What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.

Whether or not you think it's "stupid and unnecessary" is irrelevent --
that's how Windows XP was designed. If you try to break Windows, you
will suffer the consequences.

If you are driven INSANE by something as miniscule as the user account
structure in an operating system, you really need to get out more.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

On 12/16/2009 11:36 PM, thanatoid wrote:
Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.

Whether or not you think it's "stupid and unnecessary" is irrelevent --
that's how Windows XP was designed. If you try to break Windows, you
will suffer the consequences.

If you are driven INSANE by something as miniscule as the user account
structure in an operating system, you really need to get out more.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

On 12/16/2009 11:36 PM, thanatoid wrote:
Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.

If you only ever use one profile (i.e. Administrator) you can make a change to the
registry that will make the "Start Menu" within that users' "home" folder the only
one that the system uses.

(e.g. "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu")

The changes would be as follows :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders]
"Common Start Menu"="%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu"
"Common Startup"="%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\User Shell
Folders]
"Common Start Menu"="%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu"
"Common Startup"="%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"

....All the above values would normally have the values: %ALLUSERSPROFILE% as part of
them - by changing this to: %USERPROFILE% you change the focus to the current users
profile and make the Start Menu in the "All Users" folder redundant.

P.S.

I have also included a reg-file attachment (if you are using a news-reader capable of
"seeing" attachments) that will make these changes.

Another way of implementing these changes would be to copy and paste each of the
following four commands into a Command Prompt ("DOS-box") and press [ENTER] after
each...


reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\Shell Folders" /v
"Common Start Menu" /d "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu" /f

reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\Shell Folders" /v
"Common Startup" /d "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" /f

reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\User Shell Folders"
/v "Common Start Menu" /d "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu" /f

reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\User Shell Folders"
/v "Common Startup" /d "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" /f


(The above [4] commands should all be one-liners but may not appear so due to
line-wrap. Please ensure that each command begins with 'reg' and ends with '/f')

*Note - Please exercise care when editing the registry, always create a backup and /
or create a 'System Restore' point first.


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"thanatoid" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.

If you only ever use one profile (i.e. Administrator) you can make a change to the
registry that will make the "Start Menu" within that users' "home" folder the only
one that the system uses.

(e.g. "C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu")

The changes would be as follows :

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders]
"Common Start Menu"="%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu"
"Common Startup"="%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\User Shell
Folders]
"Common Start Menu"="%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu"
"Common Startup"="%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup"

....All the above values would normally have the values: %ALLUSERSPROFILE% as part of
them - by changing this to: %USERPROFILE% you change the focus to the current users
profile and make the Start Menu in the "All Users" folder redundant.

P.S.

I have also included a reg-file attachment (if you are using a news-reader capable of
"seeing" attachments) that will make these changes.

Another way of implementing these changes would be to copy and paste each of the
following four commands into a Command Prompt ("DOS-box") and press [ENTER] after
each...


reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\Shell Folders" /v
"Common Start Menu" /d "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu" /f

reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\Shell Folders" /v
"Common Startup" /d "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" /f

reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\User Shell Folders"
/v "Common Start Menu" /d "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu" /f

reg ADD "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Ex plorer\User Shell Folders"
/v "Common Startup" /d "%USERPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Startup" /f


(The above [4] commands should all be one-liners but may not appear so due to
line-wrap. Please ensure that each command begins with 'reg' and ends with '/f')

*Note - Please exercise care when editing the registry, always create a backup and /
or create a 'System Restore' point first.


==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"thanatoid" wrote in message
...
Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.

Leonard Grey wrote in
:


Whether or not you think it's "stupid and unnecessary" is
irrelevent -- that's how Windows XP was designed. If you
try to break Windows, you will suffer the consequences.

Well, I suppose we have all known MS is only good at making
money, and even Apple is running a (significantly) prettied-up
version of a 35-year old OS, so it would seem there IS NO HOPE.

If you are driven INSANE by something as miniscule as the
user account structure in an operating system, you really
need to get out more.

Since you seem to be the kind of person that likes the
expression, I will use it:
"That ship has sailed."

I have little to do in my life aside from sitting in front of
idiot box #2. Sad but true.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Too bad humanum includes MS.

Leonard Grey wrote in
:


Whether or not you think it's "stupid and unnecessary" is
irrelevent -- that's how Windows XP was designed. If you
try to break Windows, you will suffer the consequences.

