Installing to Windows XP

[~Lazarus~]

Guys,

Answer me a quick question if you will.

When you install a program/utility onto a system running Windows XP (which has multiple users) does it install the utility to ALL users or only to the one you are logged on as at time of install?

If it is only to the user you are logged in as, how do you make sure it is on all user logons?

Thanks for any help you may offer.

 

[Tom]

hmmm I think you install it to the administrator account if you want all users to ahve access

 

[FatBusinessman]

I don't think this is standard - it depends on where the program wants to put it's program group.

If it's only available to the user you're logged in as, then you move the program group's folder (usually in C:\Documents and Settings\[User]\Start Menu\Programs) and put it in the All Users folder (usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs).

Of course, doing this means that you'll have to remove the program group manually when the software is uninstalled, but that's no big problem.

 

[~Lazarus~]

cheers guys!

 

[(Shovel)]

For a program to recieve Windows XP logo certification (which only a limited number do), it is actually supposed to offer you the choice as to who you install it for.

 

[Quige]

Originally posted by FatBusinessman
then you move the program group's folder (usually in C:\Documents and Settings\[User]\Start Menu\Programs) and put it in the All Users folder (usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs).

If you have NTFS file security enabled you might want to check the security on the moved files ... if they were created in the administrator account profile in Documents and Settings they might well have permissions only allowing the administrator to run them. Or not just administrator, any one user's profile would only have permissions for Administrators, the user and system.

This happens I think because when you move files on the same drive they keep their permissions, if you move to another drive they inherit the permission where they copied/moved to.

I've just moved a link from my profile Start Menu to All Users Start Menu and it kept the permissions of 'Administrators' and 'Quige', rather than inheriting the 'Everyone' 'Read and Execute' permissions of the other links in All Users.

This might also be a problem if you copy icons from any one users desktop to All Users desktop, which is the situation I've encountered it in before. You end up with links that people can sort of see on the desktop, but can't run.