Quicker Switching Between Users in Windows XP

It's 7:30 on a Monday morning and Bob has just found a great deal on a 160-piece tool set online. As Bob contemplates purchasing the tool set, his daughter frantically tells him that she needs the computer so that she can print a homework assignment. "I saved it to my desktop and it's due today!" she proclaims. With a few keystrokes, Bob quickly switches over to his daughter's account so that she can print the assignment. As she scurries out the door to catch the school bus, Bob switches back to his account; happy to have not lost the web site containing the tool set he already has a mental list of projects for.

Fast User Switching is a handy feature that allows multiple users to be logged on to a computer at the same time. It provides a quick and effective way to switch between user accounts without logging off, closing programs, or compromising user account information. It is particularly handy for family members or roommates who share a computer.

Additionally, it is a useful tool when needing to install a program that requires administrative rights. For example, my PC has two main accounts; the one used most often is limited and the other is my administrator account. If I need to install a program, I can easily switch to my administrator account and install the software without having to log off of my limited account. Once installation is complete, I can switch back to my limited account and begin using the software.

By default, Fast User Switching is automatically enabled on PCs running Windows XP Home Edition and Windows XP Professional (assuming your PC has at least 64MB of RAM, which nowadays most do). It is not available on computers that are connected to a domain. You can enable Fast User Switching by making sure that "Use Fast User Switching" is checked under User Accounts in the Control Panel. Please note that you must have administrative rights to do this.