Each seat is its own PC.
From the sign-in screen on, a seat is a PC of its own. Lock it, sign out or switch user and the other seats carry on, untouched.
On this page
Each seat is its own PC
A seat is one person's place at the PC: their screens, keyboard, mouse, sound and Windows account. Every seat has its own sign-in screen, its own desktop and its own programs running.
Sign-in, lock, sign out and switch user
Each of these works on one seat at a time:
- Lock: lock your seat and the other seats carry on, unlocked.
- Sign out: your seat goes back to its sign-in screen. The others do not notice.
- Switch user: the previous person stays signed in, parked in the background, and comes back when they sign in again. Their programs keep running. If you would rather see their lock screen instead, turn off After Switch user in Settings (under Advanced).
Each seat has its own sign-in screen, and it offers that seat's own last user. Seat 1 does not suggest Seat 2's person, and the other way round.
The seat badge
On the sign-in screen and the lock screen, a small badge shows the seat's name and colour. You know whose screen you are looking at, and that Hydra is on, before you sign in. You can turn it off with Seat badge in Settings.
How seats start
Choose per seat, on the seat's page in the panel:
| Choice | What happens |
|---|---|
| With the PC | The seat starts with Windows, or as soon as its screen is connected. |
| After the first sign-in | The seat starts the first time the first seat signs in after the PC starts. |
| By hand | The seat starts only when someone starts it in the panel. |
The first seat always starts with the PC. A seat whose screen is not connected waits, and the panel shows Waiting for screen. It starts by itself once the screen is plugged in, unless it is set to start by hand.
Signing in automatically
Each seat can sign in by itself when it starts, with an account and password you give it on the seat's page (Sign in automatically when the seat starts). It is off until you turn it on. It only applies when the seat starts; after a sign-out, the seat shows its usual sign-in screen.
Stopping and starting a seat
You can stop a seat in the panel without restarting the PC. While it is stopped:
- Its screens join Seat 1 as extra screens, so nothing sits dark. This is the Lend screens to Seat 1 setting.
- Its keyboards and mice go to a seat you choose, Seat 1 unless you say otherwise, so they do not go dead. Choose the seat, or no seat, with Stopped seat's input in Settings.
Start the seat again and it gets its screens, keyboards and mice back.
You cannot stop the seat you are using. Stop it from another seat.
Seat isolation
Some programs allow only one copy per PC, such as game launchers. With Seat isolation, which is on by default, each seat runs its own copy, so two people can use the same program at the same time. A setting that two signed-in seats both change is kept separately for each seat. Files stay shared.
Changes apply from each seat's next sign-in. Seat isolation needs User Account Control to be on, which is Windows' default.