LOG  ON  /  LOG  OFF  /  SWITCH  USER  ACCOUNTS

To Log Off means to disconnect from something and to Log On means to connect to something. Such as an Internet Account or a User Account. Other terminology is Sign Out (Log Off) and Sign In (Log On).

If you have more than one User Account on the computer you are allowed to Log Off (disconnect from) the currently Logged On (connected) User Account and then Log On (connect to) another User Account. Or you can Switch between User accounts (known as Switch Users) whereby both user accounts can be logged on - You can only use one user account at a time though. Hence its name: Switch (between) Users.

In this example I will switch from the YOINGCO user account to the JOHN user account. With the YOINGCO user account I still have Microsoft Word 2007 running, but this does not matter because Windows Vista will not close it down when I switch users. It will still be running when I switch back, from the JOHN user account to the YOINGCO user account. One reason for wanting to switch users is when you quickly want to check an email for example from the other user account.

To switch from one user account to another you first need to click on the START Menu button, which will reveal the START Menu.



Fig 1.0  Click on the START Menu button to reveal the START Menu




Fig 1.1  Hover over the ShutDown Options blank menu Title and then click on the SWITCH USER menu-item

When the START Menu is revealed (Fig 1.1 above) move the mouse pointer rightwards until it has gone over the Shutdown and Padlock buttons, so that it is now over the Shutdown Options (dark blue right-arrow) Menu Title. The menu title is blank. Keep the mouse pointer there for a second or so until the Shutdown Options Menu appears and then click on the SWITCH USER menu-item. This will automatically blacken the desktop before showing you the Log On screen.



Fig 1.2  The Log On screen

At this point (Fig 1.2 above) you are presented with the normal Log On screen, with the slight difference of it now informing you of the user accounts that have already been Logged On. In this example only the YOINGCO user account has been Logged On. So in order to truly switch between user accounts I will now Log On to the JOHN user account. As I do so the SWITCH USER button appears - Clicking on it will allow me to cancel the Log On process for the JOHN user account and return back to the Log On screen. In this example though I will carry on with the Log On process for the JOHN user account.



Fig 1.3  Log On to a, second, user account in the normal way.

Once you have Logged On to your second user account and looked at your email, or whatever it was you wanted to do from the second user account, follow the steps in Figures 1.0 and 1.1 above (see below as well) to switch between user accounts again.



Fig 1.4  Switch between user accounts again (from the JOHN user account this time)

Switching between user accounts again (from the JOHN user account this time) means you will be sent back to the Log On screen again, but this time it will show both user accounts as Logged On. To switch back to the YOINGCO user account I would simply click on it and type in its password - If a user account does not have a password you would simply click on the user account.



Fig 1.5  Click on the first user account again (i.e YOINGCO user account) to get back into it




Fig 1.6  The YOINGCO user account has been Logged On before

Remember. As you switch between user accounts any running programs for that user account will stay running until you either close them down yourself, Log Off the user account or restart/switch off the computer. It is very easy to forget this and lose your work, especially if more than one user account is Logged On. For example. Windows Vista warns you of this scenario when the computer is about to restart, by displaying the following message requester, but now imagine a piece of software has asked to restart the computer and not you.....you might just click on the YES button without thinking!


Fig 1.7  Click on the YES button if you want to Log Off all user accounts - Remember. They may have unsaved work.

If you Log Off one user account, instead of restarting the computer, with unsaved work (i.e a Letter that has not been saved) you will be prompted to save it before the Log Off process continues. As well as the following message requester appearing another screen appears (Fig 1.9 below) where you can CANCEL the Log Off process or LOG OFF NOW with the work unsaved.


Fig 1.8  Click on the YES button to save the unsaved work




Fig 1.9  LOG OFF NOW or CANCEL?

Shutting down the computer (with the SHUTDOWN Start Menu option) when another user account is Logged On will display the following message requester. Clicking on the YES button will completely shutdown the computer, therefore all unsaved work will be lost.


Fig 1.10  Click on the YES button if you want to Shutdown all user accounts - Remember. They may have unsaved work.



Turn Computer Off Correctly Index The Desktop