Can you “switch users” on a Macintosh?

by philg

One of the things that I often do with Windows is “switch users”. This leaves all of my applications open and running, e.g., ssh terminal windows to Unix machines and Adobe Photoshop running a script, while allowing someone else to use the computer for a few minutes. Then I “switch users” back and return to my state.

How does one do this on the Macintosh? If you use the logout command to log out User A, it seems to close all of the applications by default. So after User B is done, User A has to spend 5-10 minutes reopening applications, documents, and connections.

16 thoughts on “Can you “switch users” on a Macintosh?”

  1. System Preferences > Accoutns > Login Options > Enable fast user switching. The account name should appear somewhere in the menu bar in the top-right side of the screen.

    I recommend setting ‘View as’ to “Icon” to minimize usage of space.

    Then click on the name / silhouette and a menu should drop down with all the accounts on the system.

    http://www.apple.com/macosx/theater/fastuserswitching.html
    http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/fastuserswitching/

  2. Incidentally, how long are you staying with your friends who only have Macs? I’m curious to know if it is long enough for you to conclude that using a Mac really is better (particular for someone who might sometimes want to do anything Unix-ish). One of your previous reasons not to, that some aviation software only runs on Windows really is completely solved by using Parallels. I update my GNS 530 databases using my Mac and a 3G mobile phone at the airfield. And I can’t believe you wouldn’t love using Aperture.

  3. you can. you need to enable fast user switching. by default this funcitonality is hidden. to activate:

    pull down the apple menu
    choose System Preferences
    click on the Accounts icon
    click on Login Options (you might have to click on the lock below to unlock the pane for editing first.)
    Check ‘Enable fast user switching…’
    You might uncheck Automatically Log in as: as well.

    From there you will see a user menu at the top right and you will be able to switch users without disturbing your workplace. Workplaces do not persist across reboots.

  5. Amusing. All Macs running OS X have user switching. It’s called “fast user switching” and can be enabled/disabled via the control panel. Use the menu on the upper-right to change users, log in new ones, etc. Once you’ve logged in, you may stay logged in forever.

    Further, you can use the Terminal program (applications/utilities) to open as many Unix shells as you desire under as many logins as you wish. OS X is merely a facade running on *nix, of course.

    And don’t fly any helicopters over LA. We don’t need any more of their noise!

  7. If Fast User Switching is not already enabled, go to System Preferences (the Apple light switch icon in the dock), then to Accounts. If the lock in the lower left corner of the Accounts page is not unlocked, click on the lock and enter the administrator password to unlock it.

    Click on Login Options, then Enable Fast User Switching. Once this is enabled, you should see the account name always visible along the top menubar. Relock the Accounts page if you wish.

    To switch users, just click on the name in the top menubar.

    Hope this helps,
    Ken

  8. Of Course!! Mac invented fast user switching!! PCs provide, as usual, a crude and underperforming copy of this functionality

    Turn on fast user switching by going to the System Preferences -> Accounts -> Login Options -> enable fast user switching.

    It’s faster than the PC, and gives you a nice cube effect when you go back and forth.

    ps: Mac OS has ssh as a native program. On the PC, you need to download and install the utility. Totally uncivilized!!

  9. As the moderator of Philip’s blog, I was astounded by a large number of quick responses from the Mac world suggesting to enable Fast User Switching. I deleted over 50 yesterday to avoid extreme repetition of the same answer. Sorry if your comment happened to be one of those deleted rather than a mostly random keeper.

    I am left wondering why Philip’s questions on Windows software do not get a similar level of attention.

    Can anyone predict impact of Microsoft’s latest threat:

    http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/05/28/100033867/index.htm

    http://www.groklaw.net/article.php?story=20070518124020691

  10. rayfraser, I think one of the reasons you got quite so many responses was that after posting a response it didn’t show up as visible. Thus everybody assumed that nobody else had answered it and posted their own. I refreshed the page a few times after posting my own two comments and they didn’t show. I left it, came back to it, still no sign of mine or any other responses. Then I looked a bit later and there were plenty.

  11. Julian:
    I think you’re wrong that invented fast user switching. I don’t believe fast user switching was around until OS 10.3, and it has been around in windows since v. XP (which came out well before 10.3).

    –Christopher

  13. I’m not sure the previous comments make clear that for Fast User Switching to appear, you need to create a second account (System Preferences > Accounts), which would not normally be present on a Macintosh. It’s sort of a just-in-time, you-can’t-see-it-if-you-don’t-need-it feature.

    It took me forever to figure this out. Of course, I didn’t need the feature, with only one account. I just wanted to see how the animation worked.

    In the upcoming Leopard OS release, desktop switching might be an easier way to handle this situation if you just want to move the clutter out of the way (rather than hide confidential information). Desktop switching is available now in Linux.

  14. Back in college I owned a mac plus, liked it a lot but when started working needed to use MS. Have finally bought a Mac for the home again and generally like it. Seems like a lot of great Mac users are reading here, maybe they have a favorite source to point me to for my mac issues. Lately my main frustration has been with the movie player, it will freeze once a day and sometimes after about 15 minutes finally close. I would like to at least be able to kill the program but do not know how. Your comments would be appreciated.

  15. Wayne asked:
    “I would like to at least be able to kill the program but do not know how. ”

    the keystroke combo to do that is : command (Apple key) +option + esc. that opens up the force close dialog. the nclick o nthe program you want to force quit.

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