Registry entries for all users

[David Burkinshaw]

I'm creating a program in .NET 2003 which uses MS Installer. I need to find
a way to get the registry entries propagated to all users BUT have them be
in each users' HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive. The only options I've found are A)
"Install to Myself" which puts the entries into HKEY_CURRENT_USER but only
for the user performing the install or B) "Everyone" which puts the entries
into HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE which would make the keys available to everyone.
This would allow User A to overwrite the preferences of User B which is no
good.
I originally put the keys into HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software which I thought
would propagate to all users but when i created a new user, the settings
didn't transfer over to their HKCU hive.
Does anyone know how to create these keys seperately for each user without
putting them into HKLM?
This is for a commercial software package so forcing users to do anything
other than clicking on an icon to start the program is to be avoided at all
costs.

Thanks in advance

David

 

[Dave Patrick]

You're looking for the \default user hive
%systemdrive%\Documents and Settings\Default User\ntuser.dat

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| I'm creating a program in .NET 2003 which uses MS Installer. I need to
find
| a way to get the registry entries propagated to all users BUT have them be
| in each users' HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive. The only options I've found are A)
| "Install to Myself" which puts the entries into HKEY_CURRENT_USER but only
| for the user performing the install or B) "Everyone" which puts the
entries
| into HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE which would make the keys available to everyone.
| This would allow User A to overwrite the preferences of User B which is no
| good.
| I originally put the keys into HKEY_USERS\.Default\Software which I
thought
| would propagate to all users but when i created a new user, the settings
| didn't transfer over to their HKCU hive.
| Does anyone know how to create these keys seperately for each user without
| putting them into HKLM?
| This is for a commercial software package so forcing users to do anything
| other than clicking on an icon to start the program is to be avoided at
all
| costs.
|
| Thanks in advance
|
| David
|
|

 

[David Burkinshaw]

How would I get access to this file during an install? I'm using VS.NET to
create the MSI installer and the options for the registry are
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_USERS and
User/Machine Hive. When I put the keys in User/Machine Hive it only puts it
in HKCU if I install for "myself" and HKLM if I install for "everyone".
I'm kind of confused with the HKEY_USERS\.Default section because one source
said that placing keys here would propagate to all users (didn't work for
me), another source said that that only happens after a new user is created
(also didn't work for me) and a third source said that this is the profile
the system uses when nobody is logged in.

-David

 

[Dave Patrick]

HKEY_USERS\.Default is for the system account or when no one is logged on.
Try asking them in one of the dotnet programming groups.

--
Regards,

Dave Patrick ....Please no email replies - reply in newsgroup.
Microsoft Certified Professional
Microsoft MVP [Windows]
http://www.microsoft.com/protect

:
| How would I get access to this file during an install? I'm using VS.NET to
| create the MSI installer and the options for the registry are
| HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, HKEY_CURRENT_USER, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, HKEY_USERS and
| User/Machine Hive. When I put the keys in User/Machine Hive it only puts
it
| in HKCU if I install for "myself" and HKLM if I install for "everyone".
| I'm kind of confused with the HKEY_USERS\.Default section because one
source
| said that placing keys here would propagate to all users (didn't work for
| me), another source said that that only happens after a new user is
created
| (also didn't work for me) and a third source said that this is the profile
| the system uses when nobody is logged in.
|
| -David