Fast User Switching ?

This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....

Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.

I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.

Is this correct?

Thanks.

<posted to comp.sys.mac.system>

--
Please send email to: nwhiii at yahoo dot com

Norm <> wrote:

> This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....
>
> Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.
>
> I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
> then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.
>
> Is this correct?

No. IF Admin is logged in, he/she is logged in - no matter how. In
addition, very often you'll get teh chance to autheticate as Admin when
requesting an authorized task, even when not being logged in as Admin.
E.g., when clickinng a padlock icon next to a locked System Preference.

--
/Z

Norm wrote:

> This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....
>
> Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.
>
> I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
> then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.


Would you please elaborate on these limited "actions" that
require the admin to be the first one logged in?

There was a discussion here earlier about a problem with the
WindowServer when a standard account logs in before an admin
account when using fast switching. Your information might be related.


--
Jeff Wiseman
to reply, just remove ALLTHESPAM

In article <Nlj_d.13208$. net>,
Jeff Wiseman <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote:

> Norm wrote:
>
> > This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....
> >
> > Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.
> >
> > I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
> > then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.
>
>
> Would you please elaborate on these limited "actions" that
> require the admin to be the first one logged in?
>
> There was a discussion here earlier about a problem with the
> WindowServer when a standard account logs in before an admin
> account when using fast switching. Your information might be related.



OP responding to question.

The ones I'm focusing on are changes in System Preferences -> Accounts.

The Other Accounts are grayed out even if Accounts padlock is open. And
I believe changes to a managed account were grayed out as well but I've
since changed that.

If admin signs in on startup, all changes to Accounts are available but
were not available when signed in using Fast User Switching.

Hope I'm explaining that clearly.

Thanks for the help.

--
Please send email to: nwhiii at yahoo dot com

On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 13:38:43 -0500, Norm wrote:

> In article <Nlj_d.13208$. net>,
> Jeff Wiseman <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>
>> Norm wrote:
>>
>> > This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....
>> >
>> > Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.
>> >
>> > I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
>> > then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.
>>
>>
>> Would you please elaborate on these limited "actions" that
>> require the admin to be the first one logged in?
>>
>> There was a discussion here earlier about a problem with the
>> WindowServer when a standard account logs in before an admin
>> account when using fast switching. Your information might be related.
>
>
>
> OP responding to question.
>
> The ones I'm focusing on are changes in System Preferences -> Accounts.
>
> The Other Accounts are grayed out even if Accounts padlock is open. And
> I believe changes to a managed account were grayed out as well but I've
> since changed that.
>
> If admin signs in on startup, all changes to Accounts are available but
> were not available when signed in using Fast User Switching.

You cannot modify other people's accounts while they are still logged in.
If you want to make changes, first make sure the accounts you want to
change are logged out.


Alwyn

In article < >,
Alwyn <> wrote:

> On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 13:38:43 -0500, Norm wrote:
>
> > In article <Nlj_d.13208$. net>,
> > Jeff Wiseman <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote:
> >
> >> Norm wrote:
> >>
> >> > This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....
> >> >
> >> > Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.
> >> >
> >> > I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
> >> > then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.
> >>
> >>
> >> Would you please elaborate on these limited "actions" that
> >> require the admin to be the first one logged in?
> >>
> >> There was a discussion here earlier about a problem with the
> >> WindowServer when a standard account logs in before an admin
> >> account when using fast switching. Your information might be related.
> >
> >
> >
> > OP responding to question.
> >
> > The ones I'm focusing on are changes in System Preferences -> Accounts.
> >
> > The Other Accounts are grayed out even if Accounts padlock is open. And
> > I believe changes to a managed account were grayed out as well but I've
> > since changed that.
> >
> > If admin signs in on startup, all changes to Accounts are available but
> > were not available when signed in using Fast User Switching.
>
> You cannot modify other people's accounts while they are still logged in.
> If you want to make changes, first make sure the accounts you want to
> change are logged out.
>
>
> Alwyn

OP....

Aha....I may have very well have had the other user logged in when I
went to System Preferences->Accounts. So that would explain the grayed
out and not the way I logged in.

Thanks for that tip....to this beginner. I appreciate.

--
Please send email to: nwhiii at yahoo dot com

Norm wrote:
> In article < >,
> Alwyn <> wrote:
>
>
>>On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 13:38:43 -0500, Norm wrote:
>>
>>
>>>In article <Nlj_d.13208$. net>,
>>> Jeff Wiseman <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Norm wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....
>>>>>
>>>>>Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.
>>>>>
>>>>>I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
>>>>>then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Would you please elaborate on these limited "actions" that
>>>>require the admin to be the first one logged in?
>>>>
>>>>There was a discussion here earlier about a problem with the
>>>>WindowServer when a standard account logs in before an admin
>>>>account when using fast switching. Your information might be related.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>OP responding to question.
>>>
>>>The ones I'm focusing on are changes in System Preferences -> Accounts.
>>>
>>>The Other Accounts are grayed out even if Accounts padlock is open. And
>>>I believe changes to a managed account were grayed out as well but I've
>>>since changed that.
>>>
>>>If admin signs in on startup, all changes to Accounts are available but
>>>were not available when signed in using Fast User Switching.
>>
>>You cannot modify other people's accounts while they are still logged in.
>>If you want to make changes, first make sure the accounts you want to
>>change are logged out.
>>
>>
>>Alwyn
>
>
> OP....
>
> Aha....I may have very well have had the other user logged in when I
> went to System Preferences->Accounts. So that would explain the grayed
> out and not the way I logged in.
>
> Thanks for that tip....to this beginner. I appreciate.