Well, I suppose we have all known MS is only good at making
money, and even Apple is running a (significantly) prettied-up
version of a 35-year old OS, so it would seem there IS NO HOPE.

If you are driven INSANE by something as miniscule as the
user account structure in an operating system, you really
need to get out more.

Since you seem to be the kind of person that likes the
expression, I will use it:
"That ship has sailed."

I have little to do in my life aside from sitting in front of
idiot box #2. Sad but true.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

Too bad humanum includes MS.

"Tim Meddick" wrote in
:

If you only ever use one profile (i.e. Administrator) you
can make a change to the registry that will make the "Start
Menu" within that users' "home" folder the only one that
the system uses.

This sounds promising, I will try it.

SNIP

I have also included a reg-file attachment (if you are
using a news-reader capable of "seeing" attachments) that
will make these changes.

I use XNews and I did not even know you CAN include
"attachments" with non-binary posts.
If you could post them or post links to them, I would be MOST
grateful. I have no binaries access now, I'm on eternal-
september.

UPDATE: I just checked the DL dir where I saved you post, and
there IS a "SingleStartMenu.reg" file there. HOW it got there I
don't know. You learn something new about XNews (AND Total
Commander) almost every day.

Another way of implementing these changes would be to copy
and paste each of the following four commands into a
Command Prompt ("DOS-box") and press [ENTER] after each...

Will try them...

SNIP

(The above [4] commands should all be one-liners but may
not appear so due to line-wrap. Please ensure that each
command begins with 'reg' and ends with '/f')

*Note - Please exercise care when editing the registry,
always create a backup and / or create a 'System Restore'
point first.

I'll make a registry backup. "System Restores" have never
sounded very reliable - and I have read many SR-related horror
posts.

I very much appreciate your help. Sounds like specific stuff
that may help me solve some of the annoyances.

"Tim Meddick" wrote in
:

If you only ever use one profile (i.e. Administrator) you
can make a change to the registry that will make the "Start
Menu" within that users' "home" folder the only one that
the system uses.

This sounds promising, I will try it.

SNIP

I have also included a reg-file attachment (if you are
using a news-reader capable of "seeing" attachments) that
will make these changes.

I use XNews and I did not even know you CAN include
"attachments" with non-binary posts.
If you could post them or post links to them, I would be MOST
grateful. I have no binaries access now, I'm on eternal-
september.

UPDATE: I just checked the DL dir where I saved you post, and
there IS a "SingleStartMenu.reg" file there. HOW it got there I
don't know. You learn something new about XNews (AND Total
Commander) almost every day.

Another way of implementing these changes would be to copy
and paste each of the following four commands into a
Command Prompt ("DOS-box") and press [ENTER] after each...

Will try them...

SNIP

(The above [4] commands should all be one-liners but may
not appear so due to line-wrap. Please ensure that each
command begins with 'reg' and ends with '/f')

*Note - Please exercise care when editing the registry,
always create a backup and / or create a 'System Restore'
point first.

I'll make a registry backup. "System Restores" have never
sounded very reliable - and I have read many SR-related horror
posts.

I very much appreciate your help. Sounds like specific stuff
that may help me solve some of the annoyances.

Purely an observational comment, but it seems to me that userprofiling is
what drives the bulk of the overcomplexity present in modern OS's.

Thinking in particular of a site I was asked to troubleshoot recently, it
turned-out to have only three desktops, but these were joined to an SBS
domain with roaming profiles. To compound the situation two were XP and one
Vista, so between three computers there were six sets of roaming profiles.
Sorting this unholy mess out took two days work, and even then there were
still some odd glitches which would have to taken so long to resolve that I
advised the client to live-with them.

I could've installed a new system -minus AD domain and roaming profiles- in
less time than it took to fix the profile-related problems. In fact I did
suggest this, but the client decided to stick with the existing setup.

In an era when providing a computer (or two) for each user is almost a
trivial cost, multiuser profiling does seem like a farcical way to go about
things, especially for small sites. I begin to wonder if the reason why
small-site installers favour this route is because it's what they're trained
to do by Microsoft, or if it's a case of 'milking' the client by making
things as complex and as time-consuming as possible, to maximize support
bills.

"thanatoid" wrote:

Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.
.

Purely an observational comment, but it seems to me that userprofiling is
what drives the bulk of the overcomplexity present in modern OS's.

