Visa administration queston.

[Guest]

Hi,

I got a new computer with Vista pre-installed. I have a few
administration-related questons.

1. I have an admin account with a password. Can a user set up a password? How?
2. I wish to install programs in the computer that only some users need. I
dont want to clutter the desktop of other users with the icons of these
programs. Ideally, I would like to install the program as the administrator,
and have users pull up an icon in their desktop if they are interested in the
program. How do I do this?
3. My new computer came with a whole bunch of stuff that we (the users)
don't care for -- AOL signup, Ebay icon, GetVonage, etc. to name a few. Is
there any way that an administrator can get rid of these icons from one
place? Where are all these icons stored anyway?
4. If, as a non-administrator user, I provide administrator password and
install a program, will that be visible/accessible to other users? Or, will
they need to install the program again while logged in as themselves?
5. Is there a manual that explains these things? Ill be glad to read it
(hope it comes with the product, and I dont have to shell out additional $$$
for it).

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Winquisitive

1. Click Start. You will see a picture and the name of your user account at
the top right side of the start menu. Click the picture and this will open
the User Accounts component. You will see all of the options there such as,
Change your password, Remove your password, etc. If there is not a password
already on the account, you will see a Create a password option. If your
account is an administrator, you can click Manage another account and change
the settings for other accounts on the computer.

2. There is a concept called All Users and Users that you need to
understand. Just like the names imply, All Users apply to everyone on the
system who has a user account and Users applies to individual users.

If a program is compatible with Vista, when the program is installed, it
will give you the choice to install for all users on the system or just
install for the current user only. Some programs do not give this choice and
simply install for all users, automatically or they may just install for the
current user automatically. You need to research each programs documentation
to discover how it installs.

The Desktop folder for each, individual user is in the following location:
C:\Users\UserName\Desktop

The Desktop Folder for All Users is in the following location:
C:\Users\Public\Desktop

The Start Menu folder for each individual user is in the following location:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

The Start Menu folder for All Users is in the following location:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

If you want a programs icon to appear on everyone's Desktop, then place the
icon in the All Users\Desktop folder.
If you want a programs icon to appear on an individual users desktop, place
it in that users Desktop folder.

3. All programs that are installed on the computer, should appear in the
Control Panel. Open the Control Panel and under Programs, click the
Uninstall a Program option. Find the program you want to uninstall and
select it. Click the Uninstall Button at the top of the window.

4. See #2 on how to place a programs icon on an individual users desktop or
start menu. The user may need to right click the icon and select the Run As
Administrator option.

5. Check out the new Vista Help and Support. It is much more extensive than
previous versions and should answer most questions that you may have. Here
are some other links that may be helpful.

Windows Vista Help and How To:
http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/default.mspx

Download: Complete Windows Vista Product Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...bf-4823-4a12-afe1-5b40b2ad3725&DisplayLang=en

Post back if you have anymore questions.

 

[Guest]

Winquisitive

2. There is a concept called All Users and Users that you need to
understand. Just like the names imply, All Users apply to everyone on the
system who has a user account and Users applies to individual users.

If a program is compatible with Vista, when the program is installed, it
will give you the choice to install for all users on the system or just
install for the current user only. Some programs do not give this choice and
simply install for all users, automatically or they may just install for the
current user automatically. You need to research each programs documentation
to discover how it installs.
The Desktop folder for each, individual user is in the following location:
C:\Users\UserName\Desktop

The Desktop Folder for All Users is in the following location:
C:\Users\Public\Desktop

The Start Menu folder for each individual user is in the following location:
C:\Users\UserName\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

The Start Menu folder for All Users is in the following location:
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu

If you want a programs icon to appear on everyone's Desktop, then place the
icon in the All Users\Desktop folder.
If you want a programs icon to appear on an individual users desktop, place
it in that users Desktop folder.

A follow-up. Is the icon really a link to the program? I suppose I can
install the program, and place copies of the icon on people's desktop if they
need it?

3. All programs that are installed on the computer, should appear in the
Control Panel. Open the Control Panel and under Programs, click the
Uninstall a Program option. Find the program you want to uninstall and
select it. Click the Uninstall Button at the top of the window.

A couple of problems here.

First is that the programs do not show up as installed. When I click on the
icon to get its properties, it shows as being a link file in the
\Users\Public\Desktop, as you rightly pointed out.

So, I went searching for this public desktop folder, but the
C:\Users\Public\Desktop did not show up on the screen!

After some playing around, I discovered that there are some "hidden"
folders, and I need to enable the software to show the hidden folders. Turns
out the Desktop folder was amongst the hidden folders.

I suppose this is the computer vendor (in my case HP) that installed these
icons and these are not a part of Vista? (I mean the link icons to AOL, EBAY,
etc.)? Can I just remove these link files from the public desktop? Or, are
there options to view "hidden" installed programs? Ideally, I would prefer to
uninstall these than remove files, but these icons irritate me enough that I
am prepared to do the latter.

