EXPERT NEEDED! - DOUBLED ICONS/SHORTCUTS

[Guest]

In the past I have created a user named "ALL USERS" to use while installing
software. This automatically made any software installed available to "ALL
USERS" and also simplified the organization of the "Start Menu" considerably.
The only draw back was doubled icons/shortcuts appearing on the desktop
(does not include system icons/shortcuts such as 'My Computer', 'My
Documents', etc.). But the duplicate icon/shortcut was eliminated simply by
deleting it.

While setting up my newest computer I installed 98SE and upgraded to 2000
and then to XP Pro-SP1 (eliminates a problem with an older program and an
older game and allows all my old 98 'themes' to be installed in 98 and then
to work properly in XP). This time during 98 setup/installation I used "ALL
USERS" as the user name. This resulted in only 3 folders under C:\Documents
and Settings: Adminstrator, All Users, Default User (hidden). Very simple,
neat and clean and all settings, favorites and start menu items are found in
one location: "All Users". But now when I delete the duplicate
icon/shortcut, folder etc. from the desktop it deletes any shortcut, folder,
etc. from C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop. Adding shortcuts,
folders, etc. to any of the other "Desktop" folders does not create a desktop
icon/shortcut on the desktop and any shortcut or folder added to C:\Documents
and Settings\All Users\Desktop will cause double desktop icon/shortcuts to
appear.

First question: Can a registry entry produce a desktop shortcut? And if
so, how is it done?

Second question: Is it regisrty entries that control the interactions
betweens users (such as "all users" versus "current user") or is it done via
other mechanisms (such as ini's, inf's or dll's)? And if so, is it possibe
to edit/modify such so as to eliminate this problem?

Why not have the 'PowerToys Team' just add it to Control
Panel\Display\Desktop?

I have more than one older, very small 16-bit utility (a dictionary, an
organizer/dayrunner and a motivational 'popup' message) that start at
startup/reboot. When that is done using a shortcut in C:\Documents and
Settings\All Users or Current User\Start Menu\Programs\Startup I get an
"Insufficient memory to start this 16-bit program" warning message (1GB of
memory installed). I eliminated problem by editing registry to create a
'registry run' to start those programs and deleted the shortcuts from the
various "Startup" folders. Why not put a way to do that into the Control
Panel or into Powertoys?

 

[Phil]

In xp there is already a system folder called all users. This folder does
exactly what you did in the past already. There is no reason to make a user
called all users and I suspect this is where your problem starts. I suggest
you create a new user for yourself and leave the system all users folder
alone. At this point you may not be able to fix the fact that your personal
user and the system all users folder in one in the same because of the same
names. In that case you should format and start over. During install create
a user for yourself called anything except, administrator, all users, or
default user. Those are system user folders.