Fast User Switching in Windows 10

Hi,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community.

As per my understanding, whenever you switch from one user to the other user your programs in the prior account stops running.

Before I can provide assistance, there are a few questions I would like you to answer:

1. How many accounts do you have in your computer?
2. Since when have you been facing this issue?
3. Have you perform any troubleshooting steps to fix this issue?

If you have more than one user accountIf you have more than one account on your PC, you can switch to a different account without signing out or closing apps. To switch to a different account, follow these steps:

1. Open Start by swiping in from the right edge of the screen and then tapping Start. (Or, if you're using a mouse, point to the lower-left corner of the screen, move your mouse all the way into the corner, and then click Start.)

2. Tap or click your account picture, and then choose another account from the menu

Method 2:

Fast User Switching is an easy way for another person to log on to the computer without logging you off or closing your programs and files. Follow the steps below to for Fast Switch User.

1. To begin, make sure that you have logged in as Administrator or have required administrative rights to change local group policies.

 2. Press the Windows +R button.

3. Run dialog box will pop-up,type gpedit.msc..This will open Local Group Policy Editor.

4. Now, go to the following location and look for Local Computer Policy in the left pane.

5. Click on Local Computer Policy/Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Logon.

6. Just double-click Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching to bring up a dialog box to change Fast User Switching policy setting.

7. At the top, there are Not Configured, Enabled and Disabled options available. Selecting each setting will let you read its affect in Help section. To disable Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching, just selectEnabled from the list and click OK.

 8. Once done, you will have to enforce the change made to Fast User Switching policy setting. To do so, close the Local Group Policy Editor and open the Run dialog box (Windows +R button). Enter the command “gpupdate /force“ and click OK. The policy will be updated and applied on all user accounts.

9. To re-enable Fast User Switching, just choose Not Configured in its policy setting dialog and apply the changes via gpupdate /force command.

I would also suggest you to stop and restart Fast User Switching Compatibility in services 

 Your reply is very important for us to ensure a proper resolution. Please get back to us with the above information in order to assist you accordingly.

For further assistance, you can post your query in Microsoft Community.

Regards

Vanessa

Hi Vanessa,

Thanks for your response.

To answer your questions:

1. There are 4 user accounts on that machine.
2. This issue arose yesterday after I downloaded and installed Windows 10 Pro.  Prior to that I was running Windows 7 Pro and did not have this problem.
3. I looked on the web and on Microsoft sites to see if anyone else had a similar problem and had found a resolution.  There is a lot of chatter about the lack of a simple “switch user” option.  Nobody I could find identified that apps from the old user ceased to run when the new user logged in.

I have one account called Music Control.  Its sole purpose is to be accessible to everyone and runs Spotify, Itunes and the like, which is then played throughout the premises.  The other accounts are user specific and have usual email, Excel, Word and private stuff.  Since installing Windows 10 Pro music will run nicely from Spotify whilst we are logged on to the Music Control account.  Whenever we try to “switch user” to one of the other accounts, as soon as we log on to that other account the music stops playing.  Log off the new account and back on to Music Control and the music starts again.

So you can see we want to be able to leave music running on the Music Control account whilst we can log on to other accounts to check emails and perform work.  Help!!

Your suggested Method 1 allows us to switch from one user to another, but the music stops.  It would appear that the Windows 10 Pro install does not activate Fast User Switching.  I will attempt your method 2 later today when I am next at the PC where the problem is occurring.

Please keep me informed of any suggestions or progress to resolving this issue.

Many thanks,

Paul

Hi Vanessa,

Thanks for your response.

To answer your questions:

1. There are 4 user accounts on that machine.
2. This issue arose yesterday after I downloaded and installed Windows 10 Pro.  Prior to that I was running Windows 7 Pro and did not have this problem.
3. I looked on the web and on Microsoft sites to see if anyone else had a similar problem and had found a resolution.  There is a lot of chatter about the lack of a simple “switch user” option.  Nobody I could find identified that apps from the old user ceased to run when the new user logged in.

