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Tip #4493 - User Switching in XP

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User Switching in XP

Have you ever needed to quickly switch users in Windows XP, but couldn't quite figure out how to do it? If so, I can show you a quick way to do just that, along with a step-by-step guide on how to make the switch without losing any of the files you may be working on. Keep reading for all the details!

Windows XP offers you the option of Fast User Switching. It is very handy if you’re busy on the computer when another user wants to take a quick peek at their e-mail, documents, etc. But don’t worry! You don’t have to close out all your programs or log off. In XP, you can switch to the other user’s account and then back to your own, without ever losing anything. So, now that you’re filled in, how about we get started?!

Note: You can only activate the Fast User Switching option if you have a computer Administrator account.

With that said, here's how you can activate the Fast User Switching function in Windows XP.

First, you need to go to Start, Control Panel and click on the User Accounts link. Once there, click on the User Accounts link one more time and then choose the option of "Change the way users log on or off." Lastly, in the next window, you can see whether or not the Fast User Switching option is enabled. If it's not, you can enable it by simply checking the box next to it and then clicking Apply Options. All of the above is shown below:

It's that easy! So, now that you have enabled the Fast User Switching option, you can now switch over to another user. You can do that by going to the Start menu and choosing Log Off. After you do that, a window will come up, asking if you want to switch users or log off. Click Switch User. Once you’ve done that, the Windows XP welcome screen will appear. You can then choose the account you want to switch to. For example, if you wanted to switch to a guest account, simply click on the Guest picture and the guest account will open. Then, when you want to switch back to your account, simply repeat the process by going to the Start menu, logging off and switching back to your account. Any programs you had open will still be active and you can start right where you left off!

I hope you enjoy this one!

~ Mike Pettinato

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