program sharing

[Sherman]

Hi,

I've assigned user accounts in my new home computer using
Windows XP. While I'd like kids to have their own private
spaces, I also need them to share some softwares such as
MSN for internet access and some photo editing programs.
My problem now is that I can only install through the
administrator account and the programs can only be used
in the adm account. Is there a way to provide access for
kids to use the programs via their own user accounts?

Please help!
Thanks

 

[CWatters]

If anyone knows of an official Microsoft web site that explains how to do
this please post it here!

This is how I do it. There are three ways:

a) Some programs have an install option but they seem to be rare. (Why MS
didn't make this a requirement to claim XP compatibility I don't know). With
some programs each user gets a copy BUT each user has to complete the
install and agree the licence terms the first time they run the application
(reasonable enough).

b) Convert their accounts to admin status temporarily. Install S/W for each
user, then convert them back to limited accounts.

or

c) Log in as admin and go Right click Start -> Explore all users. Navigate
to the admin account -> start menu -> programs folder and copy/cut the
program shortcut. Then navigate to the same place in the all users account
and hit paste. I sometimes do the same for desktop shortcuts so that all
users have the same shortcuts on their desktop.

Colin (not an MVP)

 

[CWatters]

I should add that I don't do rapid switching between user accounts - I force
a log off/log on each time. If you do rapid switching I guess some of the
methods I use may cause a problem?

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Sherman,

As Colin points out, there is no one pat answer for this. Some programs
require that you install them under each account, others can be installed
for everyone in one shot. This is a limitation from the installer used by
the program developer. For limited accounts, you may need to add permissions
for them on the necessary program folders. This may help as well:

Some Programs Do Not Work If You Log On from Limited Account [Q307091]
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307091

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!

Associate Expert - WinXP - Expert Zone

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

This is quite common if the software was designed for Win9x/Me, or
if it was intended for WinNT/2K/XP, but was improperly designed. Quite
simply, the installation routine for this application doesn't "know"
how to handle individual user profiles, or the application tries to
make changes to "off-limits" sections of the registry. Quite often,
you can make this software available to other users by _copying_ the
Start Menu folder and Desktop folder shortcuts from the user profile
from which the software was installed in the corresponding folders in
the user profile(s) in which you'd like the software to be accessible.
If the application is something that can/should be made available to
all current and future users, copying the shortcuts into the
corresponding locations of the All Users profile will do the trick.

NOTE: This may not work if the software requires access to parts
of the hard drive and/or registry that are not normally accessible to
regular users. (This won't occur if the application was properly
written.) If this does prove to be the case, however, you're left
with two options: Either grant the necessary users appropriate higher
access privileges (either as Power Users or local administrators), or
replace the application with one that was properly designed
specifically for WinNT/2K/XP.

Some Programs Do Not Work If You Log On from Limited Account
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;q307091

Additionally, here are a couple of tips suggested, in a reply to a
different post, by MS-MVP Kent W. England:

"If your game or application works with admin accounts, but not with
limited accounts, you can fix it to allow limited users to access the
program files folder with "change" capability rather than "read" which
is the default.

C:\>cacls "Program Files\appfolder" /e /t /p users:c

where "appfolder" is the folder where the application is installed.

If you wish to undo these changes, then run

C:\>cacls "Program Files\appfolder" /e /t /p users:r

If you still have a problem with running the program or saving
settings on limited accounts, you may need to change permissions on
the registry keys. Run regedit.exe and go to HKLM\Software\vendor\app,
where "vendor\app" is the key that the software vendor used for your
specific program. Change the permissions on this key to allow Users
full control."


Bruce Chambers

--
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