Documents and Settings

[Guest]

I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro to XP
Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following
folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet,
LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService.

Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was either
just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet folder
really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask because it
seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see that
there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in
addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my
first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as
possible......

Thanks for the help!
Janet

 

[Malke]

I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro to XP
Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following
folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet,
LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService.

Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was either
just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet folder
really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask because it
seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see that
there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in
addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my
first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as
possible......

You are misunderstanding the file hierarchy. You had a similar one in
Win2k, just apparently not your own user account. The way the tech set
you up is good. You don't ever want to user the built-in Administrator
account for daily use and you don't ever want to have only one user
account with administrative privileges. Here is an explanation of the
file hierarchy you are seeing:

XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is
using it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Unix,
Linux, Mac OS X - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the
system. In Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix
world, it is "root". This is a necessary account and is not normally
used in everyday work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator
account nor would you ever want to.

Here is the explanation of what you really have:

My Computer - represents your entire computer, showing drives and shared
folders. Shared Folders are folders where you can put files you wish to
share with other users on the system. You don't need to use these
folders if you don't want to, but leave them alone!

[some name] C:\ - your first hard drive, usually the system drive.

Document and Settings - The "container" for all user settings. Each user
will have [username] Documents, Music, Videos, My Pictures.

Administrator - Built-in account - Leave alone! Do not use! Do not worry
about it!

All Users - Section where items common to all users go. In a multi-user
operating system, users have separate accounts. This is the place where
if you want to share files with all the other users on the system you
would put those files. You don't ever have to use those folders but they
need to be there. This is where programs you install that are meant to
be installed for all users put settings. All the "Shared Documents" type
of folders you see at the root of C:\ are shortcuts to the shared
folders in here. Leave them alone!

Default Users - This is the template from which new user accounts are
made. You will never put anything in any of those folders but they are
needed to create new users. In Linux we use "skel" ("skeleton" - get
it?). In Windows, the less-colorful term "Default User" is used. Leave
it alone!

[OEM] Administrator or Owner - This is the generic user created by the
OEM when installing the operating system. After all, the OEM doesn't
know who is going to buy the computer. If you aren't using this OEM user
account, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet in Control
Panel. It is not the same account as "Administrator". If you don't have
an OEM-preinstalled Windows, you won't have this account.


Malke

 

[Curt Christianson]

Wow, *great* explanation! That's a keeper.

--
HTH,
Curt

Windows Support Center
www.aumha.org
Practically Nerded,...
http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm

| Janetb wrote:
| > I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro
to XP
| > Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following
| > folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet,
| > LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService.
| >
| > Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was
either
| > just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet
folder
| > really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask
because it
| > seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see
that
| > there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in
| > addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my
| > first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as
| > possible......
|
| You are misunderstanding the file hierarchy. You had a similar one in
| Win2k, just apparently not your own user account. The way the tech set
| you up is good. You don't ever want to user the built-in Administrator
| account for daily use and you don't ever want to have only one user
| account with administrative privileges. Here is an explanation of the
| file hierarchy you are seeing:
|
| XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is
| using it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Unix,
| Linux, Mac OS X - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the
| system. In Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix
| world, it is "root". This is a necessary account and is not normally
| used in everyday work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator
| account nor would you ever want to.
|
| Here is the explanation of what you really have:
|
| My Computer - represents your entire computer, showing drives and shared
| folders. Shared Folders are folders where you can put files you wish to
| share with other users on the system. You don't need to use these
| folders if you don't want to, but leave them alone!
|
| [some name] C:\ - your first hard drive, usually the system drive.
|
| Document and Settings - The "container" for all user settings. Each user
| will have [username] Documents, Music, Videos, My Pictures.
|
| Administrator - Built-in account - Leave alone! Do not use! Do not worry
| about it!
|
| All Users - Section where items common to all users go. In a multi-user
| operating system, users have separate accounts. This is the place where
| if you want to share files with all the other users on the system you
| would put those files. You don't ever have to use those folders but they
| need to be there. This is where programs you install that are meant to
| be installed for all users put settings. All the "Shared Documents" type
| of folders you see at the root of C:\ are shortcuts to the shared
| folders in here. Leave them alone!
|
| Default Users - This is the template from which new user accounts are
| made. You will never put anything in any of those folders but they are
| needed to create new users. In Linux we use "skel" ("skeleton" - get
| it?). In Windows, the less-colorful term "Default User" is used. Leave
| it alone!
|
| [OEM] Administrator or Owner - This is the generic user created by the
| OEM when installing the operating system. After all, the OEM doesn't
| know who is going to buy the computer. If you aren't using this OEM user
| account, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet in Control
| Panel. It is not the same account as "Administrator". If you don't have
| an OEM-preinstalled Windows, you won't have this account.
|
|
| Malke
| --
| Elephant Boy Computers
| www.elephantboycomputers.com
| "Don't Panic!"
| MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[Guest]

Many thanks for your very helpful explanation!

