The Fast User Switching feature in Microsoft Windows 10 allows users to login to a PC while keeping other users logged in and their applications running. This allows multiple users to use the computer without interrupting what other users are working on.
You can enable or disable fast user switching using these steps.
Option 1 – Group Policy
- Hold the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
- Type “gpedit.msc” then press “Enter“.
- The Local Group Policy Editor appears. Expand the following:
- Local Computer Policy
- Computer Configuration
- Administrative Templates
- System
- Logon
- Open “Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching“.
- Select “Enabled” to turn Fast User Switching off. Set it to “Disable” to turn it on.
Option 2 – Registry
- Hold the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
- Type “regedit” then press “Enter“.
- Expand the following:
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
- SOFTWARE
- Microsoft
- Windows
- CurrentVersion
- Policies
- System
- Look for a value called “HideFastUserSwitching“. If it does not exist, right-click the “System” folder, select “New DWORD 32-bit value“, then type a name of “HideFastUserSwitching“. Press “Enter” to create the value.
- Double-click “HideFastUserSwitching“. Change the “Value data” to “1” to disable Fast User Switching, set it to “0” to enable it.
Robert says
April 22, 2019 at 6:37 amThanks Mitch. I always forget where to find and change this setting. Love the photo of you and the kid. :)
Karen Jones says
January 14, 2019 at 2:18 pmThank you so very much … was looking for this answer for hours!
Rohan says
November 11, 2018 at 7:25 pmI am using Pro but neither option makes a difference, nor the ore the suggested in the comments.
michael says
June 15, 2018 at 1:16 pmnever had a problem with this until recently…. “helpful” update must have sabotaged my setup…. wish they’d just quit screwing with things without notice
Z deharty says
December 4, 2017 at 10:21 amHere is the fix
gpedit.msc
computer configuration > administrative templates > system > Logon
Always use classic logon set to enabled.
the switch user icon will now show on lock screen.
Sam says
July 30, 2017 at 1:44 pmWorks as described. Thanks!
Maria says
June 30, 2017 at 9:08 amI try option 2 and found the value called “HideFastUserSwitching”. But it will not allow me to set it to “0” to enable it.
I get the message “Cannot edit HideFastUserSwitching: Error writing the value’s new contents.”
John Vekich says
March 28, 2017 at 10:29 amThanks for publishing such a clear solution! Few things more frustrating than knowing something is there but not being able to find it. Puzzled by finding no “switch user” ability in Win 10 out of the box. Problem solved. Finding this in policy menus is last place I would have looked with my limited Win 10 experience. Went from Win 7 to Win 10 and found I was not in Kansas anymore.
Biswajit Gorai says
February 10, 2017 at 9:59 amThanks a lot
Juan says
January 2, 2017 at 10:07 amThe first option won’t work if you have the free Windows 10, you’ll need the “Pro” one because that is the only one that has the file gpedit.msc, the registry editor (regedit) is in almost all (if not all, I don’t know) Windows, so that includes all Windows 10 and makes the second option always work.
C. G. says
December 9, 2016 at 12:40 pmThank you very much
Timothy says
October 6, 2016 at 12:59 pmYou need the Pro version in Windows 10 to get gpedit.msc
Elijah says
September 26, 2016 at 1:42 amHi I have no option to “Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching“.
Stephen R. says
September 23, 2016 at 1:33 pmLooked for half an hour before finding this which worked! (I used the regedit option)
Mark says
August 14, 2016 at 2:09 pmUsing Option 1, I get an error message that Windows can’t find “gpedit.msc”. The 2nd option seems to have worked (though I don’t know how I’ll know!). I just exited from the regedit box since I didn’t see a “save” or any other way to leave.
Harikvg says
August 11, 2016 at 12:47 pmThanks a lot