I do have experience with XP Home. XP Home lacks a number of things that XP
Pro has and it certainly can be confusing.
No. The Power Users group doesn't exist on WINDOWS XP Home Edition.
No. Local Users and Groups will popup an error in XP Home.
Yes. This can be confusing, if you have XP Home. Maybe even if you do not
have XP Home. ;-)
On a stand alone machine, with XP Home.
control userpasswords2 Brings up User Accounts, the one you would get from
My Computer | Manage | Local Users and Groups.
And this is what you'll get when you try to access...
[[The userpasswords2 applet should not be used on WINDOWS XP Home Edition as
a tool to edit or modify users. It is reserved for WINDOWS XP Professional
Edition. The reason for this is that userpasswords2 allows the user to
access to the 'Power Users' group which doesn't exist on WINDOWS XP Home
Edition.]]
If you try to access Local Users and Groups (Local) with XP Home, you will
get...
[[This computer is running Windows XP Home Edition. This snapin may not be
used with that version of Windows. To manage user accounts for this
computer, use the User Accounts tool in the Control Panel]]
control userpasswords is what should be used with XP Home, *not* control
userpasswords2!
Power Users group are not supported by WinXP Home, so one should not try to
assign such privileges to an existing account, or else errors will appear.
Such as:
[[The user could not be added because the following error has occurred, The
group name could not be found: When creating a new user and make it member
of the 'Power Users' group.]]
[[The group membership for <ComputerName\UserName> could not be updated :
When updating an existing user, adding him to the 'Power Users group'. ]]
Local Users and Groups overview
[[Local Users and Groups is a tool you can use to manage local users and
groups. It is available on the following operating systems:
Windows 2000 Professional
Windows XP Professional
Member servers running Windows 2000 Server]]
Local Users and Groups overview
http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/lsm_overview_01.mspx
This is KB817365 which for some reason has been pulled from MS-KB.
Although I have a copy and this is the same as KB817365.
Creation of user in the 'Power Users' group with 'Control Userpasswords2'
http://www.it-faq.pl/mskb/817/365.HTM
13. Advanced User Management in Windows XP Home
http://snakefoot.fateback.com/tweak/winnt/usermgt.html#USERPASSWORDS2
It is so like Microsoft to name things similarly. Just to confuse people,
IMHO.
control userpasswords = User Accounts
control userpasswords2 = User Accounts
But they are *not* the same.
If you want to be a member of the Power Users group, get Windows XP
Professional.
--
Hope this helps. Let us know.
Wes
In
Juan said:
I have no experience with Home Edition but... the power
users group is available in every Windows OS version,...
So why should Home Edition be the exception?.
KB Article 303248 reads:
In Windows XP Home Edition, the Computer Management snap-in
does not display the "Local Users and Groups" node. The Local
Users and Groups snap-in cannot be added to a custom MMC.
This is a limitation of Windows XP Home Edition, not a result of
Simple File Sharing. It says does not display, it doesn't say not
available...
I may be wrong but... there's no harm in trying. Do as follows and
clear the doubt for us. (post your results)
In Home Edition you have to logon in Safe Mode, for Simple File
Sharing to be disabled (you may be able to see the Local Users
and Groups)
Computer Management Commands Are Not Available with
Simple File Sharing Enabled
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;303248
How To Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en;279783#2
To create a new local users group
1..Open Computer Management.
2.. In the console tree click on Groups.
• Computer Management
• System Tools
• Local Users and Groups
• Groups
3.. Click on Action and, next, on New group.
4.. In Group Name, write a name for the new group.
5.. In Description, write description for the new group.
6..Click on Create and, then, on Close.
Notes
a.. To open Computer Management, click on Start and next, on Control
Panel. Click on Performance and mantenance, Administration Tools and
next, double click on Computer Administration.
b.. To add one or more users to the new group, after step 5 click
on Add.
Hope this helps.
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