It sounds like you're on the right track but please try it out
and if it still behaves unexpectedly, let us know.


--
Jeff Wiseman
to reply, just remove ALLTHESPAM

In article <so6dnXmU56kpU6TfRVn->,
Norm <> wrote:

> The Other Accounts are grayed out even if Accounts padlock is open.
> And I believe changes to a managed account were grayed out as well
> but I've since changed that.
>
> If admin signs in on startup, all changes to Accounts are available
> but were not available when signed in using Fast User Switching.

You can't manage an account that is logged in. So, with only two
accounts, you can't manage the other account by fast user switching
because the other account is logged in.

If there were three accounts and one of them was not logged in, you
could manage that one by fast user switching.

--
Stop Mad Cowboy Disease: Impeach the son of a Bush.

In article <Rfn_d.13333$ k.net>,
Jeff Wiseman <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote:

> Norm wrote:
> > In article < >,
> > Alwyn <> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 13:38:43 -0500, Norm wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>In article <Nlj_d.13208$. net>,
> >>> Jeff Wiseman <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>Norm wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>>This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....
> >>>>>
> >>>>>Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
> >>>>>then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.
> >>>>
> >>>>
> >>>>Would you please elaborate on these limited "actions" that
> >>>>require the admin to be the first one logged in?
> >>>>
> >>>>There was a discussion here earlier about a problem with the
> >>>>WindowServer when a standard account logs in before an admin
> >>>>account when using fast switching. Your information might be related.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>OP responding to question.
> >>>
> >>>The ones I'm focusing on are changes in System Preferences -> Accounts.
> >>>
> >>>The Other Accounts are grayed out even if Accounts padlock is open. And
> >>>I believe changes to a managed account were grayed out as well but I've
> >>>since changed that.
> >>>
> >>>If admin signs in on startup, all changes to Accounts are available but
> >>>were not available when signed in using Fast User Switching.
> >>
> >>You cannot modify other people's accounts while they are still logged in.
> >>If you want to make changes, first make sure the accounts you want to
> >>change are logged out.
> >>
> >>
> >>Alwyn
> >
> >
> > OP....
> >
> > Aha....I may have very well have had the other user logged in when I
> > went to System Preferences->Accounts. So that would explain the grayed
> > out and not the way I logged in.
> >
> > Thanks for that tip....to this beginner. I appreciate.
>
>
> It sounds like you're on the right track but please try it out
> and if it still behaves unexpectedly, let us know.

I went through this, early on in OS the tenth experience. I wish they
had _documented_ that you cannot manage a logged in account. I went to
help and that was no help.

--
Guns don't kill people; automobiles kill people.

Walter Bushell wrote:

> In article <Rfn_d.13333$ k.net>,
> Jeff Wiseman <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>
>
>>Norm wrote:
>>
>>>In article < >,
>>> Alwyn <> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>On Thu, 17 Mar 2005 13:38:43 -0500, Norm wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>>In article <Nlj_d.13208$. net>,
>>>>>Jeff Wiseman <abuse@127.0.0.1> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>>Norm wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>This is a beginner question that I couldn't find answer to in Help....
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Using OS X 10.3.5 and have two users and fast user switching enabled.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I just noticed that if there are actions that only the admin can do,
>>>>>>>then the admin must login during startup not via fast user switching.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Would you please elaborate on these limited "actions" that
>>>>>>require the admin to be the first one logged in?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>There was a discussion here earlier about a problem with the
>>>>>>WindowServer when a standard account logs in before an admin
>>>>>>account when using fast switching. Your information might be related.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>OP responding to question.
>>>>>
>>>>>The ones I'm focusing on are changes in System Preferences -> Accounts.
>>>>>
>>>>>The Other Accounts are grayed out even if Accounts padlock is open. And
>>>>>I believe changes to a managed account were grayed out as well but I've
>>>>>since changed that.
>>>>>
>>>>>If admin signs in on startup, all changes to Accounts are available but
>>>>>were not available when signed in using Fast User Switching.
>>>>
>>>>You cannot modify other people's accounts while they are still logged in.
>>>>If you want to make changes, first make sure the accounts you want to
>>>>change are logged out.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>Alwyn
>>>
>>>
>>>OP....
>>>
>>>Aha....I may have very well have had the other user logged in when I
>>>went to System Preferences->Accounts. So that would explain the grayed
>>>out and not the way I logged in.
>>>
>>>Thanks for that tip....to this beginner. I appreciate.
>>
>>
>>It sounds like you're on the right track but please try it out
>>and if it still behaves unexpectedly, let us know.
>
>
> I went through this, early on in OS the tenth experience. I wish they
> had _documented_ that you cannot manage a logged in account. I went to
> help and that was no help.

One thing that I have begun doing that helps me is to realize
that although, I have seen item's greyed out because of bugs or
system foul-ups, it has been extremely rare.

ANYTIME something is greyed-out, it means that something
somewhere else is configured in such a way that that item is
either irrelevent or more likely illegal. In other words: There
is a logical reason why this is greyed out and I cannot change
it. I just haven't discovered that reason yet. However, it WILL
make sense when I discover it and when I discover it, it will be
somewhere else and NOT where I am looking at that moment :-)

The real problem is that as has been mentioned, the Help
documentation on the OS X system is really poorly structured. I
should be able to go into ANY configuration window, ask for help,
and have a description of EACH button and field in that window
and what it does.




--
Jeff Wiseman
to reply, just remove ALLTHESPAM