Display Resolution and Color Depth Settings Apply to All Users

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This article was previously published under Q281565

SYMPTOMS

When you log on as a user and set a screen resolution, and then log off from and then back on to the computer as another user by either using Fast User Switching (FUS) or by logging off, the screen resolution remains the same for each user.

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CAUSE

This behavior occurs because when you modify the screen resolution and the color depth settings in the Display Properties dialog box, the changes that you make are applied to all users on the computer; The screen resolution is a system-wide setting and is not related to individual user profiles.

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STATUS

This behavior is by design.

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MORE INFORMATION

Example

User 1 is logged on to a Windows XP Home Edition-based computer, sets the display resolution to 800 x 600, and then logs off.
User 2 logs on to the computer; User 2 has a different account than User 1. User 2 will have the display resolution of 800 x 600, which User 1 set.
If User 2 changes the screen resolution or the color quality, the account for User 1 will also display these settings.

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