Start Menu Help Needed

[Lynton Nicholls]

Hi,
I am new to XP, I have XP pro and I am the only user, no one else needs
to log on.
I have lots of shortcuts and like to keep my Start Menu neat and well
organized. Trouble is there are two, one in All Users and one in mine, with
my shortcuts spread over both. I have not yet been able to work out how they
function, do I need both?
I would like some help please.

Lyn.

[Ray Taylor]

If a program is installed on a computer, there is generally a good chance
more than one user account is used on that machine. For this reason
microsoft created the all users directory in which it contains data so that
all users will have access to it. If you went and created another user
account, the programs that are in the all users start menu folder will
appear in all users start menus plus the shortcuts from the users own
startmenu folder. Its a small way to save time instead of installing the
application again and again for each user. Once the programs installed,
everyone can get it.
For some reason not all installer programs are as up to date as to use the
all users folder.

For your case, I would suggest leaving them alone. If it were in a network
situation where many users use that computer then the administrator can use
these folders to customise who gets what shortcuts and make sure if the
program is not installed on another computer that they log onto, they wont
complain that the program is not working just because they still have the
shortcut following them in their start menu folder.

If you would like to tidy up your start menu, enable dragging and dropping
on your start menu via the taskbar properties applet. Then click start > all
programs > right click on an item and choose delete or drag it into or out
of a folder.


Hope this helps


Ray Taylor



"Lynton Nicholls" > wrote in message
...
> Hi,
> I am new to XP, I have XP pro and I am the only user, no one else needs
> to log on.
> I have lots of shortcuts and like to keep my Start Menu neat and well
> organized. Trouble is there are two, one in All Users and one in mine,
with
> my shortcuts spread over both. I have not yet been able to work out how
they
> function, do I need both?
> I would like some help please.
>
> Lyn.
>
>

[Lynton Nicholls]

Thanks Ray, that helped a lot.
One question, I am not sure which start menu I would use to create
additional folders in. Would it be All Users?

Lyn.




"Ray Taylor" > wrote in message
...
> If a program is installed on a computer, there is generally a good chance
> more than one user account is used on that machine. For this reason
> microsoft created the all users directory in which it contains data so
that
> all users will have access to it. If you went and created another user
> account, the programs that are in the all users start menu folder will
> appear in all users start menus plus the shortcuts from the users own
> startmenu folder. Its a small way to save time instead of installing the
> application again and again for each user. Once the programs installed,
> everyone can get it.
> For some reason not all installer programs are as up to date as to use the
> all users folder.
>
> For your case, I would suggest leaving them alone. If it were in a network
> situation where many users use that computer then the administrator can
use
> these folders to customise who gets what shortcuts and make sure if the
> program is not installed on another computer that they log onto, they wont
> complain that the program is not working just because they still have the
> shortcut following them in their start menu folder.
>
> If you would like to tidy up your start menu, enable dragging and dropping
> on your start menu via the taskbar properties applet. Then click start >
all
> programs > right click on an item and choose delete or drag it into or out
> of a folder.
>
>
> Hope this helps
>
>
> Ray Taylor
>
>

[David Candy]

If you're the only user it doesn't matter. If you think you mat create =
another user later use All Users. Most things go into All Users because =
it applies to all users now and in the future. Most programs will =
default to All users to create the shortcut. Only programs installed by =
limited users will go to the user specific start menu (because a limited =
user can't do anything that affects any other user). Some computer =
administration programs install peruser for the admin.

The rules are
If an admin installs something a program should install for All Users or =
ask if it's for All Users or the Current User, Most don't ask.
If a user installs a program it should install for the current user only =
if it can (may not have the security permissions to install) or not =
install at all.

--=20
http://www.g2mil.com/Apr2003.htm
http://www.sharpword.com/fascism.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------
David Candy
http://www.mvps.org/serenitymacros
---------------------------------------------------------------
"Lynton Nicholls" > wrote in message =
...
> Thanks Ray, that helped a lot.
> One question, I am not sure which start menu I would use to create
> additional folders in. Would it be All Users?
>=20
> Lyn.
>=20
>=20
>=20
>=20
> "Ray Taylor" > wrote in message
> ...
> > If a program is installed on a computer, there is generally a good =
chance
> > more than one user account is used on that machine. For this reason
> > microsoft created the all users directory in which it contains data =
so
> that
> > all users will have access to it. If you went and created another =
user
> > account, the programs that are in the all users start menu folder =
will
> > appear in all users start menus plus the shortcuts from the users =
own
> > startmenu folder. Its a small way to save time instead of installing =
the
> > application again and again for each user. Once the programs =
installed,
> > everyone can get it.
> > For some reason not all installer programs are as up to date as to =
use the
> > all users folder.
> >
> > For your case, I would suggest leaving them alone. If it were in a =
network
> > situation where many users use that computer then the administrator =
can
> use
> > these folders to customise who gets what shortcuts and make sure if =
the
> > program is not installed on another computer that they log onto, =
they wont
> > complain that the program is not working just because they still =
have the
> > shortcut following them in their start menu folder.
> >
> > If you would like to tidy up your start menu, enable dragging and =
dropping
> > on your start menu via the taskbar properties applet. Then click =
start >
> all
> > programs > right click on an item and choose delete or drag it into =
or out
> > of a folder.
> >
> >
> > Hope this helps
> >
> >
> > Ray Taylor
> >
> >
>=20
>=20

[Cindy Winegarden]

In ,
Lynton Nicholls > typed:
> Hi,
> I am new to XP, I have XP pro and I am the only user, no one else
> needs to log on.
> I have lots of shortcuts and like to keep my Start Menu neat and well
> organized. Trouble is there are two, one in All Users and one in
> mine, with my shortcuts spread over both. I have not yet been able to
> work out how they function, do I need both?

Hi Lyn,

I like a neat Start menu also. The start menus are kept in C:\Documents and
Settings\All Users\Start Menu\ and C:\Documents and Settings\<Your name
here>\Start Menu\Programs. You may need to turn on hidden folders (in
Explorer, Tools | Folder Options | View tab).

What I do is grab all the shortcuts from my Cindy Start menu and drag them
to the All Users Start menu. If there are any duplicates, they will be over
written. Then I create folders (Example: Utilities) and drag whatever to
wherever.

Please note the Startup folder - those things will load at startup. Also,
note that everything here is just shortcuts, the "real" stuff (the stuff you
don't want to mess with) is in your Program Files folders, and you can
replace any missing shortcuts by going to the appropriate program and
righ-click, Create shortcut.

--
Cindy Winegarden MCSD, Microsoft Visual FoxPro MVP
www.cindywinegarden.com