How would I setup a user to automaticaly logoff after X minutes of inactivity in WXP?

[damunzy]

I have a MS Windows XP box with Fast User Switching enabled. I have an admin account that is setup with a password and when the screen saver is activated it is set to go back to the log in screen where there are also two user accounts that are able to log in. I want to set one of the user accounts to automatically log off after 20 minutes of inactivity because my wife can't seem to remember to log off when she is done using her account - but I want the other user account to stay logged in because it has eMule running.

I don't want all the accounts going at the same time because the machine is only a 550 MHz weakling (I know, I know, why do I have XP on it? For fast user switching for the wifey).

 

[Lozzy_Ozzy]

Isn't the screensaver working?

Just set that to go back to the log on screen after a few minutes or so (sounds like you already did that).

 

[Plexus]

LO, I think that he wants the account to completely log out after twenty minutes, not remain open.

 

[Lozzy_Ozzy]

Ah, I see.

I don't know then, sorry.

 

[funxus]

I know there's a win API that allows you to log off an account (same API that shuts off or reboots the computer, but a different flag). But I don't know if it's possible to check for inactivity. Maybe you could log the time the cursor was last moved, or the keyboard, but I don't know if it just checks for the current account, or for all accounts. Do you program? It could be worth a try, and probably wouldn't take too long to write.

Does WinXP have a policy editor? Maybe there's a setting in there?

 

[Speedo]

I believe this is what you're looking for: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;314999