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



 
 
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  #31  
Old December 23rd 09, 04:27 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
thanatoid
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 584
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

"Tim Meddick" wrote in
:

Let me again assure you that all this reg file will do is
make the CURRENT user's Start Menu the only one that the
system will refer to, and therefore, make the Start Menu in
the "All Users" folder redundant.


If that "CURRENT" users is me, ie Admin in "E:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator\Start Menu"
then that is all I want.

This is ALL it does and the "undo" reg file re-instates the
"All Users" Start Menu.

I have tested both and know that they work.


I trust you.

However, it's only worth using on a system where ONLY one
profile is usually used from day to day, and it is from
this profile you would execute (import) the
SingleStartMenu.reg file (the "undo" file can be imported
from any profile).


I am the only person who ever touches or will touch this
computer, and I automatically log on as Admin.

Because if any other profile is then used, they would find
their Start Menu located in another's folder (and unless
Admin, would be read-only for them).


Irrelevant in this case, I trust.

But if you only ever use one profile, then I can well see
the advantages of having only one location for the Start
Menu.


That's an understatement.

Thanks again. I'll try it soon. (I have a lot of other things to
do right now...)
Will report on success/etc.

Cheers
t.
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  #32  
Old December 23rd 09, 08:28 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

If you only ever use Admin[istrator] profile then it will work just fine.

Import while in Admin, and then reboot (just remember to do this at the end of a
session so you don't have to reboot specially).

Then the "Start Menu" within the "All Users" folder will be ignored and the only
"Start Menu" used will be the one within :

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu

==

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

  #33  
Old December 23rd 09, 08:28 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

If you only ever use Admin[istrator] profile then it will work just fine.

Import while in Admin, and then reboot (just remember to do this at the end of a
session so you don't have to reboot specially).

Then the "Start Menu" within the "All Users" folder will be ignored and the only
"Start Menu" used will be the one within :

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu

==

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

  #34  
Old December 24th 09, 06:33 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
thanatoid
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 584
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

"Tim Meddick" wrote in
:

If you only ever use Admin[istrator] profile then it will
work just fine.

Import while in Admin, and then reboot (just remember to do
this at the end of a session so you don't have to reboot
specially).

Then the "Start Menu" within the "All Users" folder will be
ignored and the only "Start Menu" used will be the one
within :

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Start Menu


Yes, that sounds great. I still have to do it... Currently
having a minor weird problem with the XP defragger - in the
xpbasics group if you care - not a big deal...

I was wondering whether this change is "permanent" (I know you
made an undo.reg file, but) in the sense that when I install
more programs, will they all go to the Admin start menu from now
on, instead of giving me 2 choices of all start menu subgroups -
without full paths needless to say - as an older program I
installed just the other day did - very frustrating...

Your willingness to help is as impressive as your knowledge, I
really appreciate it.

  #35  
Old December 29th 09, 04:12 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Anteaus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,330
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" u

Rather old post and I've been away for a few days so sorry for delay in
reply, but..

Home Folders have absolutely nothing to do with local userprofiles, in fact
we used to allocate home folders on Netware 3.x servers for DOS clients, in
the dim and distant past. All you need to achieve this is some variable such
as %username% which can be included in a NET USE command (Or MAP for Netware)
so that the mapping is user-dependent.

The only client this won't work for is a laptop user - and they always are
the most difficult to cater-for satisfactorily. Point of fact, roaming
profiles don't work too well for laptop users either, since they will rarely
be in-sync with the local copy.

"Tim Meddick" wrote:

I'm talking about his [own] files on a shared [public] network drive.

If no profiles existed the user would have to keep any personal files on his own hd.

Any files he saved to a public drive would be visible to all!

WITH profiles - a user can store files on a networked public drive with his profile's
security credentials and access them from any console on the network providing he
logs in to his profile.

For example - I log in to any PC as %user% and get access to a "My Documents" folder
on the public drive.

Any files saved to this folder can be accessed again by logging into any other PC on
the network as %user% again.

No-one else but %admin% can "see" the files in "My Documents" even though they are on
the "public" drive.

