Windows profile

[Eustace]

I am the only one using my computer. In the Documents and Settings I see
a folder with my name, plus the folders All Users, Default User, Owner.
Do I need all these? Why not have a single one?

Also, how can I change my profile name?

 

[Guest]

All Users is a place, where if you place a shortcut (say in
Startmenu/Programs), it wuld be visible to all users of the pc.

Default User is a kind of template, which Windows uses while creating a new
user account; so it copies all that is there and renames it to the new
username.

They are not going to bother you, if you work with only a single user, so
why not let them be there peacefully? It is always recomended that you create
one retricted account and surf the internet from there (so that even if
someone takes control of your pc remotely, cant harm you much), and do your
regular installation/admin stuff from the main account.


If you want to change your profile name,
1. go to Control Panel,
2. click on User Accounts
3. Click 'Change my name' and then type whatever you want your profile name
to be!

Hope this helps.

 

[Mikie]

The question was, "do I really need all of these"...

not whether they bother me or not"

 

[Mikie]

The question was, "do I really need these"...

not whether they bother me or not"

 

[Mikie]

The question was, "do I really need these"...

not whether they bother me or not"

 

[Mikie]

The question was, "do I really need these"...

not whether they bother me or not"

 

[Guest]

Now you have really bothered the post with ur multiposts!

 

[Jone Doe]

Now you have really bothered the post with ur multiposts!

Is that as bad as posting without some snippet of what you are replying to?

 

[Wesley Vogel]

Yes. Except maybe Owner.

Default Local Disk Folders

Folder Name: Documents and Settings
Contents: Account information for each user who is granted access on the
computer. Each user account is represented by a subfolder assigned the
user name. Folders under each user account folder include My Documents,
Desktop, and Start Menu.

These include:

Documents and Settings\Administrator
Documents and Settings\All Users
Documents and Settings\Default User
Documents and Settings\LocalService
Documents and Settings\NetworkService
Documents and Settings\You

Some of the above are Hidden folders.
These are System folders and shouldn't be deleted.

Administrator is for the Administrator account.

All Users is used for many things. Your Desktop and Start Menu, for
example, display what is in All Users *and* what is in your Desktop and
Start Menu folders.

Default User is used when creating new accounts.

I am not really sure what LocalService & NetworkService are for, but...

LocalService is the NT Authority\Local Service user account, the Windows XP
System account.

Obviously, NetworkService has something to do with networks, the
NetworkService account.

The LocalService and NetworkService accounts perform things like synchronize
the time, etc.
-----

[[SYMPTOMS
The Owner account may not be removed correctly when you run Setup on
computers that are running Windows XP Home Edition. The Owner account is
displayed as "Account Unknown" when you view profiles on the computer.
Also, the Owner folder is not removed because the profile is not
removed. Note that other problems occur if an Owner account is used or
created during the remainder of setup or Out of Box Experience (OOBE).]]

[[This problem does not occur on Microsoft Windows XP Professional-based
computers because the Administrator account is used during Setup.]]

The Owner Account Is Displayed As "Account Unknown"
in Profiles on Windows XP Home Edition-Based Computers
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;312131

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I am the only one using my computer. In the Documents and Settings I see
a folder with my name, plus the folders All Users, Default User, Owner.
Do I need all these?

Mostly.

The "All Users" profile is used to ensure that systems settings and
most application shortcuts are available to any and all current and
future user profiles created on the computer, without there being a need
to duplicate those settings and shortcuts in each and every user account
created on the computer. In the long run, the presence of this profile
generally safes hard drive space by placing commonly used used settings
and shortcuts in a central location. The "Default User" profile serves
as the template for each new user account as it's created, and as a
foundation for all existing profiles; if it could be deleted, it would
render all users' desktops blank. (This also sometimes happens when a
hard drive error causes the profile to become corrupted, as well.) The
OS is designed to function with these profiles, removing them would
render your computer unusable.

The "Owner" profile, however, is probably not essential, unless you're
actually using it. (It doesn't sound like you are.) While there's no
hard and fast rule, this profile is usually created by the computer
manufacturer for use by the first person who uses their OEM
installation. In general, once you've created user profiles for your
own use, this profile can be deleted.

Why not have a single one?

Because that's not the way a multi-user OS works. It's simply more
efficient, this way. For more detailed technical explanations, consult
Microsoft.

Also, how can I change my profile name?

You can't.

The user profile folders (C:\Documents and Settings\Username)
_cannot_ be renamed, even if the associated user account has been.
So, your best course of action would be to log on using the built-in
Administrator account, create a new user account, with the username
desired. You can then delete the old user account(s).

HOW TO Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;279783

How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;811151


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

 

[Eustace]

The Owner profile does not even show in the User Accounts. I think I
will delete it. But the directions on How to Copy User Data to a New
User Profile were not very helpful, because quite a few files to be
copied could not because it said that they were in use by a program.
Also, the new created profile contains many folders not in the original
(or in the third that I created in order to effect the transfer). I am
wondering whether, instead of copying the files of the profile except
the 3 files, it would be possible to rename profile A to profile B and
vice versa, and then exchange the 3 files that were not to be copied
between the 2 profiles...

 

[Eustace]

The Owner profile does not even show in the User accounts, so I think
I'll delete it.

However, the directions on "How to Copy User Data to a New User Profile"
were not very helpful, because a few files could not be copied, for example:

"Cannot copy PFP120JCM: It is being used by another person or program.
Close any programs that may be using this file and try again"

Well, I did not know that I had any program open at the time...

I've been wondering whether it might be possible to rename profile A as
profile B and vice versa, and then exchange the 3 files that were not to
be copied between the 2.

Also, the new profile contained quite a few folders not contained in the
original, nor in the third that I created in order to make the changes...

Any ideas?