Using the Welcome Screen In Windows XP

Computers are the part of a domain (a configuration that doesn’t maintain the Welcome screen), Windows XP is configured by defaulting to make use of the Welcome screen.

If your system is not using the Welcome screen and you want it to, follow these steps:

1. While logged on as an administrator, open User Accounts in Control Panel.

2. Click the Change The Way Users Log On Or Off link.

If a warning message about offline files appears, simply click Cancel. As the message points out, offline files and Fast User Switching are incompatible, but you don’t need to disable offline files to enable only the Welcome screen.

3. Select Use The Welcome Screen, and then click Apply Options.

By default, whenever the screen saver kicks in and you subsequently press a key or move the mouse, you’ll find yourself back at the Welcome screen. This provides some protection against someone using your computer when you’ve stepped away. To resume working, you’ll need to click your name and enter your password.

If you’d rather return to work without going through these extra steps, do the following:

1. Right-click the desktop, and choose Properties to open the Display Properties dialog box.

2. Click the Screen Saver tab.

3. Clear the check box labeled On Resume, Display Welcome Screen (if Fast User Switching is enabled) or On Resume, Password Protect (if Fast User Switching is disabled).

Your decision to use the Welcome screen has other, perhaps unexpected, effects as well. For example, if you use the Welcome screen, pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete after you’re logged on displays Windows Task Manager, an invaluable little program that lets you end hung applications and shows running tasks and processes, how much memory and processor time each is using, and a concise summary of several performance metrics, among other information. If you have disabled the Welcome screen, however, pressing Ctrl+Alt+Delete displays the Windows Security dialog box, shown in Figure.

Figure. With the Welcome screen disabled, pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del displays this dialog box instead of Task Manager.