==

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




  #36  
Old December 29th 09, 04:12 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Anteaus
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,330
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" u


Rather old post and I've been away for a few days so sorry for delay in
reply, but..

Home Folders have absolutely nothing to do with local userprofiles, in fact
we used to allocate home folders on Netware 3.x servers for DOS clients, in
the dim and distant past. All you need to achieve this is some variable such
as %username% which can be included in a NET USE command (Or MAP for Netware)
so that the mapping is user-dependent.

The only client this won't work for is a laptop user - and they always are
the most difficult to cater-for satisfactorily. Point of fact, roaming
profiles don't work too well for laptop users either, since they will rarely
be in-sync with the local copy.

"Tim Meddick" wrote:

I'm talking about his [own] files on a shared [public] network drive.

If no profiles existed the user would have to keep any personal files on his own hd.

Any files he saved to a public drive would be visible to all!

WITH profiles - a user can store files on a networked public drive with his profile's
security credentials and access them from any console on the network providing he
logs in to his profile.

For example - I log in to any PC as %user% and get access to a "My Documents" folder
on the public drive.

Any files saved to this folder can be accessed again by logging into any other PC on
the network as %user% again.

No-one else but %admin% can "see" the files in "My Documents" even though they are on
the "public" drive.

==

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




  #37  
Old December 30th 09, 01:29 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" u

I believe you are trying to impose your personal experiences on to others.

The simple facts are these:

1). I have a roaming profile.

2). The profile has a "personal" folder (My Documents) on the same network drive as
the profile settings folder (home folder) is on.

3). The personal (My Documents) folder has permissions assigned that prevent other
"Users" from accessing it although I can "see" other Documents folders belonging to
other [roaming] users, likewise, I cannot access them.

4). To my thinking, having a works folder I can access from any PC in the building
where I work IS a convenience, whether or not you agree or disagree with that, the
fact remains that this folder still exists.


I have never configured networked "roaming" profiles but just use one. I don't know
how they set it up but can only say what I see.

And that is that I can "see" all the "Documents" folders of the various user's
profiles, in one place on the network drive, and can only access my own.

Plus, I can see all the "home" folders on the network drive, but in different area of
the drive.

The "local" drives are NOT used for the "My Documents" folder in these profiles.

==

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




"Anteaus" wrote in message
...
Rather old post and I've been away for a few days so sorry for delay in
reply, but..

Home Folders have absolutely nothing to do with local userprofiles, in fact
we used to allocate home folders on Netware 3.x servers for DOS clients, in
the dim and distant past. All you need to achieve this is some variable such
as %username% which can be included in a NET USE command (Or MAP for Netware)
so that the mapping is user-dependent.

The only client this won't work for is a laptop user - and they always are
the most difficult to cater-for satisfactorily. Point of fact, roaming
profiles don't work too well for laptop users either, since they will rarely
be in-sync with the local copy.

"Tim Meddick" wrote:

I'm talking about his [own] files on a shared [public] network drive.

If no profiles existed the user would have to keep any personal files on his own
hd.

Any files he saved to a public drive would be visible to all!

WITH profiles - a user can store files on a networked public drive with his
profile's
security credentials and access them from any console on the network providing he
logs in to his profile.

For example - I log in to any PC as %user% and get access to a "My Documents"
folder
on the public drive.

Any files saved to this folder can be accessed again by logging into any other PC
on
the network as %user% again.

No-one else but %admin% can "see" the files in "My Documents" even though they are
on
the "public" drive.

==

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





  #38  
Old December 30th 09, 01:29 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" u

I believe you are trying to impose your personal experiences on to others.

The simple facts are these:

1). I have a roaming profile.

2). The profile has a "personal" folder (My Documents) on the same network drive as
the profile settings folder (home folder) is on.

3). The personal (My Documents) folder has permissions assigned that prevent other
"Users" from accessing it although I can "see" other Documents folders belonging to
other [roaming] users, likewise, I cannot access them.

4). To my thinking, having a works folder I can access from any PC in the building
where I work IS a convenience, whether or not you agree or disagree with that, the
fact remains that this folder still exists.