I have one account called Music Control.  Its sole purpose is to be accessible to everyone and runs Spotify, Itunes and the like, which is then played throughout the premises.  The other accounts are user specific and have usual email, Excel, Word and private stuff.  Since installing Windows 10 Pro music will run nicely from Spotify whilst we are logged on to the Music Control account.  Whenever we try to “switch user” to one of the other accounts, as soon as we log on to that other account the music stops playing.  Log off the new account and back on to Music Control and the music starts again.

So you can see we want to be able to leave music running on the Music Control account whilst we can log on to other accounts to check emails and perform work.  Help!!

Your suggested Method 1 allows us to switch from one user to another, but the music stops.  It would appear that the Windows 10 Pro install does not activate Fast User Switching.  I will attempt your method 2 later today when I am next at the PC where the problem is occurring.

Please keep me informed of any suggestions or progress to resolving this issue.

Many thanks,

Paul

Hi Paul,

Please let me know if you get this resolved. I'm having the same problem and have had no luck determining if Fast user Switching has been removed from Windows 10.

Thanks,

Mike C.

Hi again Vanessa,

I tried your suggested method 2.  After having completed all steps 1 to 9 I attempted to follow your suggestion to stop and restart Fast User Switching Compatibility in Services, but could not find any mention of this facility within services.  Am I looking in the correct place?  Anyway, as I could not stop and restart as you suggested, I just re-booted the PC which I assume would have the same affect.

Cut a long story short.  The problem has not been resolved.

It may be worth mentioning that the only way to get a "switch user" button is by using alt-cntl-del keys.  The Method 1 you outlined above shows all available user accounts, and I am assuming that it is intended by selecting one of those accounts the same fast user switching takes place.  As I have highlighted in the previous post this does not work in the manner it used to in Windows 7 Pro (nor as it worked in Windows XP Pro for that matter).

Cheers  Paul

I have the same problem with Win 10 Pro (release build). Whenever I try to switch user, I get signed off. Also I don't get a Switch User option in Ctrl+Alt+Del.

Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching in the Group Local Policy Editor mentioned by Vanessa is set Not Configured.

I'm trying to switch local accounts, not Microsoft accounts

I'm glad I found this thread. I thought I was the only one with the problem and was about to reinstall Windows 10.

There should be at least one way to get the classic shutdown menu that should include "Switch user".  I don't know if it will work in your case.

Put the mouse cursor on the desktop.  Hit Alt-F4.

Hi FastSteve,

Yes, Alt+F4 does give me the option to switch user, but I get signed out when I switch.

Apart from Ctrl+Alt+Del all the other ways of switch user do give me the option to switch user. Unfortunately they all sign me out when I try to switch

I have one modification to your Method 2.

"At the top, there are Not Configured, Enabled and Disabled options available. Selecting each setting will let you read its affect in Help section. To disable Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching, just selectEnabled from the list and click OK" 

Instead try this.

At the top, there are Not Configured, Enabled and Disabled options available. Selecting each setting will let you read its affect in Help section. To disable Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching, just select Disabled from the list and click OK

I tried this and it began showing the "Switch User" on the menus. Just change the Enabled to Disabled in your method and follow the rest of the steps and it worked great.

Yes, the instructions given previously were confusing. Not Configured also should allow Fast User Switching options (though it doesn't for me in Ctrl+Alt+Del).

But the real problem for the OP and myself is that when you switch user you get logged out and your running applications are terminated.

I don't understand why a few of us have this problem and no one else does. But I can't believe Microsoft is going to spend much effort fixing it for a small number of people.

I'm about to try reinstalling Windows 10 to see what happens.

While this works fine to switch between users and it keeps the session with all apps running I can still visually see the other accounts if I click the current account name on the Start Menu.

Like in Windows 7 I would like to be able to switch between user accounts without logging off and without any visibility of any other user account

• If I Enable Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching I am forced to log off (hence terminating all opens apps) before logging in with another account
• If I Disable Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching I can switch between the accounts and keep the apps open but I can see the other account names when I click on the current account name on the Start Menu
  (I just would like to see "Switch User" and then get a prompt to submit account name and password)

I want the old "Switch User" functionality back as we had it in Windows 7!