Re: Documents and Settings
- From: Malke <notreally@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 25 Jul 2007 08:15:38 -0700
Janetb wrote:
I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro to XP Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet, LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService.
Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was either just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet folder really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask because it seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see that there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as possible......
You are misunderstanding the file hierarchy. You had a similar one in Win2k, just apparently not your own user account. The way the tech set you up is good. You don't ever want to user the built-in Administrator account for daily use and you don't ever want to have only one user account with administrative privileges. Here is an explanation of the file hierarchy you are seeing:
XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is using it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Unix, Linux, Mac OS X - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the system. In Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix world, it is "root". This is a necessary account and is not normally used in everyday work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator account nor would you ever want to.
Here is the explanation of what you really have:
My Computer - represents your entire computer, showing drives and shared folders. Shared Folders are folders where you can put files you wish to share with other users on the system. You don't need to use these folders if you don't want to, but leave them alone!
[some name] C:\ - your first hard drive, usually the system drive.
Document and Settings - The "container" for all user settings. Each user will have [username] Documents, Music, Videos, My Pictures.
Administrator - Built-in account - Leave alone! Do not use! Do not worry about it!
All Users - Section where items common to all users go. In a multi-user operating system, users have separate accounts. This is the place where if you want to share files with all the other users on the system you would put those files. You don't ever have to use those folders but they need to be there. This is where programs you install that are meant to be installed for all users put settings. All the "Shared Documents" type of folders you see at the root of C:\ are shortcuts to the shared folders in here. Leave them alone!
Default Users - This is the template from which new user accounts are made. You will never put anything in any of those folders but they are needed to create new users. In Linux we use "skel" ("skeleton" - get it?). In Windows, the less-colorful term "Default User" is used. Leave it alone!
[OEM] Administrator or Owner - This is the generic user created by the OEM when installing the operating system. After all, the OEM doesn't know who is going to buy the computer. If you aren't using this OEM user account, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet in Control Panel. It is not the same account as "Administrator". If you don't have an OEM-preinstalled Windows, you won't have this account.
Malke
--
Elephant Boy Computers
www.elephantboycomputers.com
"Don't Panic!"
MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
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