User profiles

[Guest]

My computerv is set up with several profiles. I have had a bad attack of
Adware and Spyware. I installed seveal packages to deal with these, updated
them and then did the following:
Udated them all, took off system restore, ooted into safe mode and scanned
for bugs etc. Picked up loads and dealt with them. Rebooted into windows XP
again and great they had all gone (ie desktop icons and toolbars etc that had
been put there by the spyware). Unfortunately, when I went into the other
user accounts they were still there!!! What should I have done. I guess I
do not complete understand Uper accounts and administrator etc. What should
I be doing so that programs that I want to be installed for everyone ie
Adaware and Spybot is serving us all, and other individuals programs games,
messenger is unique to their account. I do habv a problem with messenger as
I only want this on my sons profile. Has anybode got some rules for me to
follow.
Thank you very much. Sal

 

[Malke]

My computerv is set up with several profiles. I have had a bad attack
of
Adware and Spyware. I installed seveal packages to deal with these,
updated them and then did the following:
Udated them all, took off system restore, ooted into safe mode and
scanned
for bugs etc. Picked up loads and dealt with them. Rebooted into
windows XP again and great they had all gone (ie desktop icons and
toolbars etc that had
been put there by the spyware). Unfortunately, when I went into the
other
user accounts they were still there!!! What should I have done. I
guess I
do not complete understand Uper accounts and administrator etc. What
should I be doing so that programs that I want to be installed for
everyone ie Adaware and Spybot is serving us all, and other
individuals programs games,
messenger is unique to their account. I do habv a problem with
messenger as
I only want this on my sons profile. Has anybode got some rules for
me to follow.
Thank you very much. Sal

Windows XP is a multi-user operating system. This means that while some
things are common to all, each user has their own home directory ("My
Documents") and can have different things starting up, different
settings for some items (I'm simplifying here).

For instance, while the instant messenger program is installed on the
system itself, individual users can have it show in their Start Menu or
not. To control what each person sees in their Start Menu, right-click
on the Start button and choose "Explore All Users". Now you will get
the two-paned Explorer view and can see all users' Start Menus. The All
Users menu includes items common to everyone. You can drag/copy or
remove items (the icons on the Start Menu are just shortcuts) to
individual Start Menus as you wish.

When you are scanning for malware, make sure you have the most recent
version of the antispyware program. The current Ad-aware will scan in
all user accounts. Spybot doesn't. You must enter each user account and
run scans there. That's just the way it is. Antivirus programs scan
everything and don't need to be run in more than one account.

Here are two articles from Microsoft about user accounts (I've shortened
the url's):

http://tinyurl.com/c8jru
http://tinyurl.com/c8jru

And here is a more general MS webpage about using XP tailored to the
home user:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/default.mspx

Malke

 

[Guest]

Thank you - I will follow th thread.
Sal

Windows XP is a multi-user operating system. This means that while some
things are common to all, each user has their own home directory ("My
Documents") and can have different things starting up, different
settings for some items (I'm simplifying here).

For instance, while the instant messenger program is installed on the
system itself, individual users can have it show in their Start Menu or
not. To control what each person sees in their Start Menu, right-click
on the Start button and choose "Explore All Users". Now you will get
the two-paned Explorer view and can see all users' Start Menus. The All
Users menu includes items common to everyone. You can drag/copy or
remove items (the icons on the Start Menu are just shortcuts) to
individual Start Menus as you wish.

When you are scanning for malware, make sure you have the most recent
version of the antispyware program. The current Ad-aware will scan in
all user accounts. Spybot doesn't. You must enter each user account and
run scans there. That's just the way it is. Antivirus programs scan
everything and don't need to be run in more than one account.

Here are two articles from Microsoft about user accounts (I've shortened
the url's):

http://tinyurl.com/c8jru
http://tinyurl.com/c8jru

And here is a more general MS webpage about using XP tailored to the
home user:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/default.mspx

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User