Fast User Switching option is not available

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This article was previously published under Q280758

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SYMPTOMS

When you change the membership of a computer that is running this version of Microsoft Windows XP from workgroup to domain, when you click the Log off option on the Start menu, the Switch User option is no longer available.

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CAUSE

This issue can occur because the Fast User Switching option is disabled when a computer joins a domain.

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STATUS

This behavior is by design.

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MORE INFORMATION

The Fast User Switching feature is a new functionality of Windows XP that enables multiple users to use a computer without having to close all running programs and logging off before other users log on. To use the Fast User Switching feature, the following conditions are required:

The computer must be running Windows XP Home Edition or Windows XP Professional.
The Welcome screen for fast and easy logon must be enabled. To enable this option, open Control Panel, double-click User Accounts, and then click Change the way users log on or off.
The Fast User Switching to log off must be enabled. To enable this option, open Control Panel, double-click User Accounts, and then click Change the way users log on or off.
The computer must be a member of a workgroup.

For additional information about related topics, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

294739 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/294739/ ) A discussion about the availability of the Fast User Switching feature

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

279765 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/279765/EN-US/ ) Description of Fast User Switching

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