I have never configured networked "roaming" profiles but just use one. I don't know
how they set it up but can only say what I see.

And that is that I can "see" all the "Documents" folders of the various user's
profiles, in one place on the network drive, and can only access my own.

Plus, I can see all the "home" folders on the network drive, but in different area of
the drive.

The "local" drives are NOT used for the "My Documents" folder in these profiles.

==

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




"Anteaus" wrote in message
...
Rather old post and I've been away for a few days so sorry for delay in
reply, but..

Home Folders have absolutely nothing to do with local userprofiles, in fact
we used to allocate home folders on Netware 3.x servers for DOS clients, in
the dim and distant past. All you need to achieve this is some variable such
as %username% which can be included in a NET USE command (Or MAP for Netware)
so that the mapping is user-dependent.

The only client this won't work for is a laptop user - and they always are
the most difficult to cater-for satisfactorily. Point of fact, roaming
profiles don't work too well for laptop users either, since they will rarely
be in-sync with the local copy.

"Tim Meddick" wrote:

I'm talking about his [own] files on a shared [public] network drive.

If no profiles existed the user would have to keep any personal files on his own
hd.

Any files he saved to a public drive would be visible to all!

WITH profiles - a user can store files on a networked public drive with his
profile's
security credentials and access them from any console on the network providing he
logs in to his profile.

For example - I log in to any PC as %user% and get access to a "My Documents"
folder
on the public drive.

Any files saved to this folder can be accessed again by logging into any other PC
on
the network as %user% again.

No-one else but %admin% can "see" the files in "My Documents" even though they are
on
the "public" drive.

==

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





  #39  
Old January 3rd 10, 05:48 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
thanatoid
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 584
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

Hi Tim,

I've been meaning to update you on the "admin Vs. users" thing
with my XP install. Unfortunately I can not be as clear about
everything as I'd like to, because I did (of course - even
though I KNOW one shouldn't) do more than one thing at once and
since I'm not getting any younger, it is even more confusing. I
installed a little StartUp manager (the Mike Lin one - which I
was [later] glad to see was #1 in the list of "best startup
utils" somewhere, the 2nd being sysinternals Autoruns; I have
known and respected Russinovich's work for a long time so I
installed that one too, but I have yet to see what the one minor
change I made with it will cause, if anything).

Well, after running your reg file, the first thing I noticed was
that "E:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools" remained where it was, even
though all the other start Menu items from "all users" were gone
- the problem is - and I really apologize for my stupidity - I
can't remember whether I had not moved them manually by that
time, or some of them, or none... Sigh... And that "Adm. Tools"
section is an exact copy of "E:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator\Start
Menu\Programs\SYSTEM\Accessories\Administrative Tools" (as you
can see I had by then tried to organize things a little).

The next thing was that (needless to say, not having studied the
deceptively obvious Mike Lin "Startup" program), I deleted the
four "all users" startup items (mainly because one of them was
giving me an "X is already running!" message at each startup).
Well, after deleting them from "all users" I found they were
(probably not to YOUR surprise) also gone from "current user" -
I guess the logic being that the current user (who may or may
not be the admin) is certainly one of "all users". IOW, there IS
a logic, albeit a MS logic at work here.

Anyway, I replaced the start up items (the hard way, manually -
I couldn't bring them back within the Startup program since I
just hit delete - it never having occurred to me to see what
happened if I right-clicked on an entry...).

Then I ran Autoruns and saw double entries for those startup
programs and deleted one of each of the pairs. Have not rebooted
XP since - I am very disorganized these days... Will be
rebooting into XP later on and will update you...

At this point I have a feeling I may have started to mess with
things too much too early and that your advice - while
deceptively simple - may be too advanced for me at this stage. I
wish I could get hold of an XP book where the logic behind the
'admin', 'all users' and 'current user' directories and startup
programs (etc.) is explained. I remember the first time I
installed XP I was utterly perplexed by TWO startup menus in
"start", and that's where it all began...

Anyway... Thank you very much for the help you have offered, I
will continue to work on this slowly. I have decided that
cleaning my drive of all the crap that has accumulated over the
years is the #1 priority so I am not spending as much time on my
"XP test install" as I really should be if I was as serious as I
thought I was... But I am more confused than serious...

