User profiles

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Sal wrote:

> My computerv is set up with several profiles. I have had a bad attack
> of
> Adware and Spyware. I installed seveal packages to deal with these,
> updated them and then did the following:
> Udated them all, took off system restore, ooted into safe mode and
> scanned
> for bugs etc. Picked up loads and dealt with them. Rebooted into
> windows XP again and great they had all gone (ie desktop icons and
> toolbars etc that had
> been put there by the spyware). Unfortunately, when I went into the
> other
> user accounts they were still there!!! What should I have done. I
> guess I
> do not complete understand Uper accounts and administrator etc. What
> should I be doing so that programs that I want to be installed for
> everyone ie Adaware and Spybot is serving us all, and other
> individuals programs games,
> messenger is unique to their account. I do habv a problem with
> messenger as
> I only want this on my sons profile. Has anybode got some rules for
> me to follow.
> Thank you very much. Sal

Windows XP is a multi-user operating system. This means that while some
things are common to all, each user has their own home directory ("My
Documents") and can have different things starting up, different
settings for some items (I'm simplifying here).

For instance, while the instant messenger program is installed on the
system itself, individual users can have it show in their Start Menu or
not. To control what each person sees in their Start Menu, right-click
on the Start button and choose "Explore All Users". Now you will get
the two-paned Explorer view and can see all users' Start Menus. The All
Users menu includes items common to everyone. You can drag/copy or
remove items (the icons on the Start Menu are just shortcuts) to
individual Start Menus as you wish.

When you are scanning for malware, make sure you have the most recent
version of the antispyware program. The current Ad-aware will scan in
all user accounts. Spybot doesn't. You must enter each user account and
run scans there. That's just the way it is. Antivirus programs scan
everything and don't need to be run in more than one account.

Here are two articles from Microsoft about user accounts (I've shortened
the url's):

http://tinyurl.com/c8jru
http://tinyurl.com/c8jru

And here is a more general MS webpage about using XP tailored to the
home user:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/default.mspx

Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.general (More info?)

Thank you - I will follow th thread.
Sal

"Malke" wrote:

> Sal wrote:
>
> > My computerv is set up with several profiles. I have had a bad attack
> > of
> > Adware and Spyware. I installed seveal packages to deal with these,
> > updated them and then did the following:
> > Udated them all, took off system restore, ooted into safe mode and
> > scanned
> > for bugs etc. Picked up loads and dealt with them. Rebooted into
> > windows XP again and great they had all gone (ie desktop icons and
> > toolbars etc that had
> > been put there by the spyware). Unfortunately, when I went into the
> > other
> > user accounts they were still there!!! What should I have done. I
> > guess I
> > do not complete understand Uper accounts and administrator etc. What
> > should I be doing so that programs that I want to be installed for
> > everyone ie Adaware and Spybot is serving us all, and other
> > individuals programs games,
> > messenger is unique to their account. I do habv a problem with
> > messenger as
> > I only want this on my sons profile. Has anybode got some rules for
> > me to follow.
> > Thank you very much. Sal
>
> Windows XP is a multi-user operating system. This means that while some
> things are common to all, each user has their own home directory ("My
> Documents") and can have different things starting up, different
> settings for some items (I'm simplifying here).
>
> For instance, while the instant messenger program is installed on the
> system itself, individual users can have it show in their Start Menu or
> not. To control what each person sees in their Start Menu, right-click
> on the Start button and choose "Explore All Users". Now you will get
> the two-paned Explorer view and can see all users' Start Menus. The All
> Users menu includes items common to everyone. You can drag/copy or
> remove items (the icons on the Start Menu are just shortcuts) to
> individual Start Menus as you wish.
>
> When you are scanning for malware, make sure you have the most recent
> version of the antispyware program. The current Ad-aware will scan in
> all user accounts. Spybot doesn't. You must enter each user account and
> run scans there. That's just the way it is. Antivirus programs scan
> everything and don't need to be run in more than one account.
>
> Here are two articles from Microsoft about user accounts (I've shortened
> the url's):
>
> http://tinyurl.com/c8jru
> http://tinyurl.com/c8jru
>
> And here is a more general MS webpage about using XP tailored to the
> home user:
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/default.mspx
>
> Malke
> --
> Elephant Boy Computers
> www.elephantboycomputers.com
> "Don't Panic!"
> MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
>