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Tip for super fast computer user account switching
 

Thought I'd share this info which makes life a bit easier when you have to constantly switch computer user accounts, especially for lazy computer users like myself. To switch computer accounts (recommended to get to your other eBay accounts) you would normally have to press START >> LOG OFF >> SWITCH USER. OMG 3 mouse clicks that's too much! So I made a shortcut on the desktop and quicklaunch. Right click on any blank space on your desktop, select NEW >> SHORTCUT >> paste this rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation >> rename to your liking >> FINISH. Now put that shortcut to quicklaunch or wherever you want. Now you have simple super fast account switching with 1 click! Or if you really want to get speedy you can add a keyboard shortcut. Right click on the shortcut you just made >> PROPERTIES >> then add a shortcut key be it CTRL + ALT + [whatever]. You need to create this shortcut for each user account you have but once it's setup then it's good to go with all your accounts.

There you have it! Made my life easier having to jumble with multiple user accounts a day with constant switching.

EDIT: I've only tested this in WinXP. Not sure if it'll work with Vista or Win7.

The keyboard shortcut would come in handy. Thanks for the idea :)

wot about macs?

Hmmm cant get it to work. Looks like a DOS window pops up and closes real quick. then nothing. I have windows 7 64bit...

Sounds like a setting somewhere. Any suggestions?

For eb ay, I just switch users - don't bother logging off. So far (knoc on wood) no linking. I use different IP all the time.

what about if you switched user accounts,BUT

you don`t exit firefox and your still logged into eb ay

so your logged in to two eb ay accounts,at the same time,with the same ip:nono:

i always log off because of this but i don`t think it takes much longer anyway,plus,if you have more than one or two user accounts running it will slow your computer down

okay if you got a powerful computer though........but mine,is powerless

This is not recommended for those that needs to switch IPs, as you may often forget to close your web broswer as you switch the accounts, which will result in your other account remains logged into eBay, and potentially linking you.

My computer doesn't even allow me to switch users for some reason I always log off and back on.

wouldn't worry about it arabzunit

it don't make much of a difference

plus it's risky

Yea I dont really mind but it does get annoying at times when I've got many accounts to manage

tis something we all gotta do mate

the ip changing pi55es me off as it can sometimes take ages to change

Thanks for advance , honestly I need a software which able to change ip and switch user automatically in order to manage all accounts = )

DSL may suit for all your needs.

I am still stuck/freaked about not having a different IP Address.

I got a question. Do I need to switch ips whenever I need to switch to another account? I read the book often but forget. I have a wireless network router btw.

I use to restart the computer for account switching

always change your ip address when CHANGING user accounts

i say changing because switching leaves the possibility for you to be logged into two accounts at the same time

NEVER switch user accounts

ALWAYS log off and and log in then check ip address straight away

all i do is switching , Windows + L ... This seems to be the quickest way for switching, works on all Windows XP, Vista, 7

Mac??
 

Does this work on Mac?
Anyone figured a quick way for Mac??

99% of the time LAZY = ISSUES = SUSPENDED

I have no idea why this is a sticky... this is a great way to get accounts link on accident by all of the above.

Even if you are shutting all programs down before you fast swtich has anyone ever had a process hang? I have all the time, shut down firefox, window goes away but the process never ends....... open up task manager and oh look firefox.exe ------ still there.

don't do this.

i ALWAYS log out...restart pc........reboot router...................log in to next

works a treat and reduces lots of problems because it comes natural

for the sake of the 10 minutes a day it takes to do it i can run 10 accounts with little worry

No need to use seperate windows accounts, thats just a mechanism to isolate the session cookies from your browser. Easier to use firefox and install the multifox plugin, then a <ctrl><shift>m gives you a new session window (with it's own cookies) for each account you want to login in to. So you can stay logged in to as many ebay accounts as you want with no cross linkage (Apart from IP obviously) from one pc!

This sounds like the most convenient and feasible way.
But can anyone verify that this will work 100%?
Also, what happens when up update Firefox; will the same feature remain?

I agree.

You must be careful doing this because many have reported they forget to log off the eb account before switching users and going back. Exposing the same IP on two accounts.

Can you explain how the ip is exposed, if you are using the same pc the 2 accounts would have the same ip address, so where does the exposure bit come into it?

The people running stealth change their IP after they log on to different accounts to avoid linkage.
There are various ways to change your IP, including restarting router, using thetering, etc.... there's a subforum for that here... have a look.

For the account switching, that's mainly to avoid linkage from cookies and those computer stuff.

I am confused, are you guys saying it is bad to log into ebay on one user account, stay logged into ebay on that account while switching user accounts, changing ip address, and then logging back into ebay on second user account? I usually log out of ebay just to be safe since I am not 100% how this works...

Log in out
 

I always sih out of ebay account then log off the present user account then log on to the next user account. BUT! I will change the ip address before I sign into the next Ebay account that goes with the user account. Get it? Hmm, I don't even know if I get it. Lol

It's not that hard to lOg off and sign in

takes my fibre router 15 minutes to reboot floyd :sleepy:

same question for this other solution.

tried op's solution, actually didn't save much work at all. because when you click on the shortcut, it ask you to type in new username and password, after that, it logs you out and get you to the normal windows user accounts page, where you have to type in password again for choosing user account. takes roughly same time.

Whoever says that switching windows user accounts and not logging out first will link your account, doesn't know what they are talking about ... I have been switching between my ebay accounts without logging out and I was never linked.

This is what I do before switching to my other ebay account ...

1. I turn off my dsl modem ....
2. I switch to my other account (to which ever you prefer)
3. I turn on my dsl modem and wait for the new ip to show up
4. I google my ip and and make sure it has not been used before
5. I log in into my ebay.

DONE!

(Regarding the comment above mine, you will not get linked if you do not log out of an account and switch PC users and log into the other. HOWEVER, you could EASILY get linked by the fact your IP is the same. So, he is correct in what he said. )

ON CHANGING THE IP:

The old cable routers were pretty cool, as you could just change the MAC address and reboot and you had a new IP everytime.

Now with Verizon FIOS and Comcast Xfinity, not sure of an easy way to do it.

I recall getting into the FIOS and releasing the IP and getting it again, but only sometimes would it change the IP.

Got annoying, so I just started to use different locations (library, office, etc).

Or, just say, my router is not working properly and they send you a new one in the mail (just did that one).

Actually, my internet is now twice is fast, as I have some newer model router.. Really nice..

It is awful, i hate it.

I use a Mac, but I do all stealth things on a virtual machine of Windows XP that is installed in VMWare. I figured this would be the easiest way to easily create new user accounts. That way if I screw up I can just delete the virtual machine and not have to worry about screwing up the user accounts on my actual computer. Hope this helps. Best of luck. Bye.

The best method I believe is to restart the computer and login to the other account.

Thanks for this. I don't suppose you have a shortcut for Mac users?