Patent ID: 7370330

Claim:
A computer system which supports multiple users by providing for independent and distinct user environments for each user, said system comprising: user switching means providing a change in presentation of a display from a first user's independent and distinct user environment to a second user's independent and distinct user environment without completely terminating an application instance started by the first user, thereby providing for the ability to support a plurality of users logged into the system simultaneously and for each of the plurality of users to run a separate instance of the same or different application, but wherein only one user at a time can be the currently active user; means for temporarily stopping at least part of the execution of the application instance started by the first user who was active in the past but who is not the active user at present and retaining a portion of the application instance in memory such that an instance of the same or different application started by the second user is not affected by the continued existence or execution of the application instance started by the first user; and means for re-starting the execution of at least the part of said application instance started by the first user that was temporarily stopped when it is detected later that the first user is rendered the active user again.