Anyway, thanks /again/ and I'll leave it here for now...

t.
  #40  
Old January 3rd 10, 05:48 AM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
thanatoid
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 584
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

Hi Tim,

I've been meaning to update you on the "admin Vs. users" thing
with my XP install. Unfortunately I can not be as clear about
everything as I'd like to, because I did (of course - even
though I KNOW one shouldn't) do more than one thing at once and
since I'm not getting any younger, it is even more confusing. I
installed a little StartUp manager (the Mike Lin one - which I
was [later] glad to see was #1 in the list of "best startup
utils" somewhere, the 2nd being sysinternals Autoruns; I have
known and respected Russinovich's work for a long time so I
installed that one too, but I have yet to see what the one minor
change I made with it will cause, if anything).

Well, after running your reg file, the first thing I noticed was
that "E:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools" remained where it was, even
though all the other start Menu items from "all users" were gone
- the problem is - and I really apologize for my stupidity - I
can't remember whether I had not moved them manually by that
time, or some of them, or none... Sigh... And that "Adm. Tools"
section is an exact copy of "E:\Documents and
Settings\Administrator\Start
Menu\Programs\SYSTEM\Accessories\Administrative Tools" (as you
can see I had by then tried to organize things a little).

The next thing was that (needless to say, not having studied the
deceptively obvious Mike Lin "Startup" program), I deleted the
four "all users" startup items (mainly because one of them was
giving me an "X is already running!" message at each startup).
Well, after deleting them from "all users" I found they were
(probably not to YOUR surprise) also gone from "current user" -
I guess the logic being that the current user (who may or may
not be the admin) is certainly one of "all users". IOW, there IS
a logic, albeit a MS logic at work here.

Anyway, I replaced the start up items (the hard way, manually -
I couldn't bring them back within the Startup program since I
just hit delete - it never having occurred to me to see what
happened if I right-clicked on an entry...).

Then I ran Autoruns and saw double entries for those startup
programs and deleted one of each of the pairs. Have not rebooted
XP since - I am very disorganized these days... Will be
rebooting into XP later on and will update you...

At this point I have a feeling I may have started to mess with
things too much too early and that your advice - while
deceptively simple - may be too advanced for me at this stage. I
wish I could get hold of an XP book where the logic behind the
'admin', 'all users' and 'current user' directories and startup
programs (etc.) is explained. I remember the first time I
installed XP I was utterly perplexed by TWO startup menus in
"start", and that's where it all began...

Anyway... Thank you very much for the help you have offered, I
will continue to work on this slowly. I have decided that
cleaning my drive of all the crap that has accumulated over the
years is the #1 priority so I am not spending as much time on my
"XP test install" as I really should be if I was as serious as I
thought I was... But I am more confused than serious...

Anyway, thanks /again/ and I'll leave it here for now...

t.
  #41  
Old January 3rd 10, 07:32 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

Perhaps the best thing for you to do, if you are getting inot ANY difficulty is this
;

Use the "Undo" reg-file I included, first of all.

Then logoff /logon again - *immidiately*


It is my advice that you get used to the Two "Start Menu" folders - rather than try
to attempt to modify them in any way.

You see - if a shortcut (or folder) appears in the both "All Users" and personal
"Start Menu" you still only see the ONE copy (of the shortcut or folder) in the
resultant Start Menu.

They have made it this way so that common programs that all users will use such as
Internet Explorer, can have jsut one copy of the shortcut in the "All Users" menu and
it will appear for every user in their Start Menu.

However, some programs you install you might want only yourself to be able to use
t. - In this case, all you have to do is make sure it appears ONLY in YOUR
profile's "Start Menu" folder and it will ONLY appear in YOUR Start Menu and no
other.

So here we have an example of a use of "personal Start Menu" folders for security
reasons.

On public PCs, for another example, they would have all the Admin Tools shortcuts
appear in the Administrator's profile "Start Menu" only - so that they would not
appear in the other users Start Menus.

