How to install shortcuts, start menu items, etc for all user accounts ?

[Tuttle]

Hello all:

I apologize if I have overlooked some obvious source for this information. I
have Googled and searched newsgroups and read articles, and while I have
learned a lot about Vista I am no wiser on some basic things.

I am brand new to Vista. I am setting up a Vista Home Premium laptop for a
friend. I created a standard user account for him, but I am using the
administrator account myself while installing software and configuring
everything. I disabled User Account Control for the admin account, because I
was overwhelmed by warnings and prompts when doing all the installs and
configs.

When logged in as administrator, I installed various apps including Start
menu shortcuts and Quick Launch icons. However, when the standard user logs
in, he doesn't see any of those shortcuts. Likewise, I want to place some
folders on the desktop that will give him tips on how to use his new laptop
and shortcuts to maintenance tasks. But, when I place them on "my" desktop,
they are not available to him when he logs in as his standard user.

Is there some method that administrators use when setting up a new Vista
system, so they can place Start menu shortcuts, Quick Launch icons,
documents on desktop, etc. that will then be available in all user accounts
(or even in specified user accounts)? Is there some way to do what I want,
or am I asking the wrong questions?

Thanks for any guidance.

 

[Rojo Habe]

If you want a shortcut to appear on everyone's desktop, put it in the
following folder (assuming C: is your system drive):

C:\Users\Public\Desktop

You might have to first create the shortcut elsewhere (your own Documents
folder, for example) and then move it there manually. for some reason when I
right-click within the Public Desktop folder I only get the option to create
new folders, not shortcuts.

In the same way, if you replace 'Public' in the above path with a specific
username you can target anybody's desktop you want. Obviously you do need
administrator privileges to do this but as you're logged in as an
administrator and you have UAC turned off it should work fine.

It's the same as XP, except it used to be C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Desktop. Personally I think 'All Users' is a little more
self-explanatory than 'Public' but that's progress for you...

 

[Nonny]

It's the same as XP, except it used to be C:\Documents and Settings\All
Users\Desktop. Personally I think 'All Users' is a little more
self-explanatory than 'Public' but that's progress for you...

To justify all the different versions of Vista and the higher prices,
SOME changes had to be made... even if a lot of them were merely
cosmetic.

 

[solon fox]

Hello all:

I apologize if I have overlooked some obvious source for this information.I
have Googled and searched newsgroups and read articles, and while I have
learned a lot about Vista I am no wiser on some basic things.

I am brand new to Vista. I am setting up a Vista Home Premium laptop for a
friend. I created a standard user account for him, but I am using the
administrator account myself while installing software and configuring
everything. I disabled User Account Control for the admin account, becauseI
was overwhelmed by warnings and prompts when doing all the installs and
configs.

When logged in as administrator, I installed various apps including Start
menu shortcuts and Quick Launch icons. However, when the standard user logs
in, he doesn't see any of those shortcuts. Likewise, I want to place some
folders on the desktop that will give him tips on how to use his new laptop
and shortcuts to maintenance tasks. But, when I place them on "my" desktop,
they are not available to him when he logs in as his standard user.

Is there some method that administrators use when setting up a new Vista
system, so they can place Start menu shortcuts, Quick Launch icons,
documents on desktop, etc. that will then be available in all user accounts
(or even in specified user accounts)? Is there some way to do what I want,
or am I asking the wrong questions?

Thanks for any guidance.

Right click the 'Start' button and choose 'Explore all users.' Add
your start menu items there.

The all users desktop is now found in C:\Users\Public\Desktop. It is a
special folder and is hidden by default, but you should be able to
browse there nonetheless. Add your icons, shortcuts, documents there
and they will show on every user desktop.

I hope this helps.

-solon fox

 

[Tuttle]

That's good information, thanks. That covers the desktop, but what about
Start Menu, Quick Launch area on Taskbar, etc?

 

[Tim Slattery]

When logged in as administrator, I installed various apps including Start
menu shortcuts and Quick Launch icons. However, when the standard user logs
in, he doesn't see any of those shortcuts. Likewise, I want to place some
folders on the desktop that will give him tips on how to use his new laptop
and shortcuts to maintenance tasks. But, when I place them on "my" desktop,
they are not available to him when he logs in as his standard user.

Each user has his own desktop, start menu, etc. There's also one
that's used by all users, anything put there appears on everybody's
desktop. Look for a folder or subfolder called "All Users" or
something similar (I'm at an XP Pro machine right now). On Vista Home
Premium I think it will be under C:\Documents and Settings.

 

[solon fox]

To add stuff to the Start menu for all users - Right click the 'Start'
button and choose 'Explore all users.' Add
your start menu shortcut items there.

By design Vista does not provide a method for all users to share the
same Quick Launch shortcuts; however, you can still kludge it.

Copy the shortcuts that you want for all users to C:\Users\Default
\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch

The next time the user logs in, their profile will be built with the
new shortcuts included. It isn't elegant.

-solon fox

 

[Tuttle]

Thank you all for your help. That is really useful information!