Windows 10 Tip: How To Disable Fast User Switching Feature

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Fast User Switching is a Windows feature that allows multiple users to sign into the same computer using different user accounts. It’s not like that they can work on the same computer at the same time. Rather, they just share the same computer without logging off their user account. It’s a feature first introduced in Windows XP and that has been supported ever since, including the new Windows 10 system.

On Windows 10 Creators Update, you click the Start button and the current user’s avatar icon, you will see the Switch account option and a number of previously logged-in accounts if any.

Windows 10 Switch Accounts - Windows 10 Tip: How To Disable Fast User Switching Feature

While it’s a useful feature, you may find it slows down your computer when you have multiple accounts signed in simultaneously. If that’s the case and you would like to disable the Fast User Switching feature on Windows 10, here is how you can do it.

Disable Fast User Switching through Group Policy

If you are using Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise edition, you can change the setting through Group Policy. Open Group Policy Editor and navigate to the following policy folder.

Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Logon

Find the policy called “Hide entry points for Fast User Switching“, double click it and select Enabled option to enable the policy.

Local Group Policy Editor hide fast user switch 600x401 - Windows 10 Tip: How To Disable Fast User Switching Feature

The change takes effect right you hit OK to save the change. The policy settings allow you to hide the Switch User option in the Logon UI, the Start Menu, and the Task Manager.

Windows 10 Fast User Switching disabled. - Windows 10 Tip: How To Disable Fast User Switching Feature

Disable Fast User Switching through registry

If you are running a Windows 10 Home edition, you need to change the setting through a registry tweak. Open Registry Editor and navigate to the following registry location:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System

And create a new DWORD32 key called HideFastUserSwitching if it’s not there yet, and set the value to 1, meaning to enable the registry key.

Registry Editor HideFastUserSwitching 600x326 - Windows 10 Tip: How To Disable Fast User Switching Feature

That’s about it. Once the Fast User Switching feature is disabled, you will need to completely log off the computer before another user is able to sign in and use the same computer.

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