Another reason for the "All Users" menu is so that all the shortcuts, that will be
common for all users, don't have to be repeated in all the other profile's Start Menu
folders - only the *differences* (only those shortcuts unique to a particular
profile) need appear in personal Start Menu folders. Else, the Start Menu will "fall
back" on the "All Users" menu.

For instance - "Windows Explorer" shortcut can appear once only in the "All Users"
menu and it will then appear in every Start Menu for all users.

It doesn't take long to work out how this setup can have it's advantages in not
having repeat copies of shortcuts in every user's Start Menu folder, and, how having
individual Start Menu folders, gives you more control and security over who sees what
in their menu.

I think the key here for you might be experimentation - I am sure it will not take
half as long as you think to master, if you give a little of your time to it...

==

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

  #42  
Old January 3rd 10, 07:32 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

Perhaps the best thing for you to do, if you are getting inot ANY difficulty is this
;

Use the "Undo" reg-file I included, first of all.

Then logoff /logon again - *immidiately*


It is my advice that you get used to the Two "Start Menu" folders - rather than try
to attempt to modify them in any way.

You see - if a shortcut (or folder) appears in the both "All Users" and personal
"Start Menu" you still only see the ONE copy (of the shortcut or folder) in the
resultant Start Menu.

They have made it this way so that common programs that all users will use such as
Internet Explorer, can have jsut one copy of the shortcut in the "All Users" menu and
it will appear for every user in their Start Menu.

However, some programs you install you might want only yourself to be able to use
t. - In this case, all you have to do is make sure it appears ONLY in YOUR
profile's "Start Menu" folder and it will ONLY appear in YOUR Start Menu and no
other.

So here we have an example of a use of "personal Start Menu" folders for security
reasons.

On public PCs, for another example, they would have all the Admin Tools shortcuts
appear in the Administrator's profile "Start Menu" only - so that they would not
appear in the other users Start Menus.

Another reason for the "All Users" menu is so that all the shortcuts, that will be
common for all users, don't have to be repeated in all the other profile's Start Menu
folders - only the *differences* (only those shortcuts unique to a particular
profile) need appear in personal Start Menu folders. Else, the Start Menu will "fall
back" on the "All Users" menu.

For instance - "Windows Explorer" shortcut can appear once only in the "All Users"
menu and it will then appear in every Start Menu for all users.

It doesn't take long to work out how this setup can have it's advantages in not
having repeat copies of shortcuts in every user's Start Menu folder, and, how having
individual Start Menu folders, gives you more control and security over who sees what
in their menu.

I think the key here for you might be experimentation - I am sure it will not take
half as long as you think to master, if you give a little of your time to it...

==

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

  #43  
Old January 3rd 10, 10:33 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
thanatoid
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 584
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

"Tim Meddick" wrote in
:

Perhaps the best thing for you to do, if you are getting
inot ANY difficulty is this ;

Use the "Undo" reg-file I included, first of all.


I considered it, but nothing is really /wrong/ that I can tell,
just a little strange /overall/, except that one little utility
telling me it is already running - quite possibly the other
utils would tell me that too [and perhaps MANY programs] if the
authors had bothered to include this feature! And after all, all
it takes is a click on OK ( and I have "Push the Freakin'
Button" installed, too, so I just have to add am entry if I can
NOT get rid of the double-start...).

Then logoff /logon again - *immediately*


Right.

It is my advice that you get used to the Two "Start Menu"
folders - rather than try to attempt to modify them in any
way.
You see - if a shortcut (or folder) appears in the both
"All Users" and personal "Start Menu" you still only see
the ONE copy (of the shortcut or folder) in the resultant
Start Menu.


IIRC (and I may not) that's not what happened in my /first/ XP
test install, and that's what totally confused me. I had a
"startup" directory under "start" which I had added a few little
utils into, and then I had ANOTHER "startup" directory somewhere
under Admin tools or wherever - I forget - which had completely
different things in it. Something like that. I thought that was
just crazy - but maybe I should have given it a few days...

They have made it this way so that common programs that all
users will use such as Internet Explorer, can have jsut one
copy of the shortcut in the "All Users" menu and it will
appear for every user in their Start Menu.


