How to disable Fast User Switching on Windows
Fast User Switching is a Windows feature that allows users to sign in to accounts while others are still signed in on the machine. Basically, what it does is allow multiple users to work with the Windows computer at the same time.
Microsoft introduces the functionality in Windows XP, and it is also support by all newer versions of Windows including Windows Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8.x and Windows 10.
While Fast User Switching may be useful in some scenarios, it may introduce issues of its own. The feature puts more strain on the computer and its resources, as multiple users instead of just one user run programs on it.
What's probably more problematic in many cases is that changing the Windows PCs power state may impact other accounts that are logged in at the time.
Disable Fast User Switching on Windows
If you disable Fast User Switching, options in the user interface of the operating system are removed to use the feature. The effect that this has on the machine is that only one user may use the machine at the same time. This means that users need to log out before another user may log in.
You have two options for that. If you run a professional or Enterprise version of Windows, you may use the Windows Registry or Group Policy to disable the feature. Home users need to make the change to the Registry as the Group Policy is not available on their machines.
Here is a video that demonstrates Fast User Switching on a Windows 7 machine
Disable Fast User Switching using the Group Policy
As mentioned earlier, the Group Policy is only part of professional and Enterprise versions. If you run a Home edition, e.g. Windows 10 Home, skip this part and go directly to the Disable Fast User Switching using the Registry section below.
Start the Group Policy Editor on the Windows machine in the following way:
- Tap on the Windows-key, type gpedit.msc, and hit the Enter-key afterwards.
Use the hierarchy on the left to navigate to the following policy folder: Local Computer Policy > Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon.
You find the policy Hide entry points for Fast User Switching there as one of the listed policies. If you have troubles locating it, click on the Setting table header to sort the policy listing alphabetically.
Once you have located the entry, double-click on it to open its configuration options. The policy is not configured by default, and you may set it to enable or disabled using the editor. Please note that it applies to Windows Vista or later versions of Windows only.
If you want to disable Fast User Switching on the Windows machine, switch the setting to enabled, and hit the ok button afterwards.
You can undo the change at any time by setting it to disabled, or not configured (which also means disabled).
In short, enabled means that you enable the policy to hide the Fast User Switching options in the Windows interface, disabled means that the policy is not active (and that Fast User Switching options are visible).
This policy setting allows you to hide the Switch User interface in the Logon UI, the Start menu and the Task Manager.
If you enable this policy setting, the Switch User interface is hidden from the user who is attempting to log on or is logged on to the computer that has this policy applied.
The locations that Switch User interface appear are in the Logon UI, the Start menu and the Task Manager.
If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the Switch User interface is accessible to the user in the three locations.
Note that the change does not affect users who are signed in at the time. These need to sign out, or be signed out if that is the only option, before the feature cannot be used anymore.
Disable Fast User Switching using the Registry
The change in the Registry has the same effect as the policy. You need to start by loading the Windows Registry Editor:
- Tap on the Windows-key, type regedit.exe and hit the Enter-key.
- Confirm the UAC prompt if it is displayed.
Use the folder hierarchy on the left to navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System
Look on the right to see if HideFastUserSwitching is already there. If it is not, right-click on System on the left sidebar, and select New > Dword (32-bit) Value. Name the new value HideFastUserSwitching, double-click on it afterwards, and set its value to 1.
Note that you need to restart the PC, or sign out and on again, before the changes takes effect.
I have created two Registry files that you may run. The first sets the key to enable, the second to disable. You may run those to make the necessary changes to disable or enable Fast User Switching on the Windows machine.
Download the small file with a click on the following link: fast-user-switching.zip
You need to accept the UAC prompt when you run the Registry script. Windows may display a warning that you need to accept as well before the script is applied.
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277
I try to disable the Diagnostics Tracking Service (Connected Devices Platform User Services) but it wont let me disable it, any help will be greatly appreciated.
Tank you for your help