sharing files/shortcuts with other users

[Guest]

am new to xp- please forgive my ignorance. When I install new software or
create desktop shortcuts, it doesn't appear on other user accounts on my
computer. In fact, one piece of software does not even appear in program
files on pther user accounts. Not everything I install will be needed by
everyone else, but some may. How can I ensre that certain items are seen by
others?

Thanks

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi,

This should help: http://rickrogers.org/xpsware.htm

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Associate Expert - WindowsXP Expert Zone

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org

 

[Bruce Chambers]

am new to xp- please forgive my ignorance. When I install new software or
create desktop shortcuts, it doesn't appear on other user accounts on my
computer. In fact, one piece of software does not even appear in program
files on pther user accounts. Not everything I install will be needed by
everyone else, but some may. How can I ensre that certain items are seen by
others?

Thanks

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.

For some obscure reason, game developers in particular seem to not
understand WinXP's file security paradigm, and require even limited
users to have unnecessarily high privileges to protected systems
folders. For example, saved games are often stored in a sub-folder
under the game's folder within C:\Program Files - a place where no
inexperienced or limited user should have write permissions.

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

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[CWatters]

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.

Which unfortunately seems to be most of them .

In my experience less that about 25% of the "XP compatible" programs do
things correctly. Many kids games published by the BBC even require Admin
user status to be _run_ not just installed. Result...Our 3 year old twins
are Admin Users and my wife is a Limited User!

 

[CWatters]

Hi,

This should help: http://rickrogers.org/xpsware.htm

Yes that advice has been working well for me. Most programs seem to work if
you just copy the shortcut to
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

Hint: Log in as Admin and Right click on Start and select Explore All Users

 

[stormzen]

Short cuts

I had a bizarre thing happen the other day... and Administrator's account did not have access to certain programs that a user account did, including a virus protection program. Ultimately, I found that creating a new admin account fixed the problem.

Regarding giving end users admin access rights -- very bad idea. I saw a tip posted somewhere that I modified to suit me:
1. Create a new admin account specifically for the purpose of running these wayward applications
2. Adjust the program settings so that the application is run as the new admin account you created.

( See this link: http://rickrogers.org/xpsware.htm )

Viola! Program runs as admin, child is still user. (I last used this tip on Battlenet update for Starcraft.) It works like a charm! (So he won't be beating me over the head to update his Battlenet every time Blizzard comes up with a new patch anymore.)