Installing Softward

As computer administrator I am able to add software to my computer. How do I
get new software to be made available to all users? How do I prevent software
from being available to all users? Can I select the users that have access to
software as part of the installation process, or at another time?
--
ezzard

ezzard wrote:
As computer administrator I am able to add software to my computer.
How do I get new software to be made available to all users? How do
I
prevent software from being available to all users? Can I select the
users that have access to software as part of the installation
process, or at another time? --
ezzard


It would depend entirely upon each specific software product that
you install. A well-written application, properly designed for use on
a multi-user OS, such as WinXP, will ask during the installation if it
is to be made available to all users, or to just the user performing
the installation.

Additional steps may be required if the software was designed for
Win9x/Me, or if it was intended for WinNT/2K/XP, but was improperly
designed. Quite simply, the installation routine for this application
may not "know" how to handle individual user profiles, or the
application may try to make changes to "off-limits" sections of the
registry. Quite often, you can make this software available to other
users by _copying_ the Start Menu folder and Desktop folder shortcuts
from the user profile from which the software was installed in the
corresponding folders in the user profile(s) in which you'd like the
software to be accessible. If the application is something that
can/should be made available to all current and future users, copying
the shortcuts into the corresponding locations of the All Users
profile will do the trick.

NOTE: This may not work if the software requires access to parts
of the hard drive and/or registry that are not normally accessible to
regular users. (This won't occur if the application was properly
written.) If this does prove to be the case, however, you're left
with two options: Either grant the necessary users appropriate higher
access privileges (either as Power Users or local administrators), or
replace the application with one that was properly designed
specifically for WinNT/2K/XP.

Some Programs Do Not Work If You Log On from Limited Account
http://support.microsoft.com/default...;EN-US;q307091

Additionally, here are a couple of tips suggested, in a reply to a
different post, by MS-MVP Kent W. England:

"If your game or application works with admin accounts, but not with
limited accounts, you can fix it to allow limited users to access the
program files folder with "change" capability rather than "read" which
is the default.

C:\cacls "Program Files\appfolder" /e /t /p users:c

where "appfolder" is the folder where the application is installed.

If you wish to undo these changes, then run

C:\cacls "Program Files\appfolder" /e /t /p users:r

If you still have a problem with running the program or saving
settings on limited accounts, you may need to change permissions on
the registry keys. Run regedit.exe and go to HKLM\Software\vendor\app,
where "vendor\app" is the key that the software vendor used for your
specific program. Change the permissions on this key to allow Users
full control."

--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://dts-l.org/goodpost.htm
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having
both at once. - RAH

With regard to making applications available to other users, most
applications weren't designed for this type of multi-user environment.
Such applications need to be installed in each specific user's account to
whom you wish to grant access.

First, be sure the account to which you wish to grant access is set to
administrator and not limited. Install the applications to the same folder
in which it was originally installed. This will look the same as one
install on your hard drive but create the pointers necessary for this user
to have access to the application.

Once the installation is complete, you can return the account to its limited
status if that is what you want and the user should still have access.

As to blocking access, assuming you are using XP Pro and given the type of
environment you seem to be describing you should be using XP Pro, you should
acquaint yourself with the Group Policy Editor:
http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;307882

Note: the Group Policy Editor is not available in XP Home Edition.

It should also be noted, depending upon the application, the Group Policy
Editor may not block access as the applications simply weren't designed for
this type of environment.


--
Michael Solomon MS-MVP
Windows Shell/User
Backup is a PC User's Best Friend
DTS-L.Org: http://www.dts-l.org/

"ezzard" wrote in message
...
As computer administrator I am able to add software to my computer. How do
I
get new software to be made available to all users? How do I prevent
software
from being available to all users? Can I select the users that have access
to
software as part of the installation process, or at another time?
--
ezzard