Yes, I am /slowly/ beginning to understand the MS logic here.
Still (grr) WHY couldn't they have put in a simple "make this a
single-user computer" check box SOMEWHERE?

However, some programs you install you might want only
yourself to be able to use t. - In this case, all you
have to do is make sure it appears ONLY in YOUR profile's
"Start Menu" folder and it will ONLY appear in YOUR Start
Menu and no other.


AT least I don't have to worry about that - no one else ever
touches this computer and probably won't until I am dead, if
then. I am a kind of a solitary creature.

So here we have an example of a use of "personal Start
Menu" folders for security reasons.


Right, I understand that - but aren't MS aware that there are
people who use computers mainly because NO ONE will talk to them
in RL?

On public PCs, for another example, they would have all the
Admin Tools shortcuts appear in the Administrator's profile
"Start Menu" only - so that they would not appear in the
other users Start Menus.


Makes sense.

Another reason for the "All Users" menu is so that all the
shortcuts, that will be common for all users, don't have to
be repeated in all the other profile's Start Menu folders
- only the *differences* (only those shortcuts unique to a
particular profile) need appear in personal Start Menu
folders. Else, the Start Menu will "fall back" on the "All
Users" menu.


This is where I got freaked out - some things repeating, some
not, weird things happening if you move stuff... The 9x start
menu was SO simple to set up in comparison - and I DO have the
"classic" start menu enabled. And now that I have seen that it
gives you a lovely sub- "docs and sett's" tree of 3 bloated
redundant directories and you have to put/move/copy things
into/between one of three "startmenu" sections (directories) I
can understand why most people's XP "start" menus look like the
rat's nests that they are.

For instance - "Windows Explorer" shortcut can appear once
only in the "All Users" menu and it will then appear in
every Start Menu for all users.
It doesn't take long to work out how this setup can have
it's advantages in not having repeat copies of shortcuts in
every user's Start Menu folder, and, how having individual
Start Menu folders, gives you more control and security
over who sees what in their menu.


Yes, once you get out of over 15 years in the 9x mindset... Not
that easy...

I think the key here for you might be experimentation - I
am sure it will not take half as long as you think to
master, if you give a little of your time to it...


Yes, I just have to be a little patient - the funny thing it
REALLY doesn't matter, because as I may have mentioned, I only
need XP (for now anyway) because I want to digitalize some old
VHS tapes, and the card only works under XP, so I /really/
shouldn't try to set up the whole damn machine "just the way I
likes it" while I'm at it! Still, old habits die hard...

Thank you again for your help and words of encouragement, AND
for your patience.
  #44  
Old January 3rd 10, 10:33 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
thanatoid
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 584
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

"Tim Meddick" wrote in
:

Perhaps the best thing for you to do, if you are getting
inot ANY difficulty is this ;

Use the "Undo" reg-file I included, first of all.


I considered it, but nothing is really /wrong/ that I can tell,
just a little strange /overall/, except that one little utility
telling me it is already running - quite possibly the other
utils would tell me that too [and perhaps MANY programs] if the
authors had bothered to include this feature! And after all, all
it takes is a click on OK ( and I have "Push the Freakin'
Button" installed, too, so I just have to add am entry if I can
NOT get rid of the double-start...).

Then logoff /logon again - *immediately*


Right.

It is my advice that you get used to the Two "Start Menu"
folders - rather than try to attempt to modify them in any
way.
You see - if a shortcut (or folder) appears in the both
"All Users" and personal "Start Menu" you still only see
the ONE copy (of the shortcut or folder) in the resultant
Start Menu.


IIRC (and I may not) that's not what happened in my /first/ XP
test install, and that's what totally confused me. I had a
"startup" directory under "start" which I had added a few little
utils into, and then I had ANOTHER "startup" directory somewhere
under Admin tools or wherever - I forget - which had completely
different things in it. Something like that. I thought that was
just crazy - but maybe I should have given it a few days...

They have made it this way so that common programs that all
users will use such as Internet Explorer, can have jsut one
copy of the shortcut in the "All Users" menu and it will
appear for every user in their Start Menu.


