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Windows 10: Enable or Disable Fast User Switching

Windows 10: Enable or Disable Fast User Switching

By Mitch Bartlett 17 Comments

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

  1. Hold the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
  2. Type “gpedit.msc” then press “Enter“.
  3. The Local Group Policy Editor appears. Expand the following:
    • Local Computer Policy
    • Computer Configuration
    • Administrative Templates
    • System
    • Logon
  4. Open “Hide Entry Points for Fast User Switching“.
  5. Select “Enabled” to turn Fast User Switching off. Set it to “Disable” to turn it on.
    Windows Hide entry points for fast user switching

Option 2 – Registry

  1. Hold the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
  2. Type “regedit” then press “Enter“.
  3. Expand the following:
    • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    • SOFTWARE
    • Microsoft
    • Windows
    • CurrentVersion
    • Policies
    • System
  4. 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.
  5. Double-click “HideFastUserSwitching“. Change the “Value data” to “1” to disable Fast User Switching, set it to “0” to enable it.

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Comments

  2. Robert says

    Thanks Mitch. I always forget where to find and change this setting. Love the photo of you and the kid. :)

  5. michael says

    never had a problem with this until recently…. “helpful” update must have sabotaged my setup…. wish they’d just quit screwing with things without notice

  6. Z deharty says

    Here 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.

  8. Maria says

    I 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.”

  9. John Vekich says

    Thanks 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.

  11. Juan says

    The 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.

  16. Mark says

    Using 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.

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