User Switching. (For information on types of accounts, see "
How to Add
Users
.")
To disable Fast User Switching, perform the following steps:
1.
Click the
Start
button, and click
Control Panel
.
2.
In the
Control Panel
window, click
User Accounts
.
3.
Under
Pick a task
, click
Change the way users log on or off
and do one of the following:
l
Select the
Use Fast User Switching to log off
check box to enable Fast User Switching.
l
Deselect the
Use Fast User Switching to log off
check box to disable Fast User Switching.
4.
Click
Apply Options
.
How to Add Users
Only a computer administrator or a user with administrator rights can create multiple user accounts. The individual who performs the initial operating system
setup creates a computer administrator account and can add any number of users during the initial setup. All user accounts created during setup have
administrator rights.
After initial operating system setup, the computer administrator or a user with administrator rights can create additional user accounts.
NOTE:
Fast User Switching is the default user screen for both Home and Professional editions, but is disabled in Windows XP Professional when the
computer is a member of a computer domain.
NOTE:
Different account options are available when a Windows XP Professional computer is connected to a domain.
