Switching Users & Program Icons?

[M.K. Blackwind]

Hi, all --

Most of my experience is with Win98, but I'm working now
on setting up user accounts on a WinXP machine for my
office manager. Here's the difficulty I'm having, and
where I'd like to ask for help:

* I install a program, which creates desktop icons across
all users.

* I would like to be able to customize the desktop, so
that different users show different sets of program icons.

* For example, my office manager uses Symantec PC-
Anywhere. One of her kids as Finding Nemo installed on
her desktop. The office manager doesn't need Nemo on her
desktop, and the kid doesn't need PC-Anywhere.

* I've found that if I delete Symantec or Nemo from one
user desktop, it is deleted from the others as well.

* I have the office manager's user account set up
as "Computer Administrator," and the kid's account
as "Limited."

How can I set it up so the two of them have separate,
independent sets of desktop icons? Is there a setting to
tweak somewhere that I've just missed?

Thanks so much for your help! Please CC: your reply to
(e-mail address removed).

Regards,
morgan

 

[Ray Taylor]

If you know windows 98 well enough, you will know that any shortcuts stored
in
c:\windows\start menu - are displayed on all users start menus.
c:\windows\desktop - are displayed on all users desktops.

c:\windows\profiles\username\start menu - are only displayed on that users
start menu
c:\windows\profiles\username\desktop - are only displayed on that users
desktop.

The system is slightly different in windows xp.
Shortcuts stored in
c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu - are in everyones start menu
c:\documents and settings\all users\desktop - are on everyones desktop

c:\documents and settings\%username%\start menu - are in that users start
menu
c:\documents and settings\%username%\desktop - are on that users desktop.

Many installation programs will ask you if you want to install for anyone
using this computer ( all users ) or only this user that installed the
program.
Other installation programs may not have this capability and depending upon
the programmer, it may install to all users wheather you like it or not.
Simply move the shortcuts between the correct folders listed above to sort
out any problems.
eg. move the symantec icon from c:\documents and settings\all users\start
menu to c:\documents and settings\administrator\start menu
and move the nemo icon from c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu
to c:\documents and settings\limited\start menu
The nemo icon will only appear in limiteds user account and not the
administrators and visa versa for the symantec icon.


--
Ray Taylor
(e-mail address removed)


=

 

[Rick \Nutcase\ Rogers]

Hi Morgan,

Move the shortcuts from the allusers folders to the local users.

From:
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Desktop

To:
C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Desktop

You can leave programs common to all users in the first folder, the second
folder will only show when that user is logged on.

--
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