How to enable fast user switching in OS X 10.8.1?

How do I enable fast user switching in OS X 10.8.1?

go to System Preferences > Users & Groups
Login Options (underneath the list of users)
Tick "Show fast user switching menu as .."

Similar Messages

  • How to enable fast user switching remotely via SSH?

    There is a Mac which at the moment doesn't allow fast user switching. I have admin account on this Mac. Currently, another user is logged in, so I can access the Mac only via SSH. I don't want to destroy the session of that user otherwise the user can loose important data.
    Can I enable fast user switching by accessing the Mac via SSH?

    Try this:
    defaults write /Library/Preferences/.GlobalPreferences MultipleSessionEnabled -bool YES

  • Mac OS X 10.5: How to enable Fast User Switching

    On my iBook G4, I have installed Leopard and retain the ability that I had with Tiger to select my user name on the top bar and then switch users. However, on my dad's iMac, which came preloaded with Leopard, I do not have this same ability. How would I go about making this work?

    You have to activate Fast User Switching in System Preferences > Accounts (at the lower left corner you'll find the button Login Options). You can choose whether to display just an icon or your user name in the menu bar. In order to change any of these options you need admin privileges. If the menus are greyed out click on the padlock in the lower left corner of the window.
    floba

  • How to get "fast user switching" and network shares playing nice

    I've been alternating between banging my head against a wall and reading every forum I could find to try and get a reasonable compromise between using "Fast user switching" and sharing a folder from a file server.  It baffles me how the network share/mount model of OSX/AFP is completely killed by fast-user-switching; this is a big problem with Apple requiring users to be actively logged in to share music/video from iTunes which therefore essentially requires fast-user-switching if anyone else wants to use the computer.  (anyone find it odd that you can share files without being logged in, but sharing songs requires an active login for each user who is sharing?  Apple: time to make iTunes sharing a service!)
    For the sake of example, lets just say I want to share my /Groups folder from my desktop and have it be accessible to my laptop.  Here are all the things that I tried:
    Apple Method 1) Share /Groups in the Server.app on the desktop (running Lion Server), use finder on the laptop and drag the share icon to "Login Items", alternative use a startup Apple script using "mount volume"  Both of the options work and will mount the /Groups folder under /Volumes/Groups, of course when the second person logs in via fast-user-switching (and occasionally the first person for no apparent reason), they will get /Volumes/Groups-1 since /Volumes/Groups is already taken.  Tomorrow we log in a different order and now the previously /Volumes/Groups-1 user has their mount at /Volumes/Group and vice versa.  Any links, aliases, finder sidebar references, and application settings which pointed to yesterday's location are now BROKEN.  Not very user friendly to my mother-in-law who is trying to find those pictures of the kids and doesn't know anything about mount points. I also can't reasonably mirror the file location structure on the desktop so that application preferences that are synced between the two (portable home directories) work.   fail.
    Apple Method 2) Use automounter and set up by hand direct maps for /Groups or an indirect maps for the children of /Groups.  Now it will automatically get mounted to /network/servers/SERVER/Groups/ on the laptop and on the desktop it will automatically create a similar symlink structure so that the same path (/network/servers/SERVER/Groups) work both on desktop and laptop.  Cool.  Except when the second person logs in, the /network/servers/SERVER/Groups/ mountpoint is already owned by the first user and they don't have any permissions to access it.  Fail.
    Apple Method 3) Use mount_afs and specify directly the mount-points.  Have each user have their own startup AppleScript which mounts /Groups to a different location (e.g. /Users/Shared/username/Groups) that way they don't conflict with multiple users.  On the desktop, set up symlinks from /Users/Shared/username/Group to /Groups so that it will be the same as the client and applications settings will work when synchronized back/forth by portable-home-directories.  Will it work, yes it does, but what a bear to maintain.  Is this really what I should expect to do just to have multiple users on my desktop and laptop (which again is essentially required now if I want to do any type of iTunes sharing).  This can't be what apple expects.
    What I ended up doing - the "not quite apple" solution.
    Non-Apple Method 4) After a read of "Autofs: Automatically Mounting Network File Shares in Mac OS X" (http://images.apple.com/business/docs/Autofs.pdf) at the very end there is a single paragraph  of "Kerberized NFS": "A Kerberized NFS mount can have multiple connections from multiple users, each using the correct user’s credentials for each transaction. This allows administrators to support multiple users, each authenticated with their own credentials to the same mount point. This is very different from AFP and SMB mounts," (emphasis mine)
    It appears that by using good 'ole NFS (abeint with Kerberos for security!) you can actually have multiple users on the same mount point.  Roughly following the guidance at https://support.apple.com/kb/TA24986?viewlocale=en_US.  What I needed to do was:
    1) create /etc/exports on my desktop and add a single line "/Groups -sec=krb5".  The existence of /etc/exports triggered a start of nfsd which no longer has any GUI options in Lion.
    2) Add a line to /etc/auto_master on my laptop "/-  auto_mymounts" to reference a new direct map.
    3) Create /etc/auto_mymounts and add a single line "/Groups         SERVER:/Groups" to create the direct map.
    THAT'S IT.  Three lines in three files.
    Now when I log into my laptop, there is a /Groups that is a network mount of my desktop's /Groups, same location AND it works for all of my users, even simultaneously. 
    In the end I'm happy with what I've got, but man was this a difficult path just to support fast-user-switching.  In Lion, Apple appears to be getting away from NFS (no longer turned on by default and remove from the GUI controls) but clearly this really useful functionality which doesn't exist in AFP. 
    I'm really curious, after all this work.  Any other ways to accomplish this?

