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When I shutdown Windows 10, (latest version, fully patched up to date 25-Oct-2017), I find that it shuts down without issue. However, when the PC is restarted, the last logged in user (who initiated the shut down) is still logged in.
I noticed this when I shutdown as User 1, then restarted the PC and logged in as User 2. When viewing the 'profiles' button at the top of the Start Menu, (which shows your user picture), it showed me that User 1 was still logged in. Furthermore, when I went to shut the computer down as User 2, it warned me that other users were logged in to this computer. I had to log out as User 2 and login as User 1 to shut down the computer.
The only way around this is to log out and then shut the PC down from the main login screen. All my users have complex passwords assigned and in all other aspects Windows 10 appears to be working correctly.
I assume this is a feature, but is there a switch or a registry hack that allows the shut down process to log off the current user, like Windows 7 used to?
Please can someone advise?
Many thanks
Paul B.
[Moved from: Windows / Windows 10 / Security & privacy]
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
I sympathize. But have you tried "Shutdown /S" It must be run as Administrator, & puts up this alert...
In about a minute looks like a full shutdown will occur. If you create a shortcut for it (instead of a .bat), it can be made to "Run as administrator" without a right-click, as in this a shortcut to Autoruns...
The problem is that even when someone signs out, on boot it automatically goes to their desktop. However it does the hard shutdown doesn't change that. My wife will use her account. She will sign out and after signing out shut down. I have reset for a hard shut down rather than the default pretend shut down. Push the power button and when it boots up it automatically reloads her desktop.
The method of shutting down doesn't change anything as the problem is that it does not completely log off. When I want to go to my desktop after she uses it, I have to wait for hers to load up, then sign out and log in. It's pretty stupid. 7 had a straightforward system - a hard shutdown automatically logs you out for real.
Again, even if you click on the user icon and sign out, it doesn't really sign you out. That is the problem. With Office 2016 Outlook, it's the opposite. When you log in to your email, it makes you log in over and over again, and there isn't a fix there yet either, though they claim there will be one by next year. Not only do they keep adding mroe steps, but they don't always work.
So sign-out plus shutdown is not a fix for you? Your wife gets auto-signed in at the next boot? It was different for Paul_J_L_B. I wonder, what is her/your setting at "START, Settings, Accounts, Sign-in options, Use my sign-in info..."?...
I'm ill-equipped to check these things out because I have just one user account.
Epic Fail.
With the above solution, still locked out of the laptop until the other user logs on and logs themself off.
So I wait for a fix and figure out a work around. Let's hope the other user doesn't have a mishap else I am locked out of the laptop!
How is this an "epic fail"?
When you start your computer (assuming you are using your Microsoft Account) the screen will offer you a choice of sign in options (accounts) and you sign in with your own account info and password/pin/whatever.
Yes, that will sign out anyone else who may have been logged on previously and they would (possibly) lose unsaved work. But, unless they are unbelievably thick they would have saved their work before shutting down the computer anyway so, really, any such risk is negligible.
The same is true for local accounts. Just go ahead and sign in with YOUR password and account info.
And when you're ready to sign out say "Hey, Cortana, sign out."
You can also tell her to shut your device off or lock it if you're going to be away for a bit.
