Create a Switch User Shortcut in Windows 10

Although the concept of multiple users sharing one device or one PC is getting rarer by the day, there are still cases when you have to share PCs and switch users fast. Today, we'll see how to create a special shortcut to switch users quickly in Windows 10.

There is a special utility 'tsdiscon.exe' in Windows which is available starting with Windows XP. It does not sign out the previously logged in user, but simply locks his/her account, brings you back to the Logon screen and lets you sign in with a different user account. We can use it to create a Switch User shortcut in Windows 10.

To create a Switch User shortcut in Windows 10, do the following.

Right click the empty space on your Desktop. Select New - Shortcut in the context menu (see the screenshot).

In the shortcut target box, type or copy-paste the following:

 %windir%\System32\tsdiscon.exe

Note: Windows 10 Home Edition does not have the tsdiscon.exe app. You can download it here:

Download tsdiscon.exe in a ZIP archive

Unpack the downloaded archive and unblock the tsdiscon.exe file. Now, move the tsdiscon.exe file into the folder C:\Windows\System32. If you see a UAC confirmation prompt, then confirm it to continue.

Use the line "Switch User" without quotes as the name of the shortcut. Actually, you can use any name you want. Click on the Finish button when done.

Now, right click the shortcut you created and select Properties.

In Properties, go to the the Shortcut tab. There, you can specify a new icon for the shortcut you created. A suitable icon can be found in the file C:\Windows\System32\imageres.dll. See the screenshot below.

Click OK to apply the icon, then click OK to close the shortcut properties dialog window.

Now, you can click the shortcut to switch between user accounts without signing out from your own account.

Other options to switch between user accounts in Windows 10 are as follows.

In Windows 10, you can switch users directly from the user account name. You don't even have to switch to the Logon screen nor press Win + L. If you have multiple user accounts, they are all listed when you click your user name on the Start menu!

Just click directly on the user name to switch.

You can still press Alt+F4 on the Desktop and select Switch User if you prefer the old method, in case your user name is hidden by a Group Policy and you need to type it too.

That's it.