Yes, I am /slowly/ beginning to understand the MS logic here.
Still (grr) WHY couldn't they have put in a simple "make this a
single-user computer" check box SOMEWHERE?

However, some programs you install you might want only
yourself to be able to use t. - In this case, all you
have to do is make sure it appears ONLY in YOUR profile's
"Start Menu" folder and it will ONLY appear in YOUR Start
Menu and no other.


AT least I don't have to worry about that - no one else ever
touches this computer and probably won't until I am dead, if
then. I am a kind of a solitary creature.

So here we have an example of a use of "personal Start
Menu" folders for security reasons.


Right, I understand that - but aren't MS aware that there are
people who use computers mainly because NO ONE will talk to them
in RL?

On public PCs, for another example, they would have all the
Admin Tools shortcuts appear in the Administrator's profile
"Start Menu" only - so that they would not appear in the
other users Start Menus.


Makes sense.

Another reason for the "All Users" menu is so that all the
shortcuts, that will be common for all users, don't have to
be repeated in all the other profile's Start Menu folders
- only the *differences* (only those shortcuts unique to a
particular profile) need appear in personal Start Menu
folders. Else, the Start Menu will "fall back" on the "All
Users" menu.


This is where I got freaked out - some things repeating, some
not, weird things happening if you move stuff... The 9x start
menu was SO simple to set up in comparison - and I DO have the
"classic" start menu enabled. And now that I have seen that it
gives you a lovely sub- "docs and sett's" tree of 3 bloated
redundant directories and you have to put/move/copy things
into/between one of three "startmenu" sections (directories) I
can understand why most people's XP "start" menus look like the
rat's nests that they are.

For instance - "Windows Explorer" shortcut can appear once
only in the "All Users" menu and it will then appear in
every Start Menu for all users.
It doesn't take long to work out how this setup can have
it's advantages in not having repeat copies of shortcuts in
every user's Start Menu folder, and, how having individual
Start Menu folders, gives you more control and security
over who sees what in their menu.


Yes, once you get out of over 15 years in the 9x mindset... Not
that easy...

I think the key here for you might be experimentation - I
am sure it will not take half as long as you think to
master, if you give a little of your time to it...


Yes, I just have to be a little patient - the funny thing it
REALLY doesn't matter, because as I may have mentioned, I only
need XP (for now anyway) because I want to digitalize some old
VHS tapes, and the card only works under XP, so I /really/
shouldn't try to set up the whole damn machine "just the way I
likes it" while I'm at it! Still, old habits die hard...

Thank you again for your help and words of encouragement, AND
for your patience.
  #45  
Old January 3rd 10, 11:03 PM posted to microsoft.public.windowsxp.customize
Tim Meddick
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 1,995
Default What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?

You could just copy all the shortcuts from the "All Users" start menu into your
profile's Start Menu.

Transferring all the shortcuts across, like, all the links in Accessories\Games to
the corresponding Accessories\Games folder in your profile's Start Menu. -

Then delete all the shortcuts and sub-folders in the "All Users" menu and effectively
you WILL only have to worry about ONE Start Menu.

All you will have to worry about is when installing a new program - usually they
place their shortcuts into the "All Users" menu.

Alternatively - do it the other way round and transfer all the shortcuts to the "All
Users" menu and just use that.


If you download and install the small [free] microsoft program called TweakUI.exe -
there is a feature in there that enables you to change the location of "special"
folders (such as your Start Menu) so you could make it the same as the "All Users"
menu and just use that.


Download the small TweakUI installation file from the link below :

http://download.microsoft.com/downlo...ertoySetup.exe

Double-click on the [downloaded] setup file and after it's installed type :
TweakUI.exe into the "Run" BOX or make a shortcut to :
c:\windows\system32\tweakui.exe and start it from that.

After you start TweakUI.exe, go to the item called "My Computer" "Special Folders"
then choose "Start Menu" from the drop-down list and click on the "Change Location"
button.


There's loads of other groovy stuff you can "Tweak" with it as well - hours of fun!

==

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



"thanatoid" wrote in message
...

clipped

Thank you again for your help and words of encouragement, AND
for your patience.


 




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