Fast user switching is a term that’s pretty loosely thrown around – the term refers to any functionality on a multi-user computer Operating System that allows users to switch from one user account to another quickly and seamlessly without having to quit any applications open on the former user account or logging out of it before logging in to the latter account. Fast user switching exists on the Windows Operating System and has been around ever since the days of Windows 7. Windows has come a long way since the days when Windows 7 used to be the premiere Operating System out there for computers, but fast user switching has remained a constant and still exists, to this very day. On Windows, the fast user switching functionality is engaged when a user clicks on the Switch user option instead of the Log off option in the Logon UI, the Start Menu or the Task Manager.
Fast user switching is built-in to Windows 10 – the latest and greatest iteration of the Windows OS. Fast user switching allows multiple users to use the same Windows computer without interrupting or disrupting what each of them are working on in their separate user accounts. With fast user switching, a user can sign in to their individual user account on a Windows 10 computer without other users being automatically logged out or their running applications closed. That being the case, fast user switching certainly has its perks.
However, it is of much less use to users who don’t share their computers with anyone else and simply have one standalone user account. These users (and many others), might, for whatever reason, want to disable fast user switching on their computers. Disabling fast user switching is something that is possible on all computers that have Windows 10 installed on them, and the following are the two different ways you can go about turning this possibility into a reality:
Method 1: Disable fast user switching using the Local Group Policy Editor
The first, and also the simplest, method you can use to disable fast user switching on a Windows 10 computer is by editing its Local Group Policy. This will involve you making use of your computer’s Local Group Policy Editor, a utility most Windows users don’t even know exists. To disable fast user switching using this method, simply:
- Press the Windows Logo key + R to open a Run dialog.
- Type gpedit.msc into the Run dialog and press Enter to launch the Local Group Policy Editor.
- In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, navigate to the following directory:
Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System - In the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, click on the Logon sub-folder under the System folder to have its contents displayed in the right pane.
- In the right pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, locate the Setting titled Hide entry points for Fast User Switching and double-click on it.
- Click on the radio button next to the Enabled option to select it.
- Click on Apply.
- Click on OK.
- Close the Local Group Policy Editor.
- Restart your computer.
Method 2: Disable fast user switching in your computer’s Registry
If Method 1 simply doesn’t work for you or if you find meddling with your computer’s Local Group Policy Editor too daunting a task, have no fear – you can also disable fast user switching on your computer from it’s Registry. To disable fast user switching by editing your computer’s Registry, you need to:
- Press the Windows Logo key + R to open a Run dialog.
- Type regedit into the Run dialog and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
- In the left pane of the Registry Editor, navigate to the following directory:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SOFTWARE > Microsoft > Windows > CurrentVersion > Policies. - In the left pane of the Registry Editor, click on the System sub-key under the Policies key to have its contents displayed in the right pane.
- In the right pane of the Registry Editor, locate a value titled HideFastUserSwitching. If no such value exists in the System sub-key, simply right-click on the System sub-key in the left pane, hover over New, click on New DWORD (32-bit) Value and name the newly created DWORD value HideFastUserSwitching.
- Double-click on the HideFastUserSwitching value in the right pane.
- Replace whatever is in the Value data: field of the HideFastUserSwitching value with 1.
- Click on OK.
- Close the Registry Editor.
- Restart your computer.
It doesn’t really matter which of the two methods listed and described above manages to get the job done for you – when your computer boots up, fast user switching will be disabled regardless. With fast user switching disabled on your computer, the Switch user option in the Windows 10 Logon UI, the Start Menu and the Task Manager will no longer be available. The only option available will be the Log off option, selecting which quits all open applications and logs the respective user out of their user account.
