so what exactly does logging off do? (in useful ways)

[LongCoolMother]

i know it locks out the user account in windows, but other then that, what good does it do? its still running on full power and it just sits there until someone else logs in. or does logging off lock the user out, but keep the user's applications running? i think that would be very useful. but really, what good does logging out do if besides not having to boot up the computer again? i know im missing something, so thanks to anyone who can fill me in.

 

[Nothinman]

In XP you can use the 'fast user switching' which leaves your programs running, but in general all it does is kill your programs and let the computer sit waiting for someone else to log on.

 

[thingy]

If I go out of the house for maybe a couple of hours then I leave it logged off - but I also wonder about this

What's the difference between leaving it at the Desktop and leaving it logged off

It says 'saving settings' so I suppose that might be useful but does it make any other difference?

 

[Nothinman]

What's the difference between leaving it at the Desktop and leaving it logged off

The fact that if you leave it logged in I can sit down and work as you, if you log off (or lock the desktop) I need your password. For home, it's not a terribly big deal, for work it's crucial.

 

[thingy]

I'm the only user

So, it makes no difference as regards the Hardware then or the OS - might as well leave it at Desktop?

Thought maybe all the background processes and things stopped?

 

[ledzepp98]

as mentioned, logging of can be used to keep others from using your computer... but then again, you can just lock the workstation without actually logging off.
in winXP, you can switch users and have applications open on users that are "logged off"

other than that, the reason i log off then back on is to clear out some of the stuff loaded into memory after a few days of use. for example, on startup explorer.exe uses approx 15 megs of ram... after a few days, it can use as much as 50 megs. logging off then on clears stuff out of memory and it's much quicker than a full re-start

 

[Woodie]

In the work environment, with GPOs and Domain logons:
1. Refreshes User side GPOs.
2. Triggers forced/expired password changes
3. Refreshes group memberships
4. Secures userID (the cleaning (or other unauthorized) staff can't start browsing user files, the network, etc..)
5. Stops all user tasks (not services), releases memory.

Locking the workstation can accomplish #4.

 

[spyordie007]

Originally posted by: Woodie
In the work environment, with GPOs and Domain logons:
1. Refreshes User side GPOs.
2. Triggers forced/expired password changes
3. Refreshes group memberships
4. Secures userID (the cleaning (or other unauthorized) staff can't start browsing user files, the network, etc..)
5. Stops all user tasks (not services), releases memory.

Woodie summed it up the best, however I thought I should add in that because it ends all your user's processes the only thing left running is system processes. A number of programs that require you to reboot after an install really only need you to log off, and back in.

The big key is that it ends all the processes that you started (more or less).

-Spy