His and hers desktops...

[imported_MrPresident]

I'm about to build a new rig and dump mine and my wifes older (6+ yrs.) rigs. She has expressed interest in having our OS (probably MS Win XP pro) configured so we can each have a login into separate desktops. Can this be done?

A few questions if so:

Will it slow computer performance much?

Will the files and apps that I install/save under my login be accessible from the other persons login? For instance, if I install MS Office under my login, will my wife be able to access it as well?

Does this even make sense to have dual logins? I suppose the only plus side to it is that we can have his and hers desktop pictures, and that I don't have to hear her bitch about all of my desktop icons (Im not very organized and usually have several dozen icons on my desktop for various apps, folders, and just misc. files).

Would it make sense or make this approach easier to have two HDs as well? I get the c: and she gets the d: for instance?

Please, would someone shine some light on this topic for me.
Thanks in advance for any and all help you might provide.

 

[Nothinman]

Just create two accounts and each will have their own separate profile.

 

[Megatomic]

Yeah like Nothinman said, just have two separate accounts with logins. It'll work exactly like a shared computer in a workplace.

 

[bruceb]

As to programs, when you install them, most give you the choice
of installing for either the Current User only or for All Users
As to it slowing down the computer, it should not.

 

[imported_MrPresident]

Will MS Win XP Pro allow me to do this? I know you can have an admin login and possibly a guest login. Is there a hotkey (like ALT + Another key) that will switch between the two accounts? Will it be a pain in the backside to allow access to internet, wireless network, printers, etc. for any accounts beyond the admin?

 

[boomhower]

You can set those setting for all users. Also if you keep both users active, I believe Microsoft called it hot switching or something it could slow you down a bit since it is storing both users active items in RAM. If you go with 2Gigs I dont for see it being an issue. Though if you game I would log out the other user before hand.

 

[Brazen]

This is how my wife and I do it. On our XP and Ubuntu machines, we each have our own user account. I don't know of any hotkey for it, but you can switch users without logging off the current user by going to Start > Log Off > Switch User or something like that.

The performance impact of switching users without logging off is surprisingly minimal. In fact on my year-old Core 2 Duo system, I would say the noticeable impact is ZERO. If you log off a user before logging in as a different user, then the performance impact is actually zero - no different than using a single user account.

 

[Cr0nJ0b]

My wife and I share an XP Pro system at home and it works out great. Fast User Switching really is fast (1-2 seconds) and so splitting time is easy. The only thing you have to watchout for is shutting down when her session is running (thus maybe not saving something important). and also there are some Apps that don't play well with Switching....like especially iTunes. For about 95% of the others it's great.

I also have hacked the system to allow multiple simultaneous Remote Desktop sessions, so I can log in from my laptop into the desktop while she is using it...thus we are truely sharing the system.

Performance is great in most cases, but when you are using Remote Desktop the other user will definitely take a hit.