Thinking in particular of a site I was asked to troubleshoot recently, it
turned-out to have only three desktops, but these were joined to an SBS
domain with roaming profiles. To compound the situation two were XP and one
Vista, so between three computers there were six sets of roaming profiles.
Sorting this unholy mess out took two days work, and even then there were
still some odd glitches which would have to taken so long to resolve that I
advised the client to live-with them.

I could've installed a new system -minus AD domain and roaming profiles- in
less time than it took to fix the profile-related problems. In fact I did
suggest this, but the client decided to stick with the existing setup.

In an era when providing a computer (or two) for each user is almost a
trivial cost, multiuser profiling does seem like a farcical way to go about
things, especially for small sites. I begin to wonder if the reason why
small-site installers favour this route is because it's what they're trained
to do by Microsoft, or if it's a case of 'milking' the client by making
things as complex and as time-consuming as possible, to maximize support
bills.

"thanatoid" wrote:

Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.
.

Sorry,
you can also download my reg file from :

http://www.4shared.com/file/17617259...StartMenu.html

This Reg-file will make changes to the registry to use the current user's
"Start Menu" ONLY and therefore make the "Start Menu" in the "All Users" folder
redundant.

Please Note that this will make active the Start Menu (as and when you use this
reg file) for the CURRENT USER and will then apply to ALL OTHER USER PROFILES

*Note - Please exercise care when editing the registry, always create a backup and /
or create a 'System Restore' point first.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"thanatoid" wrote in message
...
"Tim Meddick" wrote in
:

If you only ever use one profile (i.e. Administrator) you
can make a change to the registry that will make the "Start
Menu" within that users' "home" folder the only one that
the system uses.

This sounds promising, I will try it.

SNIP

I have also included a reg-file attachment (if you are
using a news-reader capable of "seeing" attachments) that
will make these changes.

I use XNews and I did not even know you CAN include
"attachments" with non-binary posts.
If you could post them or post links to them, I would be MOST
grateful. I have no binaries access now, I'm on eternal-
september.

UPDATE: I just checked the DL dir where I saved you post, and
there IS a "SingleStartMenu.reg" file there. HOW it got there I
don't know. You learn something new about XNews (AND Total
Commander) almost every day.

Another way of implementing these changes would be to copy
and paste each of the following four commands into a
Command Prompt ("DOS-box") and press [ENTER] after each...

Will try them...

SNIP

(The above [4] commands should all be one-liners but may
not appear so due to line-wrap. Please ensure that each
command begins with 'reg' and ends with '/f')

*Note - Please exercise care when editing the registry,
always create a backup and / or create a 'System Restore'
point first.

I'll make a registry backup. "System Restores" have never
sounded very reliable - and I have read many SR-related horror
posts.

I very much appreciate your help. Sounds like specific stuff
that may help me solve some of the annoyances.

Sorry,
you can also download my reg file from :

http://www.4shared.com/file/17617259...StartMenu.html

This Reg-file will make changes to the registry to use the current user's
"Start Menu" ONLY and therefore make the "Start Menu" in the "All Users" folder
redundant.

Please Note that this will make active the Start Menu (as and when you use this
reg file) for the CURRENT USER and will then apply to ALL OTHER USER PROFILES

*Note - Please exercise care when editing the registry, always create a backup and /
or create a 'System Restore' point first.

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"thanatoid" wrote in message
...
"Tim Meddick" wrote in
:

If you only ever use one profile (i.e. Administrator) you
can make a change to the registry that will make the "Start
Menu" within that users' "home" folder the only one that
the system uses.

This sounds promising, I will try it.

SNIP

I have also included a reg-file attachment (if you are
using a news-reader capable of "seeing" attachments) that
will make these changes.

I use XNews and I did not even know you CAN include
"attachments" with non-binary posts.
If you could post them or post links to them, I would be MOST
grateful. I have no binaries access now, I'm on eternal-
september.

UPDATE: I just checked the DL dir where I saved you post, and
there IS a "SingleStartMenu.reg" file there. HOW it got there I
don't know. You learn something new about XNews (AND Total
Commander) almost every day.

Another way of implementing these changes would be to copy
and paste each of the following four commands into a
Command Prompt ("DOS-box") and press [ENTER] after each...

Will try them...

