Desktop shortcuts vs Documents and Settings\username\desktop

[Guest]

I'm using WinXP Home SP2. A lot of my desktop shortcuts aren't represented
in C:\Documents and Settings\username\desktop. Also, I set up a new user for
my grandson expecting to see a clean desktop with only a recycle bin. I got
five shortcut icons with nothing in C:\D & S\username\desktop, and I couldnot
move the icons to the recycle bin. Can somebody tell me what's going on?

 

[Andrew Bailey]

Hi BudV, it would be helpful if you would let the group know which icons
you're talking about

However, I'll take a guess and say... My Documents, My Computer, My Network
Places and Internet Explorer?

If these are the ones then rightclick your desktop and select properties
then on the desktop tab select customize desktop and uncheck the ones you
don't want. Otherwise rightclick the offending icons and select properties
and take a look in the general tab, it will tell you where the icon resides
on your hard drive.

Andy

 

[Jason Haynes]

Desktop icons are also stored in documents and settings\all users\desktop.
As the path implies, it holds shortcuts that apply to all users.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I'm using WinXP Home SP2. A lot of my desktop shortcuts aren't
represented in C:\Documents and Settings\username\desktop. Also, I
set up a new user for my grandson expecting to see a clean desktop
with only a recycle bin. I got five shortcut icons with nothing in
C:\D & S\username\desktop, and I couldnot move the icons to the
recycle bin. Can somebody tell me what's going on?

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop

OR..

Special shortcuts (Windows ones) that would usually be defined in the
registry (although you can turn them off and create your own shortcuts for
them if you wish) like My Computer, Network Places, etc.

HOW TO: Create and Configure User Accounts in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/279783

HOW TO: Set, View, Change, or Remove Special Permissions for Files and
Folders in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/308419

Doug's Windows XP Security Console
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm

Windows XP is a multi-user OS, even when used by one person only, the
fundamentals don't change.

Documents and Settings is the directory that contains your user
information/documents/etc. It also contains a few extra directories used by
Windows.

One is "Default User" - This is used whenever a new account is created. It
bases the initial setup of that account off this directory. You can create
your
own "Default User" based off of one of your administrative level users so
that
all new users look/feel that way when they first log in:
How To Create a Custom Default User Profile
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/319974

Another is "All Users" - This is used by.. all users. If you want something
to appear on the desktop of every user of the machine, you put it on this
users desktop (in the desktop folder.) Etc.

You may also see "Administrator" - depending on your setup, this is the
original administrator user and if you know that account's password, you
should leave him alone and use him only in an emergency.

You could also (if you have it where you can see ALL files) see
"LocalService" and "NetworkService" folders. These are service accounts,
normally unused by the standard user.

 

[Guest]

How can a guy lose when he's got support like you three?

Actually, Andy, none of your guesses was right. If it had been just those,
I wouldn't have been surprised and posted the question in the first place.

Jason, you were right. The eight shortcuts showing were in C:\D&S\all
users\desktop, and not showing for the main user. I just moved them to the
main users's desktop with Windows Explorer, and that cleaned up everything
very nicely, including my head.

The only question remaining is this: All the work was being done for a
single main user. The situation came after a completely fresh re-install
onto an erased hard-drive. It wasn't until I added the 2nd user that I was
even aware of it. What was it that decided that these eight shortcuts
belonged under "all users" instead of the main user?

Thanks to all of you.

Bud

 

[Shenan Stanley]

How can a guy lose when he's got support like you three?

Actually, Andy, none of your guesses was right. If it had been just
those, I wouldn't have been surprised and posted the question in the
first place.

Jason, you were right. The eight shortcuts showing were in C:\D&S\all
users\desktop, and not showing for the main user. I just moved them
to the main users's desktop with Windows Explorer, and that cleaned
up everything very nicely, including my head.

The only question remaining is this: All the work was being done for
a single main user. The situation came after a completely fresh
re-install onto an erased hard-drive. It wasn't until I added the
2nd user that I was even aware of it. What was it that decided that
these eight shortcuts belonged under "all users" instead of the main
user?

They were always under All Users.
That's the way good applications install - they either put their shortcut
where all users on your computer can get the access OR they ask you if all
users should have access to these applications or just the currently logged
in one..

 

[Shenan Stanley]

How can a guy lose when he's got support like you three?

Actually, Andy, none of your guesses was right. If it had been just
those, I wouldn't have been surprised and posted the question in the
first place.

Jason, you were right. The eight shortcuts showing were in C:\D&S\all
users\desktop, and not showing for the main user. I just moved them
to the main users's desktop with Windows Explorer, and that cleaned
up everything very nicely, including my head.

The only question remaining is this: All the work was being done for
a single main user. The situation came after a completely fresh
re-install onto an erased hard-drive. It wasn't until I added the
2nd user that I was even aware of it. What was it that decided that
these eight shortcuts belonged under "all users" instead of the main
user?

Thanks to all of you.

Oh - unless you upgraded your OS before instead of a clean install (and
those applications were installed prior to the upgrading of the OS) - then
that would explain why (if you did before) you saw the icons in what you
deemed to tbe the correct folder (yours) and not "All Users".

Windows XP - Multi-User OS - whether actually used by one person or many.

 

[Guest]

Just for the record. I didn't upgrade the OS. I went from WinX Home SP2 to
WinXP Home SP2. Before the re-install, I erased the hard disk, completely,
totally. There wasn't a bit left. All the 1's and 0's were broken in half
and changed to i's and u's Nada. Zip. Zilch. Nothing left fom before.


Thanks again for the help.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Just for the record. I didn't upgrade the OS. I went from WinX Home
SP2 to WinXP Home SP2. Before the re-install, I erased the hard
disk, completely, totally. There wasn't a bit left. All the 1's and
0's were broken in half and changed to i's and u's Nada. Zip.
Zilch. Nothing left fom before.

Okay then, 'All Users' would have been the folder where most newer
applications would have put their shortcuts - older applications do not
handle the multi-user environment with such reliability.

Remember - these are JUST shortcuts. They are not needed to run the
application. =)