Vista - Fast User Switching

Is there a way to get rid of the screen that comes up when I type Win/L?

That's the one with the current user avatar and a Switch User button, it seems to serve no useful purpose, wasn't there on XP

Is there some way of making the User Account avatars more like those on XP?

I have week eyesight and I can't discern which avatar has focus when I use arrow keys, so I have to use the mouse. On XP it was much more obvious which UA had focus.

Is there some way to show the mail and process counts?

I found them useful on XP

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As far as I know, there isn't an 'XP version' of the locked screen. You can set it up to show a 'Press Ctrl+Alt+Del' screen though, if that'll do for you?

However, once you've press Ctrl+Alt+Del, it just shows you the current log-on screen.

My question has nothing to do with Screen Locking it is to do with Fast User Switching, they are different things. I am not even sure what a Control/Alt/Del screen looks like, I vaguely remember something from Win98 days. On my XP box Ctrl/Alt/Del brings up Process Explorer on my Vista Box Ctrl/Alt/Del brings up Vista's implementation of Task Manager.

In XP when I press Win/L I get the login screen, the one with the array of user account avatars and names.

In Vista when I press Win/L I get the current user avatar and a button labelled "Switch User" to which I must Tab and press Enter in order the get at the login screen -- the one with the array of avatars and names.

Task manager under Vista does not have the options to logoff, switch user etc, nor incidentally does Process Explorer. As far as I can see those things must be accessed via the start button or via a gadget that exhibits the same behaviour (I dont like gadgets).

Hi Urbane.Tiger,

This tutorial will show you how to remove the Switch User option.

Fast User Switching


This tutorial will show you how to log off a user in Task Manager.

Fast User Switching

Hope this helps,
Shawn

I dont want to remove the option

I want Win/L to behave in the same way as

• click Start
• position mouse over the right arrow on the control at the bottom of the right column in the start menu
• a list of options pops up - Switch User, Log Off, Lock, Restart, Sleep, Shut Down
• select Switch User
• you get a screen showing an array of avatars and names for the user accounts - terrific, exactly as I would expect

But rather than going through the Start Menu there is a long standing short cut (works in Win2000, XP and sort of works in Vista) and that's Win/L

On Win200 & XP it behaves EXACTLY the same as switching users via the Start Menu as described above

Vista introduces an extra screen between the the Win/L and the array of avatars - it's that screen that I want to get rid off, not the functionality

Ok, I understand what you are wanting now. Win+L is the keyboard shortcut for Lock Computer now in Vista though. However, this tutorial will show you how to create a Switch User shortcut that you can use instead, and assign a keyboard shortcut to it if you like also.

Switch User Desktop Shortcut

Hope this helps,
Shawn

thanks although alt/f4 is hardly a short cut

I still have to navigate through stuff, with one window on the screen it's a total of 10 keystroke sequences to get to the array of user avatars, which is only marginally better than ctrl/esc and tabbing and arrowing through the start menu.

Remember this is something can do in 1 keystroke sequence on XP

I don't mind that they changed Win/L from Switch user to Lock User, it makes sense, but I do mind that they did not provide a replacement such as win/U.

I'm not sure where you are getting the Alt+F4 from in that link.

Did you use the Switch User shortcut? It should act the same as pressing Switch User from the Start Menu.

I want a Keyboard short cut, the link you gave me is about Desktop shortcuts they are different things

however via that link I found reference to an explanation of what the Alt/F4 does in Vista - unfortunately it closes down apps with open windows - that's right closes the windows, so one gets do you want to save dialogues that need a response - it's impossible to use in the real world.

I'll have to live with the click start, hover right arrow button, click Switch User option.

This is the sort of loss of functionality that has given Vista it's bad name - I dont care that they change stuff but they should not have removed functionality.

Vista should have been called the Nanny/OS. I appreciate that it's UAC and this sort of thing it is trying to prevent me, the owner and operator of this computer, from making mistakes. But it gets in the way of me doing my work which actually makes it more likely that I'll make mistakes due to frustration - e.g. I always answer in the affirmative to UAC messages because they are the norm rather than the exception.

You could create the Switch User shortcut, then place it somewhere (Ex:Quick Launch) and create a keyboard shortcut of you own for it. You can also use the automatic Quick Launch keyboard shortcuts (Win+#) if you place the Switch User shortcut as one of the 1st 10 in Quick Launch.

Shortcut:
Switch User Desktop Shortcut

How to make a Keyboard Shortcut for it:
Keyboard Shortcut

About Quick Launch:
Quick Launch