Windows 8 and slow user switching

CSMR

Golden Member
Apr 24, 2004
1,376
2
81
For me switching back into an Windows 8 user account is extremely slow.

It takes >30 seconds for the account to be useable. This is on a modern Ivy Bridge system with running off a fast SSD.

I am finding that Outlook stops checking emails when switched out and so must wait the >30 seconds for it to become useable, and then wait for it to check emails.

I think Windows 8 is doing some very bad stuff in the background, like hibernating programs which then need to be restored.

Anyone getting this problem? Presumably it is unfixable?
 

smakme7757

Golden Member
Nov 20, 2010
1,487
1
81
I have no such problems on any of the 3 system i have Windows 8 on. Outlook will happily "Pling" to say I've received new mail.

I can't comment on user switching though. Seems very strange indeed, certainly not "normal" behavior.
 

Ichinisan

Lifer
Oct 9, 2002
28,298
1,235
136
I'm focusing on the feature that Microsoft refers to as "Fast User Switching."

"Fast user switching" has always meant that you don't need to log-off to switch users, so multiple users can be logged-in simultaneously with running processes.

Initially, if you're logged-in with the first user and you want to switch to log-in with another, the only thing that's "fast" versus old-style user switching is that you don't have to log-out of the first user. It still has to load data while the second user account logs-in. After two or more users are logged-in, switching between the accounts should be very fast.

So it sounds like the processes for the non-active user are now suspended in some way. I think that would be a good thing in most cases. However, I can definitely think of some scenarios where it would be undesirable.