Unlocking Windows 7 as Admin w/o FUS

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thompatry

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I current work at University Technical Desk and we are getting ready go to Windows 7. Well I realized the other day when someone doesn't log it locks the machine. Well if one of us Admins need to work on the machine we have to hard turn off the computer (which I don't like) and turn it back on so we can log in because there is no Administrator unlock button.

I know in XP world it would allow you to log off the current user if your were an Administrator of the computer. Is there a way this could be set up in Windows 7 were an Admin was the only one to unlock the computer? Do I need to edit some of the system files to make this happen?

Overall I really don't want to turn on FUS (Fast User Switch) because the could just overload the machine and we don't need any of that in our dept.


Any help is really appreciated.
 
I've had a quick scout around and can't find any simple way to enable this - I'd hoped there would be a registry key somewhere, but it seems if it is there the documentation is buried in some obsolete place or doesn't really exist. Oh well...

The best I've found that doesn't involve rebooting the PC is remoting in. Start => run => mstsc from another PC to the locked one should give you the option as to whether you want to log the current user off (if you're an admin of course.) Not a brilliant solution, but better than having to constantly reboot PCs.
 
I just tried locking my laptop.

when locked I have a switch user button that will allow me to log on as someone else.

or I press control alt delete and there is a button saying other credentials.

so for me at least it seems that all the old options are still there.
 
Root - that's probably because you've got fast user switching enabled. It works differently on windows 7 because it's enabled for domain logons as well and therefore not usually disabled. admins can therefore still switch user and log on as themselves.

If it's disabled however my understanding is these options aren't present.
 
Grace01 - what do you mean that there are so many software and techniques out there to do this. Could you please share some?

Also I have tried writing a script that check every 5 minutes to just make sure that only one person is logged on. I didn't have much luck.

If there any other suggestions, please let me know.
 
I meant to say that I am logged on as a domain user.
using windows 7 enterprise.

but yes, user switching is enabled.
 
Windows 7 is much better about managing user switching than XP ever was. It would be a good idea to enable this practice for your network. We're using Vista & 7 at my location and it's never been an issue for us, even on the slower systems.
 
It's true that enabling user switching would solve the issue - it shouldn't really be necessary though. It's short-sightedness on Microsoft's part (IMO) to not provide this functionality without user switching enabled...
 
But I don't want 50 users on just one computer. Some our staff doesn't understand that word. Also I just prefer it to be off.
 
you know, I have to say that I find it strange that they've just completely dropped support for admins to be able to unlock a workstation by forcing a log off.

I know it made users loose their work, but at least that taught them to save their work... before wandering off leaving their PC unattended.

I wonder if there is a way that you could enable fast user switching, but limit the machine to only allow one regular user, yet still allow admin users to logon concurrently to other users
that'd still be done through fast user switching, then you'd use the task manager to logoff the other user once you'd logged on.

now that I realise that it can't be done, i'm finding it a bit pathetic that it's not enabled!


you can disable the lock workstation feature for the machines? that way users couldn't just lock the machine and leave for the day... but it also means that people can't lock the machines whilst they are going to collect paper from the printer.

there are a few suggestions on some places that suggest that you could use a screen saver to control the users session, so if the user got up and walked away for a half an hour, it'd log them off...

of course this still takes away the ability for a person in a lab to leave something running overnight.

I can't believe that they missed this kind of stuff out. it's pretty slack on MS's part.
 
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