19th December 2001
It doesn't matter how cheap RAM gets, we're always looking for ways to squeeze speed out of our system. Fast User Switching may be enabled in Windows XP by default; there's no need for it if you're the only one who accesses your computer. Open the User Accounts applet in the Control Panel. Pick the "Change the way users log on or off" task (highlighted in blue for those using a Classic View). Now, you can take the checkmark out of "Use Fast User Switching" if you still want to see your Welcome screen. If you remove the checkmark from the "Use the Welcome screen" field, Fast User Switching will be disabled automatically. I would also recommend turning off the Guest account if you don't need it for day-to-day operations. It may not consume resources, but it's still a potential security risk. If you ever want to add, edit, or change your Passport (.NET) account, this would be the place to do it. Click "Change Passport Attributes" and remove the checkmarks next to "Share my e-mail address" and "Share my other registration information" for further privacy.