    In my example above, yes I chose to mount the share "Groups" to the top of the root since that is where I put it on my server and I wanted to keep them similar; but that was just my preference, it isn't a requirement.  You can export and mount from other directories.

  • ACU - Auto Update Feature enables Fast User Switching?

    Hi Guys,
    i am trying to update my novell clients with the acu feature of the novell client itself!
    i am planing to deploy: nov client 2 sp3 ir6
    i set up acu and everything is working fine... but after the installation of the novell client and a reboot or logout (doesnt matter) my login screen looks like this:
    credprov_5_a.png
    i found this in the official documentation of the novell client: http://www.novell.com/documentation/...v.html#bacczhg
    fast user switching becomes available and i dont want to have fast user switching enabled... i only want the novell login box to appear!
    i tried to disable fast user switching with gpo: gpedit.msc -> computer configuration -> administrative templates -> system -> logon -> hide entry points for fast user switching! no success!
    i also checked the novell client proberties under advanced login and everything is set up as usual... attached you can find my ncpf.txt file!
    ncpf.txt
    ... is this a new feature or maybe a bug or did i miss something?! any suggestions?!
    thx in advance!

    Originally Posted by Posty
    Hi Guys,
    i am trying to update my novell clients with the acu feature of the novell client itself!
    i am planing to deploy: nov client 2 sp3 ir6
    i set up acu and everything is working fine... but after the installation of the novell client and a reboot or logout (doesnt matter) my login screen looks like this:
    credprov_5_a.png
    i found this in the official documentation of the novell client: http://www.novell.com/documentation/...v.html#bacczhg
    fast user switching becomes available and i dont want to have fast user switching enabled... i only want the novell login box to appear!
    i tried to disable fast user switching with gpo: gpedit.msc -> computer configuration -> administrative templates -> system -> logon -> hide entry points for fast user switching! no success!
    i also checked the novell client proberties under advanced login and everything is set up as usual... attached you can find my ncpf.txt file!
    ncpf.txt
    ... is this a new feature or maybe a bug or did i miss something?! any suggestions?!
    thx in advance!
    So are you saying that user are logged in even after a reboot (as in the picture you posted)?
    I "hide entry points for fast user switching" and that setting works for us with NC2SP3IR6 adn WIN7SP1PRO, what version of Windows are you using?
    Thomas

  • How to get Fast User Switching in Win7 enabled with Anyconnect 3.1 installed

    After installing Anyconnect secure mobility client 3.1 on Win7 ultimate x64 the Fast User Switcing is not functional as I must log off the logged on user before new user can logon.
    This issue affects the RDP session to Win7 machine as the console user must log off before the remote user can logon but because I use the Anyconnect client for dot1x authentication once the console logged off the port become down.
    Any help???