4. See #2 on how to place a programs icon on an individual users desktop or
start menu. The user may need to right click the icon and select the Run As
Administrator option.

Post back if you have anymore questions.

I appreciate the help.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

A follow-up. Is the icon really a link to the program? I suppose I can
install the program, and place copies of the icon on people's desktop if
they
need it?

This will work for most programs.

A couple of problems here.

First is that the programs do not show up as installed. When I click on
the
icon to get its properties, it shows as being a link file in the
\Users\Public\Desktop, as you rightly pointed out.

So, I went searching for this public desktop folder, but the
C:\Users\Public\Desktop did not show up on the screen!

After some playing around, I discovered that there are some "hidden"
folders, and I need to enable the software to show the hidden folders.
Turns
out the Desktop folder was amongst the hidden folders.

I should have mentioned the fact that it is one of the hidden folders, glad
you found that.

I suppose this is the computer vendor (in my case HP) that installed
these
icons and these are not a part of Vista? (I mean the link icons to AOL,
EBAY,
etc.)? Can I just remove these link files from the public desktop? Or, are
there options to view "hidden" installed programs? Ideally, I would prefer
to
uninstall these than remove files, but these icons irritate me enough that
I
am prepared to do the latter.

Try uninstalling the programs from Control Panel/Programs and Features
first. If any icons remain, delete them.

I appreciate the help.

Your welcome, let us know if you need anything else.

 

[Guest]

:

Try uninstalling the programs from Control Panel/Programs and Features
first. If any icons remain, delete them.

If you read my earlier email, there are no programs that I see in control
panel/Programs screen with these names. So, what program do I uninstall?

Alternatively, is there a way to find out which installation package this
(irritating) link is a part of?

Is a link more than just a command to open a browser with a specified URL?

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Winquisitive

You can right click the icon and select Properties. This will tell you
exactly what the icon is.

If you see a Web Document Tab, it is a simple internet shortcut. The URL
line will show the address of the website.

If you see a Shortcut Tab, it is a shortcut to a file/folder on the
computer. The Target line will show where it is located on the hard drive.

If you don't see either of these tabs, it is the program file.

 

[Guest]

Winquisitive

You can right click the icon and select Properties. This will tell you
exactly what the icon is.

If you see a Web Document Tab, it is a simple internet shortcut. The URL
line will show the address of the website.

If you see a Shortcut Tab, it is a shortcut to a file/folder on the
computer. The Target line will show where it is located on the hard drive.

If you don't see either of these tabs, it is the program file.

--

Ronnie Vernon
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

Let us not lose sight of my objective -- to get rid of these annoying icons
that I have no use for. Please let me know what I should do.

I did as you asked, and found the following. All of them show up with a
shortcut tab, and none of them show up in <Control Panel/Programs and
features> for me to uninstall.

Has HP not gone through proper procedures in installing this software? Are
there backdoors to the system so that a program can be installed without it
showing up in a list of installed programs?

thanks for your help. See my findings below:

EBAY: shortcut: "C:\Program Files\Online Services\eBay\WizLink.exe"
http://redirect.hp.com/svs/rdr?TYPE=4&tp=dticon&s=ebay&pf=desktop&locale=en_us&bd=all&c=71
VONAGE: Shortcut: "C:\Program Files\Online
Services\Vonage\core\core_start.exe"
HihSpeed: Shortcut: "C:\Program Files\Hewlett-Packard\SDP\HPSdpApp.exe"
/LaunchPage /eis,dtbase
AOL: Shortcut: "C:\Program Files\Online Services\Aolus\SETUP.EXE"
MSN: Shortcut: "C:\Program Files\Online Services\MSN90\LaunchMsn.exe"

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Winquisitive

It's very likely that those programs are NOT installed on the system. If you
click one of those shortcuts, it will run the associated .exe file and
install a trial version of that product or online service.

I would delete all of the files that those shortcuts point to and then
delete the shortcuts.

This is just typical advertising / revenue generating gimmick that OEM
companies place on systems. If you do install one of those online services
and subscribe to that service, the OEM will get a commission.

 

[Guest]

Thanks.

Why don,t those .exe files appear as an installed program? Or, is i that
they just created directories and copied these .exe files in them?

thanks, I will follow your instructions to remove those .exe files. i will
assume nothing else in the system needs those .exe files.

 

[Ronnie Vernon MVP]

Why don,t those .exe files appear as an installed program? Or, is i that

they just created directories and copied these .exe files in them?

Yes, they aren't installed these are the installation files.

thanks, I will follow your instructions to remove those .exe files. i will
assume nothing else in the system needs those .exe files.

No, nothing else will use these files.