I never intended to do delete any of the system entries (Administrator, All
Users, Default User). The question was where the Janet folder came from,
because in 2KPro my user folder was simply Administrator (or perhaps
Administrator/Owner). I see now that the confusion was in my not knowing that
there is both a 'god' Administrator as well as an [OEM]Administrator/Owner,
and that you work out of the latter only.

1. If one is not supposed to work out of the god-Administrator folder, shall
we assume that in 2KPro they (a lab) had set me up to work out of the
[OEM]Administrator/Owner folder without renaming it for me?

2. I am now assuming that the private technician who installed my XP also
set me up to work out of the [OEM]Administrator/Owner folder but changed the
folder name to Janet---unless there was no such folder, in which case he
would have created the Janet folder. As stated in my original post, I have no
[OEM]Administrator/Owner folder on my system. Is ther a way to see if my
Janet folder is(was) this folder?

My concern is that I was going to backup just the Janet folder, but saw
there were entries which I did not (knowingly) make in both the All Users
folder and the Default folder and I didn't know if they had to be backed up
as well......

Many thanks for the help!
Janet

I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro to XP
Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following
folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet,
LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService.

Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was either
just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet folder
really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask because it
seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see that
there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in
addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my
first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as
possible......

You are misunderstanding the file hierarchy. You had a similar one in
Win2k, just apparently not your own user account. The way the tech set
you up is good. You don't ever want to user the built-in Administrator
account for daily use and you don't ever want to have only one user
account with administrative privileges. Here is an explanation of the
file hierarchy you are seeing:

XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is
using it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Unix,
Linux, Mac OS X - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the
system. In Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix
world, it is "root". This is a necessary account and is not normally
used in everyday work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator
account nor would you ever want to.

Here is the explanation of what you really have:

My Computer - represents your entire computer, showing drives and shared
folders. Shared Folders are folders where you can put files you wish to
share with other users on the system. You don't need to use these
folders if you don't want to, but leave them alone!

[some name] C:\ - your first hard drive, usually the system drive.

Document and Settings - The "container" for all user settings. Each user
will have [username] Documents, Music, Videos, My Pictures.

Administrator - Built-in account - Leave alone! Do not use! Do not worry
about it!

All Users - Section where items common to all users go. In a multi-user
operating system, users have separate accounts. This is the place where
if you want to share files with all the other users on the system you
would put those files. You don't ever have to use those folders but they
need to be there. This is where programs you install that are meant to
be installed for all users put settings. All the "Shared Documents" type
of folders you see at the root of C:\ are shortcuts to the shared
folders in here. Leave them alone!

Default Users - This is the template from which new user accounts are
made. You will never put anything in any of those folders but they are
needed to create new users. In Linux we use "skel" ("skeleton" - get
it?). In Windows, the less-colorful term "Default User" is used. Leave
it alone!

[OEM] Administrator or Owner - This is the generic user created by the
OEM when installing the operating system. After all, the OEM doesn't
know who is going to buy the computer. If you aren't using this OEM user
account, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet in Control
Panel. It is not the same account as "Administrator". If you don't have
an OEM-preinstalled Windows, you won't have this account.


Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

 

[Malke]

Many thanks for your very helpful explanation!

You're welcome although I think you are still misunderstanding a bit.
See my comments inline:

I never intended to do delete any of the system entries (Administrator, All
Users, Default User). The question was where the Janet folder came from,
because in 2KPro my user folder was simply Administrator (or perhaps
Administrator/Owner). I see now that the confusion was in my not knowing that
there is both a 'god' Administrator as well as an [OEM]Administrator/Owner,
and that you work out of the latter only.

The Janet folder comes from you having a user account on the system
called "Janet". Go to Control Panel>User Accounts and see the users.
"Janet" should be one of them. There is always a built-in Administrator.
There is not always an OEM Owner. This account is a regular user account
with administrative privileges. You want to work out of a regular user
account - no matter what it is called - and not the built-in
Administrator account.

1. If one is not supposed to work out of the god-Administrator folder, shall
we assume that in 2KPro they (a lab) had set me up to work out of the
[OEM]Administrator/Owner folder without renaming it for me?

There's no way for me to know how your Win2k box was set up without
looking at it. You could have had an account called "Owner" or you could
have been using the built-in Administrator account. The latter would
have been bad practice but you certainly could have been doing it.

