Defining user accounts - Need help

  • Thread starter Thread starter DavidJ726
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DavidJ726

As the only user on my home desktop PC running XP Pro, I'm trying to
understand why there has to be so many accounts. There's All Users, which
I *think* I understand... Then there's David, which is my (the admin)
account, and finally there's the Default User account. I understand that
the All Users account is what provides the "Sharing" of applications, etc...
between various users, but why do I need the Default User if the David
account is the one that's automatically the one logging in at boot up?

As a follow up question... On a new laptop I recently purchased running XP
Home, there's the All Users & Default User accounts, as well as an Owner
account. I went in to the user accounts via the Control Panel and changed
the Owner name to David, but when I try to change the folder name from User
to David (under Documents and Settings) Windows won't allow that change.
It's a little annoying having a User Name of David in some places but Owner
in others. How can I change the folder name ?

Thanks,

David...
 
DavidJ726 said:
As the only user on my home desktop PC running XP Pro, I'm trying to
understand why there has to be so many accounts. There's All Users,
which
I *think* I understand... Then there's David, which is my (the admin)
account, and finally there's the Default User account. I understand that
the All Users account is what provides the "Sharing" of applications,
etc...
between various users, but why do I need the Default User if the David
account is the one that's automatically the one logging in at boot up?

As a follow up question... On a new laptop I recently purchased running
XP
Home, there's the All Users & Default User accounts, as well as an Owner
account. I went in to the user accounts via the Control Panel and changed
the Owner name to David, but when I try to change the folder name from
User
to David (under Documents and Settings) Windows won't allow that change.
It's a little annoying having a User Name of David in some places but
Owner
in others. How can I change the folder name ?

Thanks,

David...
Click to expand...
You can't actually "change" the folder name without many unnecessary
registry changes.
You can change the name VIA Control Panel like you did but it doesn't affect
the foldr name.
What you can do however is create a new user account named David and then
transfer the files
from the Owner folder to the newly created David folder. Then delete the old
account VIA Control Panel.
 
DavidJ726 said:
As the only user on my home desktop PC running XP Pro, I'm trying to
understand why there has to be so many accounts. There's All Users, which
I *think* I understand... Then there's David, which is my (the admin)
account, and finally there's the Default User account. I understand that
the All Users account is what provides the "Sharing" of applications, etc...
between various users, but why do I need the Default User if the David
account is the one that's automatically the one logging in at boot up?

As a follow up question... On a new laptop I recently purchased running XP
Home, there's the All Users & Default User accounts, as well as an Owner
account. I went in to the user accounts via the Control Panel and changed
the Owner name to David, but when I try to change the folder name from User
to David (under Documents and Settings) Windows won't allow that change.
It's a little annoying having a User Name of David in some places but Owner
in others. How can I change the folder name ?

Thanks,

David...
Click to expand...
Relax about the user accounts and let XP do as it wishes. The Default
is used as the basis for newly created users, and the others . . . well,
who knows. If the Administrator account should happen to appear at any
time, leave it alone as it's for access during Safe Mode in case
something goes wrong with your own account that has admin. privileges.
(My computer has Administrator (the hidden one), All Users, [MyName],
Default User, Guest, Local Service, NetworkService, and Owner. Most of
them never appear on any sign in.)
 
DavidJ726 said:
As the only user on my home desktop PC running XP Pro, I'm trying to
understand why there has to be so many accounts. There's All Users, which
I *think* I understand... Then there's David, which is my (the admin)
account, and finally there's the Default User account. I understand that
the All Users account is what provides the "Sharing" of applications, etc...
between various users, but why do I need the Default User if the David
account is the one that's automatically the one logging in at boot up?
Click to expand...


I'd leave Default User folder be. It will be needed if you ever need to
create another account, for example if you David profile gets munged you
may need to make a new user.
As a follow up question... On a new laptop I recently purchased running XP
Home, there's the All Users & Default User accounts, as well as an Owner
account. I went in to the user accounts via the Control Panel and changed
the Owner name to David, but when I try to change the folder name from User
to David (under Documents and Settings) Windows won't allow that change.
It's a little annoying having a User Name of David in some places but Owner
in others. How can I change the folder name ?
Click to expand...

Don't bother, just create your David account. Renaming users and profile
folders gets messy fast. It can be done but it's not worth the effort.

Steve
 
DavidJ726 said:
As the only user on my home desktop PC running XP Pro, I'm trying to
understand why there has to be so many accounts. There's All Users, which
I *think* I understand... Then there's David, which is my (the admin)
account, and finally there's the Default User account. I understand that
the All Users account is what provides the "Sharing" of applications, etc...
between various users, but why do I need the Default User if the David
account is the one that's automatically the one logging in at boot up?
Click to expand...

Default User is the 'Template' used as a base when creating new
accounts.

All Users is a place to park items - notably shortcuts to programs -
that are available to all; so the Start Menu you see is the sum of the
StartMenu folder there, and your Personal David\StartMenu, and so on

And there is the reserve account called Administrator, which is used for
logon and recovery in Emergencies - eg if you lose the Admin privileges
in David, or delete something there

Owner would be an account set up by the makers so that there is an
initial account available. I don't think there is any reason to retain
it once you have set up a proper account to use: it may have been seen
as one for day to day admin, with *all* user accounts being set up as
Limited ones.

In general it is not good to even try changing names of accounts and
their related folders. They are linked together by a complex number
(SID) that also appears in the registry with the name against it
 
Thanks for the responses, especially Alex, who's explanation was exactly
what I needed.

David...
 
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