Sharing Programs

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My question has to do with installing applications on a Windows 2000 PC at home where I have two login IDs.

Why is it that when I install some programs they appear on the Start menu and Desktop for both login IDs, and other programs only show up for the user logged in at the time of the program installation?

I like the idea of using the Administrator account when installing software but I would also like that software to be available to me when I log in with my second user ID. Is there a way I can change some sort of properties on those loyal-to-the-installer-only programs so that they, too, will appear on the Desktop at all times?

Thanks in advance,
Virginia

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I moved your question here, Virginia, so that other Win2000 users might expand on my answer. I think the problem is as much the fault of the software’s install procedure as anything in Windows itself. Personally, in both W2K and XP I usually get around the problem by copying the Start Menu entry(ies) to the All Users Start Menu. You can also do the same thing if you use a Desktop shortcut – copy it to the Desktop for All Users. I’ve never tried “ticking” the box in the attachment, so I don’t know if it would help in this situation.

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The place where shortcuts are created is defined in Setup program. To make installed programs available to all users, always install them from Installation mode (Start | Settings | Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Add New Programs). Installation mode disables user registry and .INI file mappings, which means each user running an application would share the same .INI file or registry entry, instead of having them on a per-user basis.

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The place where shortcuts are created is defined in Setup program. To make installed programs available to all users, always install them from Installation mode (Start | Settings | Control Panel | Add/Remove Programs | Add New Programs). Installation mode disables user registry and .INI file mappings, which means each user running an application would share the same .INI file or registry entry, instead of having them on a per-user basis.

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I moved your question here, Virginia, so that other Win2000 users might expand on my answer. I think the problem is as much the fault of the software’s install procedure as anything in Windows itself. Personally, in both W2K and XP I usually get around the problem by copying the Start Menu entry(ies) to the All Users Start Menu. You can also do the same thing if you use a Desktop shortcut – copy it to the Desktop for All Users. I’ve never tried “ticking” the box in the attachment, so I don’t know if it would help in this situation.

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Virginia

I agree with both answers previously given!

You should be able, at installation time, to select if you want the installation to be for:
“All Users” (which is when the shortcut gets written to the “All Users” path), or
“just the currently logged-on user” (which is when the shorcut is written to the “Virginia” path)

The ability to do either of these actions depends on the programmer writing the SETUP routine properly. If s/he didn’t, you have to move the shortcut to “All Users” in the way Al states.

Yet another pain…!

John

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Virginia

I agree with both answers previously given!

You should be able, at installation time, to select if you want the installation to be for:
“All Users” (which is when the shortcut gets written to the “All Users” path), or
“just the currently logged-on user” (which is when the shorcut is written to the “Virginia” path)

The ability to do either of these actions depends on the programmer writing the SETUP routine properly. If s/he didn’t, you have to move the shortcut to “All Users” in the way Al states.

Yet another pain…!

John

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and for some particularly ill behaved applications, copying the start menu shortcut is not enough and you have to install the application for each user or take some other action. PGP8 Desktop for example requires you to separately activate the application for each user!

StuartR

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Thanks, everyone, for the information and help. I was able to successfully copy some of the install-to-one-user-only applications to the All Users startup folder but a few just gave error messages when I did this. Most aggravating is the syncronization software for my PDA (Kyocera Smartphone) which refuses to work when copied to All Users.

I recently had to reformat my C: drive and reinstall of all my programs and during this process I recall seeing an option for installation to “All Users” only once in more than 15 apps. A little over half of the apps automatically installed for All Users but the rest did not and didn’t offer the option. It sure would be nice if “All User” installations were more standard among software developers. I hope they don’t start requiring purchase of software licenses for Me, Myself and I.

Looks like I’ll just have to check each one of the stubborn apps to figure out what works – either installing under each login ID, or just pick the ID where it will be used most often.

Thanks again everyone for all the help. At least the majority of the apps are now accessible to all users.
Virginia

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Some programs are designed to be run by only one user, such as your PDA interface and the likes of some accounting programs. They are designed NOT to share any of the data made by the program.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Some programs are designed to be run by only one user, such as your PDA interface and the likes of some accounting programs. They are designed NOT to share any of the data made by the program.

DaveA I am so far behind, I think I am First
Genealogy....confusing the dead and annoying the living

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Thanks, everyone, for the information and help. I was able to successfully copy some of the install-to-one-user-only applications to the All Users startup folder but a few just gave error messages when I did this. Most aggravating is the syncronization software for my PDA (Kyocera Smartphone) which refuses to work when copied to All Users.

I recently had to reformat my C: drive and reinstall of all my programs and during this process I recall seeing an option for installation to “All Users” only once in more than 15 apps. A little over half of the apps automatically installed for All Users but the rest did not and didn’t offer the option. It sure would be nice if “All User” installations were more standard among software developers. I hope they don’t start requiring purchase of software licenses for Me, Myself and I.

Looks like I’ll just have to check each one of the stubborn apps to figure out what works – either installing under each login ID, or just pick the ID where it will be used most often.

Thanks again everyone for all the help. At least the majority of the apps are now accessible to all users.
Virginia

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and for some particularly ill behaved applications, copying the start menu shortcut is not enough and you have to install the application for each user or take some other action. PGP8 Desktop for example requires you to separately activate the application for each user!

StuartR

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