Users in Documents and Settings - which to use?

[Rick Z]

I set up my Start menu with folders and subfolders and its all wonderfully organized with all
programs in their appropriate categories. But sometimes I notice that some programs want to be
under my username, some want to be under the Administrator, and some are under All Users. I'd like
to have everything "under one roof". I've been using All Users and it seems to be fine but perhaps
this is not the best? Opinions? Incidentally I sure would recommend this as a great way of
organizing all your programs. And being able to select from a group of similar programs to get the
job done is great. Browsing through "Program Files" to find the right tool for the job is insanity.
If you haven't used it for a while you forget what each program is for. Their name means nothing
after a while. You just have to group them together. Just like you group files in folders in a
filing cabinet.

 

[Lem]

I set up my Start menu with folders and subfolders and its all
wonderfully organized with all programs in their appropriate
categories. But sometimes I notice that some programs want to be under
my username, some want to be under the Administrator, and some are under
All Users. I'd like to have everything "under one roof". I've been
using All Users and it seems to be fine but perhaps this is not the
best? Opinions? Incidentally I sure would recommend this as a great
way of organizing all your programs. And being able to select from a
group of similar programs to get the job done is great. Browsing
through "Program Files" to find the right tool for the job is insanity.
If you haven't used it for a while you forget what each program is for.
Their name means nothing after a while. You just have to group them
together. Just like you group files in folders in a filing cabinet.

If you're talking about the list that pops up when you go to
Start > All Programs
then certainly it's a good idea organize those shortcuts in folders and
subfolders, particularly if you have a lot.

What you see when you click Start > All Programs is a combination of
what is in

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs
and
C:\Documents and Settings\<your username>\Start Menu\Programs

Thus, if there are multiple users on your computer, user Bob will see a
combination of

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs
C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Start Menu\Programs

while user Carol will see

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs
C:\Documents and Settings\Carol\Start Menu\Programs

So, if you want everyone to be able to easily access a program, put its
shortcut in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs

If you want a program to appear only in Bob's Start>All Programs list,
put the shortcut in
C:\Documents and Settings\Bob\Start Menu\Programs

You shouldn't put any shortcuts
C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu\Program
unless you *only* want easy access to it in the rare event that you log
into the built-in Administrator account.

Note that these are all *shortcuts*. In general, all of the program
executables will be in C:\Program Files\appname\.

 

[Tim Meddick]

By default new programs will "want" to place their links in the "All Users" Start
Menu, as shortcuts in that location can be "seen" by all users on the system.

But, sometimes, a program will ask you if you want that application to be accessible
only to yourself (the Current User). In that case it *will* place it's links in your
Start Menu, where shortcuts can only be seen by that user (yourself).

Finally, the links in the Administrators Tools menu are defaulted to the
Administrator profile's Start Menu - but that is the only exception - all other links
will be a "seamless" amalgamation of those in the "All Users" Start Menu and that of
your own...

Hope this clarifies things a bit for you.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London.