Installing Software

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Curtis - 22 Apr 2008 04:19 GMT

When installing new software, Windows has a bad habit of creating its desktop
shortcuts and start menu folders to the all users account instead of just the
current users account. I don't want any shortcuts or start menu folders from
applications that I install to show up in any other user accounts, and vice
versa. I just came form 98 about a moth ago and I didn't have this problem.
Microsoft really dropped the ball on this one, it irritates me to no end;
this completely defeats the whole purpose of having separate user accounts.
How do I fix this?

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Leonard Grey - 22 Apr 2008 05:07 GMT

The author of whatever program you are installing determines the user
account, not Microsoft.

Moreover, many programs allow you to select the user account. Another
reason to choose a Custom install.

---
Leonard Grey
Errare humanum est

> When installing new software, Windows has a bad habit of creating its desktop
> shortcuts and start menu folders to the all users account instead of just the
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
> this completely defeats the whole purpose of having separate user accounts.
> How do I fix this?

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Shenan Stanley - 22 Apr 2008 05:52 GMT

> When installing new software, Windows has a bad habit of creating
> its desktop shortcuts and start menu folders to the all users
[quoted text clipped - 5 lines]
> this completely defeats the whole purpose of having separate user
> accounts. How do I fix this?

Complain to those who created the installer for said application - as tis is
specific to the application, not Windows. In other words - if you install
Adobe Acrobat Reader - where its icons are placed (without customization) is
determined by Adobe's installer and how they tell it to do things - not
Windows XP, Not Windows Vista, not Microsoft.

Manually move things otherwise.

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Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

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smlunatick - 22 Apr 2008 21:53 GMT

If the Windows software is correctly coded, it should give the person
installing the software the option to install it of current user or all users.
However, software developers have become "lax" is enforcing proper install
process so most seem the concentrate on the install for "all users" only. Do
not complain about XP nor complain to Microsoft. Microsoft had provided the
different install options.

>When installing new software, Windows has a bad habit of creating its desktop
>shortcuts and start menu folders to the all users account instead of just the
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>this completely defeats the whole purpose of having separate user accounts.
>How do I fix this?

Reply to this Message