How to Enable / Disable New Welcome Screen, Log Off and Shut Down Dialog Box in Windows XP?

If you are a Windows XP user, you can see the new XP welcome screen at Windows startup. Also when you click on “Log Off” or “Shutdown” options in Start Menu, it shows new XP Style dialog boxes as shown in following screenshots:

New XP Style Log Off Dialog Box:

New_Log_Off.jpg

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New XP Style Shutdown Dialog Box:

New_Shutdown.jpg

There are also Classic dialog boxes available in Windows XP. If you don’t want the new XP Style dialog boxes, you can enable the old Classic dialog boxes as shown in following screenshots:

Classic Log Off Dialog Box:

Old_Logoff.jpg

Classic Shutdown Dialog Box:

Old_Shutdown.jpg

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Following tutorial will help you in enabling/disabling the new XP Style dialog boxes and Welcome Screen:

1. Open User Accounts applet in Control Panel.

2. Click on “Change the way users log on or off” link as shown in following screenshot:

Change_Way.jpg

3. It’ll show a new page containing 2 options:

  • Use the Welcome screen
  • Use Fast User Switching

Enable_Welcome_Screen.jpg

Now if you want to disable new Welcome screen and XP style dialog boxes, then disable both options. Or if you want to enable welcome screen and new XP style dialog boxes, then enable both options.

NOTE 1: If you get following error while enabling “Use the Welcome screen” option:

Uninstall client services for netware.

Open “Network Connections” and open Properties of your Internet Connection. Now go to “Networking” tab and select “Client services on Netware” option and click on the”Uninstall” button.

NOTE 2: You might also get following error message while enabling “Use Fast User Switching” option:

Fast User Switching cannot be used because Offline Files is currently enabled. To make changes to Offline Files, click OK.

If you get this error message, click on OK button and it’ll show a new dialog box. Now disable “Enable offline files” option in this dialog box and click on OK button. Now you’ll be able to enable “Use Fast User Switching” option.

Published in: Troubleshooting Guides, Windows XP

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

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  1. i have checked “use welcome screen” still i didnt got my welcome screen. i checked the registry entry that you have given above and its value was already set to 1..i dont know what is DWORD. i havent got my welcome screen fixed yet,plz help

  2. i once changed my original logonui file with another one(downloaded) to make my compter look like windows seven and i think that is causing the problem!! how to restore the original logonui file???

  3. You should add the following information to the article:

    If Windows XP is connected to a network registered to a domain, the Welcome Screen is automatically disabled and the only way to restore it is to remove the computer from the domain.

  4. “Change the way users log on or off”-this option is not showing in my user account. What can I do friend? Plz help me.

  5. I’d like to change the appearance of those dialogue boxes. Where are the bitmaps located please?

  6. Thanks VG! Very nice. msgina and shell32 allowed me to make the desired changes.

  7. start-control panel-user accounts-change the way users log on or off-tick on “use the welcome screen-click on apply options……………then automatically not appear “lon on windows” dialog ox” when system star.

  8. i had the problem of old shut down dialogue box i used the steps but there is no client services on netware option and now i don’t know what to do

  9. hello,
    Vishal,
    my computer saying “client services for NetWare has disable the welcome screen and fast user switching.
    To restore these features, you may uninstall client services for NetWare ”
    please help me what can i do ?

  10. thank you very much ……men do din se preshan tha lekin aapki websit ne meri problem solve kr di…ab mera shut down dialog box shi kam kr rha he………
    thanks…….

  11. see i have a internet connection within two PCs and my main PC is having welcome screen and i want to change into welcome screen in the another secondary PC so if i remove the net ware will it affect network connections of internet connection yes or no

  12. Dear friends,
    I am using wifi in windows XP i cont find the such options
    So please find the solution and send me to my mail id plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

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