Documents and Settings - Re: Users

[Guest]

I am the only person that uses the computer so I want to know why, when I go
to Documents and Settings it shows:

Administrator
All Users
Dave
Default User
Local Service
Network Service
Owner

What do I need to have just one?...I mean I can be adminstrator...I don't
care...how can I merge these all into one...if that is even possible?

Thanks...

Dave

 

[Guest]

-LocalService
-NetworkService
is the system hidden folder (go to tools-folder option-view-mark hide
protected operating system files)

-All Users
-Default User
-Owner
is the default folder from system that store application data.

Two first folder (Local and NetworkService) cannot be remove by the system.

The other if we remove, it may affect the installation of the application
program.

Yanto Asnawi

 

[Malke]

I am the only person that uses the computer so I want to know why,
when I go to Documents and Settings it shows:

Administrator
All Users
Dave
Default User
Local Service
Network Service
Owner

What do I need to have just one?...I mean I can be adminstrator...I
don't care...how can I merge these all into one...if that is even
possible?

Leave all those things alone! Here is a general explanation of the user
accounts you are seeing:

XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is
using it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Unix,
Linux, Mac OSX - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the
system. In Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix
world, it is "root". This is a necessary account and is not normally
used in everyday work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator
account nor would you ever want to.

Document and Settings - The "container" for all user settings. Each user
will have [username] Documents, Music, Videos, My Pictures.

Administrator - Built-in account - Leave alone! Do not use! Do not worry
about it!

All Users - Section where items common to all users go. In a multi-user
operating system, users have separate accounts. This is the place where
if you want to share files with all the other users on the system you
would put those files. You don't ever have to use those folders but
they need to be there. This is where programs you install that are
meant to be installed for all users put settings. All the "Shared
Documents" type of folders you see at the root of C:\ are shortcuts to
the shared folders in here. Leave them alone!

Default Users - This is the template from which new user accounts are
made. You will never put anything in any of those folders but they are
needed to create new users. In Linux we use "skel" ("skeleton" - get
it?). In Windows, the less-colorful term "Default User" is used. Leave
it alone!

[OEM] Administrator or Owner - This is the generic user created by the
OEM when installing the operating system. After all, the OEM doesn't
know who is going to buy the computer. If you aren't using this OEM
user account, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet in
Control Panel. It is not the same account as "Administrator".

You only have two "optional" user accounts on your system - the "Owner"
account (OEM generic user) and "Dave". You can delete the Owner account
from the User Accounts applet if you like, but it isn't hurting
anything by being there.

Malke

 

[Claymore]

Hi,

Do not delete these. The following are required:

Administrator - this is THE Administrator account.
All Users - stuff common to all users, e.g. Start menu items.
Default User - This is the template from which newly created Users are
set up.
Local Service
Network Service

If you go to Tools => Folder Options => View and select not to Show
Hidden Folders and Files, then Default User, Local Service and Network
Service will be hidden

You have two user accounts: what looks like your own and "Owner". Owner
is usually created when Windows is being installed and the person
installing fails to specify a User name when asked, so Windows creates
a new User account named "Owner". Check if this account contains any of
your data. If it does, move it to your account. You can then delete the
Owner account if you're sure it isn't needed, but I would leave it
myself for safety's sake, or rename it as a trial, or mark it as
'Hidden" so it won't show. Some programs may have Owner as the default
location.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Dave

All of these accounts are there by design. Like it or not, this is the way a multi-user OS is set up. Here is a very brief description.

Administrator= This account is better known as the "built in administrator account." It is used for emergencies such as all other admin accounts being deleted.

All Users= This account is used to apply changes and settings to all user accounts on the system. Also to make programs available to all users of the system.

Dave= This is the account you created for yourself.

Default User= This account is used for creating a custom profile that will be used for any newly created accounts.

Local Service= The Local Service account is a special built-in account that has reduced privileges similar to an authenticated local user account. This limited access helps safeguard the computer if an attacker compromises individual services or processes.

Network Service= Similar to the Local Service account except the actual name of this account is NT AUTHORITY\NetworkService, and it does not have a password that an administrator needs to manage. This account has accesses to network resources using the credentials of the computer.

Owner= This account is usually created by the PC manufacturer and may be tied to a hidden system recovery program.

Note: These accounts should never be deleted.

 

[Guest]

I'm having a similar problem with "my documents". Having been familiar with
the DOS world and the TREE and PATH concept, I find Windows Explorer totally
baffeling.

As listed, the root directory resides under the desktop. Really? But the
real problem is that I have three "my documents" files holding data (or so it
appears) not to mention several others that remain empty. Two of them appear
to be identical. One is under DESKTOP, one is under LOCAL DISK (C, and
still another under MY COMPUTER which is listed as Norm's Documents.

The first and third of these appear to be identical, while the second
contains many of the same folders and files, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM. I selected
one of them from a shortcut I had created when I got my computer, and in that
folder I created a blank folder of unique name. That folder appears in the
first and third items above, but not in the second.

I've had problems when saving files from various programs, using the default
directory (sorry, folder) and then not being able to find the file I saved.
This appears to be such a convoluted mess that I'm never sure where a file is
going to be saved, or if I'll ever see it again.

Moreover, I'm using Google's Picasa photo software, and in it's search for
image files, it found three folders of photos that it loaded -- mostly the
same -- but not all. This is crazy. I saved a file from Picasa, and it did
not appear in the folder where I expected it to be.

I've gone into DOS and used the TREE command, directing it into a text file,
but sorting out that mess proved impossible. This is not a particularly good
way to structure a directory system. It defies logic. Any help would be
appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Claymore]

Hello Norm,

If I'm reading this right, all three should be the same. The first and
third are shortcuts to your My Documents folder, split out for quick
access without all that digging. Your My Documents folder should be
located in:
C:\Documents and Settings\your_username\My Documents.
XP refined and firmly set the concept of multiple Users, with the
objective of allowing a number of different people to be able to share
the same computer, and to customize sections of the interface to their
own liking. As well as some default Users - Administrator, Default,
etc. (don't delete these!), each one has their own My Documents. It
works fine for "normal" users, but can be a bit mystifying for the
digger or tweaker. A problem of multiple Documents folders for yourself
can arise if you rename your username, and/or create a new User for
yourself.

You can get the freeware TweakUI for XP here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx

You want the 147KB version listed on the right.

In TweakUI go to My Computer => Special Folders
This will show the system setting for the folders you're talking about.
Most programs are coded to read this default location and set to
automatically choose this location when retrieving or saving files,
e.g. photos. Don't change the location unless you really want to, or to
fix a problem.

 

[Guest]

Thank you Claymore. I shall download the file and go to work.

 

[Guest]

dont pay any attention to malke, he likes the sound of his own typing. if you
can access everything you need through "administrator" then dont worry about
the others

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Adie

You're letting your lack of knowledge show. Stick to something where you at least understand the basics.

 

[Bob I]

addie, you would do well to read a bit more before commenting.