Swapping users and usernames in XP.

Question

First post!

Getting this new Dimension 4600 last week was my first experience of XP.

As you all know at first start-up it asks you to say who will be using the PC and creates a user for each name you give. So we had myself (John), my wife and our two young girls as four separate usernames. All looked quite good until my wife came back after a few days away in which I'd set the PC up with all our own programs, folders, files, favourites etc...obviously using my user ID.

As you will all know when she went in under her username all the desktop mods and shortcuts were missing. Even all the mails and address entries I imported into Outlook Express existed only in my profile. She couldn't even get online as there was no ISP or mail account shown under her username.

We realised the only way to work this in our house was to delete her username and rename mine (John) to "Mum and Dad. This seemed to go OK by using the User Account facility in Control Panel.

Then a few days later when looking for or saving stuff I noticed that my John account still existed at C:\Documents and Settings\John...and there was no "Mum and Dad account. The John account had all my documents, desktop, favourites etc etc.

So I tried to rename it but that failed as it told me John was a system file and couldn't be renamed or deleted.

What is going on...this seems like a pretty negative benefit of XP to add in such confusion!

Thanks,

Cybershot

jmk1986 · Answer

The C:\Documents and Settings\(name here) issue is no problem. XP will keep that Folder name the same, but you can rename the account. (Such as: my user name is "James" but the folder name is "Owner", if I was to rename my user name to "Bob" it would still stay in the "Owner" folder. Get it?) Why XP does it, I don't know, but its not a problem.

As for the address book and Outlook, that is what XP is supposed to do. It prevents other users from being able to access your information. This is normal. (You can export the lists on to the regular "C:/" and upload them on the other persons user name if you use pretty much the same address books)

As for the icons and ISP, I do not know. Perhaps the programs are on the "Start>All Programs" menu, and than you can make shortcuts from there. I do not know about the ISP problem, as I never have had this issue.

Hope this helps you.

Denny Denham · Answer

Cybershot,

If you wish to have separate accounts for each family member you can certainly do so by making new accounts. After you have a new account in your name (or "Dad") you can take ownership of the information in the existing administrator account you have been using and copy it to your new account. Details of that procedure are here. After the data are moved, you can delete that account and all its files.

To make all applications availbale to all users, see this (text version here).

To share the same Internet connection for all your users, create a new connection through Start|Control Panel|Network Connections. When the wizard reaches the Internet Account Information screen check "Use this account and password when anyone connects to the Internet from this computer." You may also be interested in Keepras, a little utility which allows your Internet connection to remain active when changing users. Information on this can be found under "Fast User Switching and Internet Connection" on this page.

Message Edited by Denny Denham on 08-12-2004 10:39 PM

Cybershot · Answer

Excellent help guys.

I've visited your links Denny. They will help but this XP is really over complex for a home system. Give me W.98SE with a restore program!!!

Perhaps XP will be familiar in a few months?

Anyway there's a task for you Denny. Devise a small utility that will allow renaming of the "fixed" first user input at initial post-purchase startup.

Thanks,

David

(John was an example name. Guess there is no need to hide true IDs in this forum??)

Windows General

Swapping users and usernames in XP.

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