2. I am now assuming that the private technician who installed my XP also
set me up to work out of the [OEM]Administrator/Owner folder but changed the
folder name to Janet---unless there was no such folder, in which case he
would have created the Janet folder. As stated in my original post, I have no
[OEM]Administrator/Owner folder on my system. Is ther a way to see if my
Janet folder is(was) this folder?

I would not assume that at all unless you don't see a "Janet" account
when you go to the User Accounts applet in Control Panel. If the tech
had simply renamed an account named "Owner", there would be no folders
named "Janet" because simply renaming a user account doesn't change any
of the underlying account folders. As I said before, not all computers
have an "Owner" account. Only a computer that comes with the operating
system preinstalled - like a Dell, HP, Sony, etc. - has a generic
"Owner" type of account. When I install an operating system for a
client, I always create a user account in their name - "Janet" for
example. It sounds like your tech did exactly that.

Of course if you are not sure, you could always call the tech who did
the work.

My concern is that I was going to backup just the Janet folder, but saw
there were entries which I did not (knowingly) make in both the All Users
folder and the Default folder and I didn't know if they had to be backed up
as well......

Look at the explanation of the file hierarchy I gave you once again. You
want to back up *your* data which will be in *your* user account. This
will be in your My Documents, My Music, etc. You would not be backing up
any other account's data - especially because since you are the only
user on the system there *is* no data in any other user account to back up.

http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Backing_Up


Malke

 

[Guest]

See my comments inline:

The Janet folder comes from you having a user account on the system
called "Janet". Go to Control Panel>User Accounts and see the users.
"Janet" should be one of them.

This is (and was) of course tautologically obvious. Wherever I referred to a
Janet folder, I was referring to a Janet user acct..... The original question
was not why the folder is there but rather why I have such a user account in
XP when it was not necessary (ie did not exist) in 2KPro. I'm clearer on that
now.

There is always a built-in Administrator. There is not always an OEM Owner. This >account is a regular user account
with administrative privileges. You want to work out of a regular user
account - no matter what it is called - and not the built-in
Administrator account.

I always thought I had been working out of a built-in Administrator account
which was a sort of default user account on a system which was not going to
be serving multiple users. (How many misconceptions can you fit into one
sentence......?) I learned from you that the built-in administrator
account is not in effect a user account at all (not clear on what it in fact
is) and that the Default User is also not a user account but rather a sort of
template. In short, I thought I had 3 user options on my system:
Administrator, Default User, and Janet and didn't get why I needed the third
if I could have been/used one of the first two. I understand now that there
is in effect only one actual user: Janet. By the way, the Ctrl Panel lists 1.
Janet and 2. Guest as the user accounts.

since you are the only
user on the system there *is* no data in any other user account to back up.

This simply is not true. As I wrote earlier:
"...there were data entries which I did not (knowingly) make in both the All
Users
folder and the Default User folder". This in fact is what raised the entire
issue in the first place......!

In any case, I decided that the only things I will back up from Docs and
Settings will be Janet's email and address book........

Many thanks for all your help!
Janet

 

[Malke]

Janetb wrote:

You're almost there but not quite.

This is (and was) of course tautologically obvious.

Not really. One never knows what a user thinks. And you could have had a
renamed user account.

I always thought I had been working out of a built-in Administrator account
which was a sort of default user account on a system which was not going to
be serving multiple users. (How many misconceptions can you fit into one
sentence......?) I learned from you that the built-in administrator
account is not in effect a user account at all

No, you didn't learn that from me. The built-in Administrator is a user
account just like any other user account in XP with administrative
privileges. You just don't want to use it on a regular basis. It's there
for emergenices. The built-in Administrator account is slightly
different in Vista, but I'm not going into that now.

(not clear on what it in fact

is) and that the Default User is also not a user account but rather a sort of
template.

You have this correct now - The Default User account is a template from
which all new user accounts are made.

In short, I thought I had 3 user options on my system:

Administrator, Default User, and Janet and didn't get why I needed the third
if I could have been/used one of the first two. I understand now that there
is in effect only one actual user: Janet. By the way, the Ctrl Panel lists 1.
Janet and 2. Guest as the user accounts.

No, there are two actual users - Janet and the built-in Administrator.
The Guest account, while technically a user account, is a system account
and is normally disabled for security reasons.

This simply is not true. As I wrote earlier:
"...there were data entries which I did not (knowingly) make in both the All
Users
folder and the Default User folder". This in fact is what raised the entire
issue in the first place......!

Please read the explanation of All Users again. Perhaps you put data in
the Shared Documents/Shared Music/Shared Video folders which are in the
All Users account. If you yourself did not create data there, then
anything you see is just a placeholder put there by a program. AOL for
instance creates an "AOL Downloads" folder in the All Users/Shared
Documents space.

There will be none of your personal data in the Default User folder. If
you erroneously saved something there, move it to your own My Documents
in your own User account.


Malke