    In my example above, yes I chose to mount the share "Groups" to the top of the root since that is where I put it on my server and I wanted to keep them similar; but that was just my preference, it isn't a requirement.  You can export and mount from other directories.

  • Sharing one iTunes Library with Fast User Switching

    Last year, I started using one MacBook Pro for Office use and Personal Home use, by creating two user accounts on it, and enabling Fast User Switching. I did this when I gave up using two separate desktops macs.
    Now I have two rather similar music libraries, taking up too much hard drive space. Once I enabled Music Sharing in my Office iTunes Library, I realized that I could gain access to that Office Music Library when I am on my Personal Home User account. Since my Library on my Office account is the most complete, can I eliminate the iTunes Library on my Personal Home User account, to save hard drive space?
    If so, how should I do this?
    MBPro17, Pbk17 G4 1.67, Pbk G4 12 1.5, iMac G4, various G4&G5's   Mac OS X (10.4.8)   Airport Extreme & Express

    Glen
    Since my Library on my Office account is the most
    complete, can I eliminate the iTunes Library on my
    Personal Home User account, to save hard drive
    space?
    Yes.
    If so, how should I do this?
    Move the iTunes folder in Home/Music on the Personal
    Home User Account to the desktop.
    Launch iTunes. Unable to locate a library file, it
    will create a new one, empty one in a new iTunes
    folder at Home/Music.
    Connect to your shared library as usual. If
    everything is working as expected, trash the iTunes
    folder on your desktop.
    Regards
    TD
    My iTunes was created under an admin. user profile that I would like to delete. I created a second profile also with admin privlages but I want to delete the first because I messed up the shortname on the profile. So, if I delete this first profile, will I lose all of my music? Will I lose access to the music?

  • Fast User Switching through Profile Manager

    We recently started using OS X Server to manage our Mac computers, currently only 2 but further expansion is expected.  I only have one of the Macs set up on the server for testing purposes.  We are primarily an Active Directory network and I have implemented Open Directory through OS X Server and bound that to the primary Windows domain controller.
    So far, things have gone quite smoothly with the integration except for implementing fast user switching on the single client machine tied to the OS X Server box.  I have gone through Profile Manager and under the Login Window settings for the laptop, enabled fast user switching.  However, it still does not work on the client machine after the changes were pushed out. 
    The user does not get her user name listed in the upper right and we have found no other method of using fast user switching.  She specifically wants to display the login window when she's not at her desk (and this is required for security reasons).  As it is, she has to completely log out of her machine every time she leaves her desk which is, inconvenient, to say the least. 
    I have searched through the discussions here and every mention I've found that seems to reference this issue also references using network home directories, which we are not doing.  I have the home directory set to continue to reside on the local machine so the AFP/NFS issue shouldn't apply. 
    Prior to implementing OS X Server, the only thing we were unable to do was limit external drive use and writable media on the Macs since they don't recognize those GPOs from the domain controller.  Updates were easily handled through a third party appliance that we already use for all our other devices and computers on the network.  At this point, if fast user switching is unavailable, it would be less work and less inconvenient for me to simply limit the external media use locally and allow the Mac to be locked by removing the influence of OS X Server. 
    If anyone knows how to enable it though, this would be my preference since the Software Update is *easier* through OS X Server.

    I found the problem.  The device group that the laptop in question was assigned to also has an option for fast user switching that was not enabled.  I enabled it there and the problem was resolved.

