Question on installing programs one time and all users can use.

[Paul Tutle Sr. - OCC]

I have an xp home edition; there are about 7 users on the pc. I want
to install software one time and then everyone else be able use it
without having to go though each account and run setup again. Is
there any way to do this? These folks wanted aim and I have had to go
into each profile and run setup for each user.

 

[jopa66]

What's really missing from each user account is the icons in their
respective start menus. Most newer applications will now ask you when
installing if you want to install for All Users or Current User. That being
said, for those that don't and for older programs, you can manually do this
yourself within Windows Explorer.

1) Right click the Start button. Choose Explore from the context menu. This
will open Windows Explorer and automagically put you into your own profile
within "Documents and Settings".

2) I suggest you switch to "Details" view, as it seems easier to
understand. Go to View on the Menu bar and select Details. To make this
setting stick for all folders you open - Go to Tools on the Menu Bar and
select "Folder Options". Click the View tab - then click the button "Apply
to All Folders".

3) In the left hand pane of the window you will see a folder for each
designated user on the system. You will also see some system generated
folders ie. All Users and Default User. The "All Users" folder is the one we
are interested in.

4) Click on the Programs folder in your own profile. What you see here is
all the folders and files contained in your own Start Menu. (When you click
Start|All Programs.) Each user account is setup the same way.

5) Now click on the "All users", then click "Start Menu", then
"Programs". Here you see a list similar to the one before. Whichever user is
logged in - Windows combines these two lists together to give you a
personalized Start Menu. If there is a folder or file in "your" profile that
you want All Users to have access to, simply cut/paste or copy/paste from
"your" profile to the All Users profile.

6) This can also work in reverse if necessary to restrict access to
certain files or folders. Perhaps there are certain items that belong in the
kids' profiles but not necessary in Mom and Dad's. or vice versa. Its your
system. Set it up however you want it.

Hope this helps. Good luck.

 

[David Candy]

Speak to whatever AIM is.

The rules are.

For Admins
Install for All Users OR ask, for All Users or just the current user?

For Users
Install for user only if possible, else don't install.

If AIM doesn't do this then it is not an XP program.

 

[Paul Tutle Sr. - OCC]

AIM is AOL instant msg.

 

[David Candy]

Noone here likes AOL. We try to pretend we've not heard of them.

If an administrator or power user installs software it should be available for everyone. Unless you were asked and choose Just You.

If they don't do that they have had three years. And It's not just three years old - it's always been that way on NT.

 

[Philippe L. Balmanno]

P.S. you misspelled the name Teutul as in American Choppers Paul Teutul Sr.
of (OCC) Orange County Choppers.