What to do with all the stupid and unnecessary "other/guest" user accounts and directories?
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From: Tim Meddick on 23 Dec 2009 14:28 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. :-)
From: Tim Meddick on 3 Jan 2010 13:32 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. :-)
From: thanatoid on 3 Jan 2010 16:33 "Tim Meddick" <timmeddick(a)gawab.com> wrote in news:uJDiqMKjKHA.4872(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl: > 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.
From: Tim Meddick on 3 Jan 2010 17:03 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/download/f/c/a/fca6767b-9ed9-45a6-b352-839afb2a2679/TweakUiPowertoySetup.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" <waiting(a)the.exit.invalid> wrote in message news:Xns9CF59E5B7D5C4thanexit(a)188.40.43.245... > > < clipped > > > Thank you again for your help and words of encouragement, AND > for your patience.
From: thanatoid on 3 Jan 2010 22:55
"Tim Meddick" <timmeddick(a)gawab.com> wrote in news:eY$5ADMjKHA.2780(a)TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl: > 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. Thanks, I will follow this specific route I think. <SNIP> > TweakUiPowertoySetup.exe I could NOT live without TweakUI which I have been using since 1997 (when I bought my first, a 95B machine) but I NEVER COULD understand what MS means by "special". > 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. I will try, although laden with fear... Change location to WHERE? > There's loads of other groovy stuff you can "Tweak" with it > as well - hours of fun! See above. One thing that kind of boggles me about the XP TweakUI is the "Group Policy Editor". Also, WHY isn't there a search function in something as complicated as this XP version? It can take an HOUR to find the setting you are looking for unless it VERY basic! Thanks again, Tim. |