Windows 10 is a successful and popular operating system that has satisfied users since its launch and is in high demand in today’s technological world. We all know that Windows 10 has many updates and exceptional features, unlike the previous versions. Windows has many elements from the first version, which are noticed later. Windows has also successfully made such features come onto the surface by updating them. The updates for Windows were designed to make users more comfortable. Fast User Switching Windows 10 was added as a feature in the first version and is still exciting.
Steps to Enable/Disable Fast User Switching:
- To access the Run dialog box, press the Windows key and “R” simultaneously.
- Type in “gpedit. msc” and hit “Enter.”
- The Local Group Policy Editor will appear. Expand the necessary section.
- Find and select “Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching.”
- You can disable Fast User Switching by selecting “Enabled” or enable it by choosing “Disable.”
This helped the user to switch between two accounts while using the other. You can use two versions without logging out of the different accounts. Fast user switching can cause problems like high RAM usage and lag on your computer. Windows offers an option to turn this feature on or off. Enabling it allows multiple users to use the computer simultaneously, while turning it off only allows one user to use it simultaneously. If you forget your password during fast user switching, you can use password recovery tools for Windows 10.
Table of Contents
Methods to Enable / Disable Fast User Switching Windows 10
Using gedit.msc
Use gedit. msc or call it a group local editor.
- Open the run command on your PC by pressing Win+R and typing gedit. msc in the search bar, and click OK.
- Now expand the option “LOCAL COMPUTER POLICY” and open “COMPUTER CONFIGURATION.”
- Now in computer configuration, click on “Administrative Templates,” and then after it expands, click on “System.”
- As the system is expanded, click on “logon.”
- And now, you can see various options on your computer screen.
- Just select “Hide entry points for fast user switching.“
As soon as you select the option, there are three options available on your left-hand side named as:
- Not configured.
- Enable.
- Disable.
Now you need to select Enable to enable fast user switching, reboot your system, and choose the account you want to use.
You can switch from one account to another now.
But when you select disable, you also need to reboot your system, but now you can use only one account, and to use another account, you need to login to another account by restarting your PC.
Using REGEDIT command
- Open the run command using Win+R, write regedit in the search box, and click Ok.
- Now you can see the registry editor there. Now in the registry editor, click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
- After the option expands, you must select SOFTWARE from your list of choices.
- After that, you can select MICROSOFT from that list, and as it expands, click on WINDOWS.
- Now there are plenty of options from where you need to select CURRENT VERSION.
- Now select POLICIES from there and then SYSTEM.
- In SYSTEM, select hide fast user switching in the options.
- If there is no such option, right-click on the screen and select new.
- Now after selecting new, click on DWORD (either 32-bit or 64-bit, based on the capacity of your system).
- After selecting DWORD, you must create a new HIDE FAST USER SWITCHING string.
- It would be best if you also assigned a base value for that.
- The base value that you need to give is 1.
- After creating the base, the value clicks OK.
- Now you can restart your system.
The switch between users and fast user switching is enabled on your PC now.
FAQs
How do I switch between Windows users quickly?
1. Press ‘Windows + L’ to lock your current session. Then, select the user you wish to switch to and type in the password. 2. Enable the Fast User Switching feature in the Control Panel's User Accounts setting. 3. Click the user icon from the start menu.
What is the fast user switching feature?
Fast User Switching enables numerous users to share a computer while keeping their sessions separate. It allows an individual to switch to a different user's session without signing out. This way, each user can open their programs and files simultaneously, enhancing multi-user convenience.
Why disable fast user switching?
Disable Fast User Switching for security and performance reasons. It can prevent unauthorized access to other users' sessions on a shared computer. Additionally, it can free up system resources, as multiple user sessions consume memory and processing power, which can slow down the computer, particularly on lower-end systems.
How do I use fast user switching?
To use Fast User Switching in Windows: Ensure Enabled: Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > User Accounts. Click ‘Change User Account Control Settings’ and ensure it's set to ‘Default’ or ‘Always Notify.’ Access it from the Start menu by clicking the user icon to switch to another user's session without logging out.
Conclusion
You might get some problems when you make an error in the registry editor. Your computer functions may stop working. Or it may completely stop if other changes are done other than the ones mentioned above. If you are not sure of yourself, then you can download registry hacks and perform them on your PC. There are two types of hacks available one for enabling fast-user switching and the other for disabling fast-user switching Windows 10.
The group edit policy is only available for pro and enterprise users. It may not be available for other users, or you may face some problems while accessing the group edit policy. So it is advisable to use a registry editor as it is comfortable and easy to use compared to gpedit. msc.
See also: How to Have Different Wallpapers on Different Monitors in Windows 10
You can Enable / Disable Fast User Switching on Windows 10 and use these two methods without signing off from one account.
