# Previous user on winXp didnt logoff...wat do?

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-user-on-winxp-didnt-logoff-wat-do/617466
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [April 1, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-user-on-winxp-didnt-logoff-wat-do/617466 "2012-04-01T12:48:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![ManiacMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b782af/32.png) [@ManiacMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ManiacMan)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2012, 12:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-user-on-winxp-didnt-logoff-wat-do/617466/1 "2012-04-01T12:48:57Z")

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Normally I hit the power button until it turns off/reboots. This sucks as i have to wait 10 minutes to get everything reloaded. Is there some other shortcut I could do? The last user is on afternoons so I can’t just ask him to sign in and logoff.

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### Author: ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2012, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-user-on-winxp-didnt-logoff-wat-do/617466/2 "2012-04-01T14:36:15Z")

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You would need to get someone with Administrator privileges to log him off.

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### Author: ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2012, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-user-on-winxp-didnt-logoff-wat-do/617466/3 "2012-04-01T16:09:21Z")

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I’m running Windows 7 so this is just from memory, but if you click on the windows button, just as if you were going to shut down the system properly, should be “log off.” I don’t believe this requires a password. It should take you to the normal log on screen you see after a cold start.

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### Author: ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)
#### Post date: [April 1, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/previous-user-on-winxp-didnt-logoff-wat-do/617466/4 "2012-04-01T16:16:59Z")

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The OP says “I can’t just ask him to sign in and logoff”, so presumably the screen is locked.

ETA: I’m guessing the “ShutDown” button is greyed out also, or else he’d use that instead of the power button. Not that that would be any quicker.