XP Switch User function ??

[whizbang]

I recently built a computer for a friend in which I installed Windows XP. Everything works fine with the exception of the “Switch User” function. You can close one account and log on another, but the “Switch User” button does absolutely nothing. No errors, nothing. I tried reinstalling XP a couple of times to no avail.

My friend doesn’t really care that it doesn’t work, but it would be nice if it did. Has anyone else run into this?

[doctorgonzo]

I am not entirely sure, but I think you need to have the "Fast User Switching" service running. Go to Start...Run and type "services.msc" Make sure that Fast User Switching is enabled and running. That might do the trick.

[res07tg2]

doctorgonzo is correct you also have to have offline files disabled not sure why but you do. Anybody else know why.

[whizbang]

Thanks for the info! Next time I go over there I'll give this a shot.

[Tuf]

I'm sure the reason you have to have offline files disabled is because that would make them available to all users currently signed on even if they didn't have permission to use or view them.

Fast User switching is a bad idea in my opinion. It leaves multiple users logged in at the same time tying up a tremendous amount of resources. But if say one user is downloaing something and another user wants to logon it's about the only way to do it without interrupting the download.

That's why everyone should have their own computer!

[doctorgonzo]

Originally posted by Tuf Fast User switching is a bad idea in my opinion. It leaves multiple users logged in at the same time tying up a tremendous amount of resources. But if say one user is downloaing something and another user wants to logon it's about the only way to do it without interrupting the download. That's why everyone should have their own computer!

I have it shut off on my computer for that reason. It is a huge waste, and there is usually no reason that you can't simply log off and then have another use log on.

[reboot]

It leaves multiple users logged in at the same time tying up a tremendous amount of resources.

Although I used to think the same way, I have a Celeron 800 system here, with 256 meg of RAM, XP Pro, and leave 3 users logged in at the same time, for weeks, and the system hasn't been restarted in at least 2 weeks. No apparent slowdowns, except if multiple downloads are happening by multiple users.
I often have one user running a P2P app, another playing Dungeon Siege (multiplayer, you can't save a game, so I just pause it), and then a third user with about 5 msn chat windows open. It all seems to run rather well, considering it's not all that speedy to begin with.