  • Disabled Welcome Screen - Fast User Switching

    My computer says a recently installed program has disabled the Welcome screen
    and in order to restore these features I must uninstall the program. The
    following file might help me identify the program that made the change:
    vrlogon.dll I didn't install any programs. This is a new computer, just
    starting. Help how do I find and undo vrlogon.dll?
    thanks u

    I am quite sure the Fingerprint scanner software has caused this to your notebook.
    Start the fingerprint software on your notebook and uncheck an option that says something like this:
    "Replace Windows logon with fingerprint-protected logon"
    I do not own a notebook with fingerprint software, so I am not quite sure of the name of this security tool. it might be something like "Protector Suite QL" which should also show as an icon in the systray. "Start Control Center", "Settings", "System Settings", "Enable Fast User Switching Support" should be the correct procedure to go.
    Once you have done this, your notebook should start normally
    regards,
    electrochain
    Please consider to reply and provide feed-back to this thread once you have your system working again so we will know what to suggest to other fellow notebook user with a similar problem like yours.

  • Passwordless Fast User Switching?

    Hello all!
    I know it was not possible with earlier Versions of MAC OSX. But may we meanwhile have a way to enable fast user switching without providing a password any time ...
    I am maintaining 2 User accounts on my Server Lion.  Since I am the only user on that Mac, security is not an issue concering fast user switching. Under certain tasks I desire to do, I need to switch between the 2 accounts rather often and it is annoying to always provide the password. I do not have much applications up and running and therefor fast user switching is almost the same effort as LogOut/LogIn
    I would highly appreciate a setup which allows me to switch between the 2 Users just by a mouseclick. But of cause I would like to keep the password protection for a LogIn either remote or local.

    This is a terrible idea from the standpoint of security, but to answer your question:
    10.7: Keyboard Shortcut for Fast User Switching - Mac OS X Hints

  • Trouble with "Fast User Switching"

    Leopard 10.5.1 MacBook 2.4, 160 gig.
    I enabled Fast User Switching, and I see my account in the upper right part of the screen. However, my account is the only one that shows, yet I have two others. Also, When I asked the login screen to show a list of users rather than the logon screen, It does NOT show the list.
    I have had this computer for only 6 days.
    I have archived and reinstalled the OS. No change. Is this just my problem, or have others had the same issue? If it is me, what please is the fix?
    Thanks in advance,
    John

    Hennapanda1 wrote:
    Leopard 10.5.1 MacBook 2.4, 160 gig.
    I enabled Fast User Switching, and I see my account in the upper right part of the screen. However, my account is the only one that shows, yet I have two others. Also, When I asked the login screen to show a list of users rather than the logon screen, It does NOT show the list.
    I have had this computer for only 6 days.
    I have archived and reinstalled the OS. No change. Is this just my problem, or have others had the same issue? If it is me, what please is the fix?
    Thanks in advance,
    John
    When I select my name in the upper right-hand corner, the others appear in a dropdown box on my machine.

  • Security Update 2008-007 grays out Fast user switching, et. al.

    I have noticed, over the course of installing the Security Update 2008-007 on several computers of various types (Power PC and Intel, all running at least OS 10.5.4 initially), that after the restart I see in System Preferences>Accounts>Login Options that the Automatic login 'drop down', 'Show Password Hints', and 'Enable fast user switching' are all grayed out. It noticed this after running the 10.5.5 combo update, among other system updates, on several of the computers at work. I was able to trace the problem to the Security Update 2008-007, because on most of the computers I purposely installed this separately after all other updates had been run and these same fields were grayed out on all but 2 stations. I have not found the common factors or discernible differences yet between the computers that were problematic and those which were problem free and tried unsuccessfully to avoid/correct the issue by running permissions repair before and/or after the Security Update and/or 10.5.5 update, as well as downloading the updater files and installing them locally. Has anyone experienced this problem after the Security update was run? I hope someone can suggest a fix, because Fast User Switching is much less intrusive on our employees if they don't have to log out each time I have to check their stations for something! Thanks.