SNIP

(The above [4] commands should all be one-liners but may
not appear so due to line-wrap. Please ensure that each
command begins with 'reg' and ends with '/f')

*Note - Please exercise care when editing the registry,
always create a backup and / or create a 'System Restore'
point first.

I'll make a registry backup. "System Restores" have never
sounded very reliable - and I have read many SR-related horror
posts.

I very much appreciate your help. Sounds like specific stuff
that may help me solve some of the annoyances.

User Profiles give access to shared resources from any terminal a user logs onto in
the network.

If User Profiles did not exist as you suggest - a worker could only access stuff from
his OWN console and not from any other PC in his network.

I can log on to my profile from any PC in a number of locations on our employer's
network.

And on a single PC - it enables two or more users to keep files separate and secure
from each other stored either on that machine or a shared resource on the network.

Profiles are not used just for single PCs - but as "roaming profiles" can access the
same resources from multiple locations.

You recommend buying a PC for every user, but it's all about sharing resources that
makes life easier...

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"Anteaus" wrote in message
...
Purely an observational comment, but it seems to me that userprofiling is
what drives the bulk of the overcomplexity present in modern OS's.

Thinking in particular of a site I was asked to troubleshoot recently, it
turned-out to have only three desktops, but these were joined to an SBS
domain with roaming profiles. To compound the situation two were XP and one
Vista, so between three computers there were six sets of roaming profiles.
Sorting this unholy mess out took two days work, and even then there were
still some odd glitches which would have to taken so long to resolve that I
advised the client to live-with them.

I could've installed a new system -minus AD domain and roaming profiles- in
less time than it took to fix the profile-related problems. In fact I did
suggest this, but the client decided to stick with the existing setup.

In an era when providing a computer (or two) for each user is almost a
trivial cost, multiuser profiling does seem like a farcical way to go about
things, especially for small sites. I begin to wonder if the reason why
small-site installers favour this route is because it's what they're trained
to do by Microsoft, or if it's a case of 'milking' the client by making
things as complex and as time-consuming as possible, to maximize support
bills.

"thanatoid" wrote:

Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.
.

User Profiles give access to shared resources from any terminal a user logs onto in
the network.

If User Profiles did not exist as you suggest - a worker could only access stuff from
his OWN console and not from any other PC in his network.

I can log on to my profile from any PC in a number of locations on our employer's
network.

And on a single PC - it enables two or more users to keep files separate and secure
from each other stored either on that machine or a shared resource on the network.

Profiles are not used just for single PCs - but as "roaming profiles" can access the
same resources from multiple locations.

You recommend buying a PC for every user, but it's all about sharing resources that
makes life easier...

==

Cheers, Tim Meddick, Peckham, London. :-)




"Anteaus" wrote in message
...
Purely an observational comment, but it seems to me that userprofiling is
what drives the bulk of the overcomplexity present in modern OS's.

Thinking in particular of a site I was asked to troubleshoot recently, it
turned-out to have only three desktops, but these were joined to an SBS
domain with roaming profiles. To compound the situation two were XP and one
Vista, so between three computers there were six sets of roaming profiles.
Sorting this unholy mess out took two days work, and even then there were
still some odd glitches which would have to taken so long to resolve that I
advised the client to live-with them.

I could've installed a new system -minus AD domain and roaming profiles- in
less time than it took to fix the profile-related problems. In fact I did
suggest this, but the client decided to stick with the existing setup.

In an era when providing a computer (or two) for each user is almost a
trivial cost, multiuser profiling does seem like a farcical way to go about
things, especially for small sites. I begin to wonder if the reason why
small-site installers favour this route is because it's what they're trained
to do by Microsoft, or if it's a case of 'milking' the client by making
things as complex and as time-consuming as possible, to maximize support
bills.

"thanatoid" wrote:

Hello,

Is it possible to move all the directories from All Users to
Administrator or vice versa and change the re;evant/necessary
shortcuts? It is driving me INSANE to have to check in two
different places every time I want to make a change to the start
menu. (Not to mention the set-up it totally illogical - at least
to a non-MS employee.)

Any thoughts/suggestions on this and related themes would be
greatly appreciated. I am new to XP and while I am beginning to
get used to it, the redundancy of 5 (or more) copies of the
identical file (were it only *one* file - it seems there are
HUNDREDS) in different places and the unnecessary presence of
other user accounts on machine which only one person in the
world ever touches is driving me nuts.

Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

t.
.