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.
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.
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, one exception to this is multimedia applications. Because
multimedia applications utilize resources that cannot easily be shared
between different users on a single computer, those applications terminate
during the user switch, which allows the new user to take full advantage of
the multimedia capabilities.
Considerations when using Fast User Switching include:
Some older Windows games may not operate with a fast user switch.
Multimedia games may shut down on a fast user switch.
DVD software shuts down and requires a restart when the user comes
back.
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.
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:
Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, click User Accounts.
Under Pick a task, click Change the way users log on or off and do one
of the following:
Select the Use Fast User Switching to log off check box to enable
Fast User Switching.
Deselect the Use Fast User Switching to log off check box to
disable Fast User Switching.
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: Different account options are available when a Windows XP
Professional computer is connected to a domain.
To add users, perform the following steps:
Click the Start button, and click Control Panel.
In the Control Panel window, click User Accounts.
In the User Accounts window under Pick a Task, click Create a new
account.
In the box under Name the new account, type the name of the new
user. Click Next>.
Under Pick an account type, click the bullet next to the type of
account you are going to create — Computer administrator
or Limited.
A computer administrator can change all computer settings.
A limited account user can change only a few settings such as their
own password.
Click Create Account.
After the accounts are created, each shows up on the main user screen.
