Can't share IE Favorites folder

[Slickone]

On a WinXP system, I placed some favorites under C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Favorites, but they don't show up in IE for any of the users incl. admin.
Under the favorites folder's properties/sharing, 'share this folder' is checked, and click Permissions on the same page, the users and admin are listed in the share permissions box, with read access allowed. User limit is set to max.
Under the favorites folder's properties/security, Administrators have all permissions allowed, Everyone has read, read and exec, and list allowed, Users have read, read and exec, and list allowed, with write denied, Power Users (what is this?) have all but full control allowed, and System (what is this?) has all allowed.
What else do I need to do?

 

[Lord Evermore]

The Sharing tab specifies that you want the folder to be available to people over the network, not that you want other users to be able to see the files when logged onto the same machine.

It appears that the Favorites folder is NOT shared by "all users" like the start menu is.

One way to get around this would be to make a folder that is shared amongst all users (such as within the "Shared Documents" folder, which contains copies of all the favorites, then within each user's Favorites list put a shortcut to that folder. Not pretty, but workable. Unfortunately that only opens the folder itself, it won't make an expandable menu.

If you copy the list to the Default User profile though, every time you make a new user account they'll get a copy of that. It may also be that when you have items in the All Users folder, if you make a new user account they may see those Favorites.

The point of the Favorites list is somewhat the opposite of having a favorites list forced on all users. Plus, if someone deletes an item from such a shared list, it's deleted from everyone else's list as well since they're all viewing the same one.

 

[Slickone]

I guess I'll just copy all favorites to each user's folder. Any logical reason why does XP put a Favorites folder in All Users by default if it's not shared?

 

[rmrf]

I'm not looking at a copy of XP right now, but it seems like instead of clicking on the shared tab, there should be a securtiy tab, which controls who can access the files on the local machine itself. not positive on this solution though.

 

[Nothinman]

Any logical reason why does XP put a Favorites folder in All Users by default if it's not shared?

Because bookmarks are generally user-specific, if you need to distribute a bookmark or two there are other solutions.

 

[Slickone]

Originally posted by: Nothinman

Any logical reason why does XP put a Favorites folder in All Users by default if it's not shared?

Because bookmarks are generally user-specific, if you need to distribute a bookmark or two there are other solutions.

I understood that, which is what Lord Evermore said, which is why I asked why MS put it in the All Users folder.

 

[Nothinman]

Probably just because it wasn't worth it for them to make a special case for "All Users", then IE run for the first time it probably runs around and puts default bookmarks in all the profile directories.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Hurrah for slapped together recycled code!

 

[Insidious]

It seems a little self-defeating to make individual accounts, then force the individual settings from each account to match the other.

But with that said, maybe the export/import funciton of IE would be a good way to export the list you want everywhere, then
import it on the account(s) you want to match.

-Sid

 

[Lord Evermore]

Well, you can set up the folder for the default users so that everyone gets a default set of favorites when the account is created, which would be useful for a business setting or a school. Putting it in the All Users directory would make it easier to maintain a particular list that everyone should have, but since anybody could then delete them from the primary list, it isn't exactly safe.

A batch file that copies the shortcuts to every folder might be a simple way to make sure they're always up to date.

 

[Nothinman]

Putting it in the All Users directory would make it easier to maintain a particular list that everyone should have, but since anybody could then delete them from the primary list, it isn't exactly safe.

Not really, if the system is setup properly no regular users would be able to delete those bookmarks. Just like they can't delete Start Menu entries from the All Users profile by default.

 

[Lord Evermore]

Anybody with administrative rights, which is anybody who isn't a limited user in XP unless you make other groups, can do those things. There's certainly plenty of ways to make exceptions to that sort of thing, but by default, there's either almost no protection or so much protection the system is nearly unusable.