How do you install apps on 2000/XP systems?

[Citadel535]

Hey,

I am trying to understand how to install apps on 2000/XP systems. I am running XP Pro and I installed some apps (easy cd creator, photoshop, aim, etc)

However, when other users (who are limited users) go to access the apps, they either dont have the shortcuts in the start menu or desktop or they need more rights to the folders that I have to give them manually.

What is the proper procedure to install an app so that users besides Administrators can use them?

Thanks,
Cit

 

[Nocturnal]

i think you need to check something off saying that you want it to appear on the other users accounts. my girlfriend and i share a win xp computer and we have two seperate accounts. i can use her programs, and she can use mine.

 

[RudeBoie]

I think a lot of it depends on the app too.

I think games can be really finicky about this. That's why I just run Admin.

 

[c0rv1d43]

A lot of apps aren't aware (or don't care) that Windows-NT-based operating systems like Win2K and WinXP have multiple user profiles. You need to learn about the location of the Start Menu directory structures for each of the users on the system. There's one for Admin / Default User / All Users / and then all of the actual users who have accounts on the system. Shortcuts for programs that you want to be useable for ALL USERS can be placed in the "All Users" Start Menu structure. (Unfortunately, sometimes this doesn't work perfectly if not all of the users have security settings which enable them to use those shortcuts or the executables to which they point. And that's where you'd need to learn about Access Control Lists, Permissions, etc. -- in general, NT-style security.)

And then there are apps like Microsoft Office which know perfectly well that each user has his / her own profile but which want to re-run a setup program anyway each time a new user runs an Office app for the first time. The idea behind this, of course, is that you might not want all of the same capabilities / features installed for each user account in such a powerful and far-flung set of applications programs.

Anyway, this area is one of the places where you encounter a bit of a learning curve on these operating systems. They're just different from Win9X / WinME.

Oh, BTW, you may notice that some programs just don't want to run for any type of user other than one who has an admin account. That, too, is a part of the in-built security of the OS. There's a number of FAQs posted on this board that can help you deal with such issues.

- Collin