In Windows 10, you can easily select the accounts you wish to use, on login and lock screen. To switch users, you’ve to simply click on Start Button > click on your profile picture icon > and select other user account you want to switch to.
But what if you don’t see other user account to switch? Well, if this is the case with your system, you won’t be able to switch users. This is one of the known issue faced sometimes by users, and this problem existed in earlier Windows editions as well.
So if you’re unable to switch users, here’s how to fix it:
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FIX: Unable To Switch Users In Windows 10/8.1/8
FIX 1 – Via LUSRMGR Snap-in
1. Press 
+ R and type lusrmgr.msc in Run dialog box to open Local Users and Groups snap-in. Click OK.
2. In the lusrmgr window, double click on Group. Now right click on Administrators, select Add to Group.
3. Now on Administrators property sheet, click Add button.
4. Then under Select Users, click Object Types.
5. On the Object Types screen, make sure only Users is checked. Then again in above shown window, click Advanced.
6. Moving on, in next window, click Find Now. From the search results, select the other user accounts to which you can’t switch to. Then click OK and again OK in remaining window.
Once the user is added to Administrators group by this method, it should be available for switching.
If issue still persists, try FIX 2 mentioned below.
FIX 2 – Via Command Prompt
1. Right click Start Button or press + X keys and select Command Prompt (Admin) to open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. In administrative or elevated Command Prompt window, type/paste following and press Enter key.
secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\inf\defltbase.inf /db defltbase.sdb /verbose
3. Close Command Prompt window and reboot the machine.
After restarting your computer, you must be able to switch users accounts now.
That’s it!
Also read: How to enable/disable fast user switching in Windows 10.
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This is NOT a 100% fix for every case!! I ran this command in CMD to attempt to fix this issue with a new work laptop and it did not work.
Did not work for me either:
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18362.418]
(c) 2019 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>secedit /configure /cfg %windir%\inf\defltbase.inf /db defltbase.sdb /verbose
The task has completed. Warnings occurred for some attributes during this operation. It’s okay to ignore the warning.
See log %windir%\security\logs\scesrv.log for detail info.
C:\WINDOWS\system32>
Add me in the same boat. Happened to me with a brand new Dell Vostro 3590 freshly updated to Windows 10 1909. Tried various suggested solutions. None worked, including this one. I really wish I’d not reinstall everything just because of that stupid issue. If someone has any idea other than reinstall, please come here or point to an alternative solution here.
Okay guys, I ended up doing a refresh install. This actually gave me back the possibility to switch between users. But I wish I didn’t have to do that. Also, I wish Windows 10 would stop that habit of breaking things by itself (now it’s the search feature that is broken on the same computer).
Check this out: very easy: superuser.com/questions/1484486/how-to-show-switch-user-option-in-windows-10
open regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\System then change HideFastUserSwitching to 0
Hey Buddy,
You saved my life.. inspite after tried all fixes, you’r fix worked.. Bingo
^^ Glad to help!
Adding the user to the admin group worked. It took me 3 hours late night till 4am to call it a night and go to bed. I did one more search and saw this as an option when I woke up at 7am. Though it worked the idea is not to have regular users as part of the admin group. Is this bug or windows just breaking that has left us no option but to backup the profile and reinstall windows over again which is a another 2 hrs. maybe 3. Microsoft is good at creating work and jobs I don’t mind but having to explain to a client this happened out of the blue and them having to pay of it doesn’t always go so well. if anyone comes across a fix or update please post it. The local security group modification and reg edit fix did not work for me. i even tried reinstalling some updates.
nothing worked.
Not the 2 suggestions above (Both users were in the admin group, and I ran the cmd fix 2)
Not editing regedit HideFastUserSwitching (the option wasn’t there)
Not adding the key to regedit
not enable/disbale/not configured in GPedit.
It’s so frustrating to me, that when I go to the web looking for solutions, it is obvious to me that people that are offering solutions are not reading the question. I am AT the login screen (you know, where you initially type in your user name and password). I want to login as a different user, but the other user icon and name are not on the screen, and there is no option to “Switch User.” Keyboard control functions like “Win + R, Win + L, Alt + F4, and Alt + Ctrl + Del …” DO NOT WORK HERE!!!!! If I can’t login to the computer, how can I switch users from the “Start Menu?” Really people…!!!