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Fast User Switching on Windows XP with VNC?

Posted by Cliff on from the why-doesn't-it-work dept.

A not-so Anonymous Coward asks: "I have searched the web for links on how to make VNC work with Windows XP fast user switching, and all I have seen is people saying that they cannot get it to work. I would now like to ask the Slashdot community to give it their shot, and see if they cannot find a way to make your standard VNC utilities cooperate with Windows XP fast user switching. For those who don't know what the problem is; when using fast user switching, if you switch users (without logging out) from the first user to log on then VNC comes up with a blank screen. Hopefully someone can come up with a fix for this." It sounds like (and I might be way off base here)Windows isn't necessarily running multiple desktops for its fast user switching, and once the switch occurs from the user running the VNC process, that VNC then somehow loses rights to the desktop. It would be interesting to note if VNC sessions will work once the desktop is switched back. Has anyone else tried getting this to work? Have you run into the same problems, or were you able to find a solution?

5 of 86 comments (clear)

  1. Makes me wonder by $exyNerdie · · Score: 2, Interesting

    Makes me wonder if I can load VNC on PocketPC yet... cause if I can, I would be able to use WinXP wirelessly from:

    Windows in your hands

  2. XP EULA Violation by jebx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I think you need to pay more attention to /. VNC appears to violate XP's EULA
    Link to Slashdot article

  3. Isn't Fast Switching With VPN A Security Exposure by xsbellx · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I currently use Cisco Systems VPN Client Version 3.5.2 for connecting to the office. During installation, the client explicitly disables user switching. I asked the same question about user switching in XP of the VPN guys and had it explained this way:

    Three people share the XP system, each with their own user profile. I logon and connect to the office. With fast switching enabled, the kids come along and decide to do some nasty things on the corporate network (maybe by accident, maybe not). If I was willing to personally accept all responsiblity (in other words, pay the bills for any fallout) for all the other users of the system, they would provide a patched version of the client to allow fast switching.

    As much as I hate bureaucracy, I have to side with the VPN guys on this one.

    --
    If VISTA is the answer, you didn't understand the question
  4. Re:Fast User Switching in a Domain? by Foolhardy · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I currently have it setup to use the 'classic' Win2k style logon dialog, with fast user switcing enabled.
    1. Get SP1.
    2. Set the logon screen choice in 'User Accounts' to classic.
    3. Set "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\AllowMultipleTSSessions " to 1.
    4. Use Task manager to switch users; disconnect the current user to go back to the logon screen (to start new sessions) without logging off, and connect to switch directly. You can also go back to the logon screen and type the name of an existing session's user to switch to it.
    I have heard that MS might allow one console and one remote session, concurrently active with SP2.

  5. Re:Oi, get a clue by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Unfortunately, running the server as a service does not seem to help. According to what help sites I was able to find out there it has something to do with how MS implements fast user switching. PCAnywhere claimed that they had to do some sort of dirty hack to make their version work with fast user switching. hopefully someone on slashdot knows what this workaround is.