    Alas. I tried that already without result, as well as running Leopard Cache Cleaner and Disk Warrior as acts of desperation. I didn't expect them to help and they didn't. All user spaces display the grayed fields, including the System Administrator. I have tried deleting a few plist files, which I were hoping were relevant, but no success yet. I have one last station running 10.5.4 which hasn't had this particular security update applied yet, so I'll see if I can isolate the culprit. Thanks for trying to help! I do appreciate the effort.

  • PLEASE HELP!!!---MY ADMIN USER HAS NO "FAST USER SWITCHING"

    THER IS NOT A BOX TO CHECK FOR IT IN THE "LOGIN ITMES"-- UNDER ACCOUNTS. I have the lock --unlocked and it's just not there as an option to check--HOWEVER ther other user have it and can switch---It just really *****, because I as the administrator user has to log out and quick applications before another user can logi in---PLEASE HELP ??????????????????

    arri:
    Let's try this again.
    *Go to the Apple Menu and open System Preferences.
    *Click on Accounts.
    *If lock is locked click on lock and authenticate.
    *Click on Login Options
    *Now look almost directly to the right of Login Options (just two lines up) is a checkbox with the words "Enable Fast User Switching."
    *Check the checkbox.
    Good luck.
    cornelius
    PS: Writing in all caps is considered shouting. Most people who post questions are frustrated with their issues. However, the rest of us are trying to be helpful, and shouting does not make it either easier or faster.
    PismoG4 550, 100GB 5400 Toshiba internal, 1 GB RAM; Pismo 500 OS X (10.4.5) Mac OS X (10.4.5) Beige G3 OS 8.6
    Message was edited by: cornelius

  • Fast user switching dissapears

    i have 3 users, on my user sometimes the fast user switching name that sits in the top right corner will disappear. sometimes it is there.... it is completely random. so to get the fast user name back i have to open account prefs, open the lock, click log on options...... and it re appears. (note the enable fast user switching tab is still checked!)
    I am assuming that prefs have become corrupted, unless it as a bug, or another cliche in the system.
    I have done all the disk permissions etc
    cheers leigh

    At this point I think you should get Applejack...
    http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/19596
    After installing, reboot holding down CMD+s, then when the DOS like prompt shows, type in...
    applejack AUTO
    Then let it do all 5 of it's things.
    At least it'll eliminate some questions if it doesn't fix it.
    The 5 things it does are...
    Correct any Disk problems.
    Repair Permissions.
    Clear out Cache Files.
    Repair/check several plist files.
    Dump the VM files for a fresh start.
    First reboot will be slower, sometimes 2 or 3 restarts will be required for full benefit... my guess is files relying upon other files relying upon other files!
    Disconnect the USB cable from any UPS so the system doesn't shut down in the middle of the process.
    After it completes, go back and do step 3 for each user, or just step through it the first time by just typing applejack without the AUTO.

  • Fast user switching menu - how do I have icons for all users?

    I'm setting up a new computer for three users. I have enabled the fast user switching menu. I set the menu to 'Icon'. However, it only shows the icon for myself, the admin. For the other two accounts, when they log in it remains as their (rather long) real names. The same thing happens if I select 'Account Name': it only shows the 'Account Name' for myself. When I switch to the other users, it is still their real name.
    How can I have icons (or account names) for ALL users??

    See CCK Wizard: https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/addon/cck/
    You can use a mozilla.cfg file in the Firefox program folder to lock prefs or specify new (default) values.
    Place a file local-settings.js in the defaults\pref folder where you also find the file channel-prefs.js to specify using mozilla.cfg.
    pref("general.config.filename", "mozilla.cfg");
    pref("general.config.obscure_value", 0); // use this to disable the byte-shift
    See:
    *http://kb.mozillazine.org/Locking_preferences
    These functions can be used in the mozilla.cfg file:
    defaultPref(); // set new default value
    pref(); // set pref, but allow changes in current session
    lockPref(); // lock pref, disallow changes

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