OT: Make a limited XP account without losing settings?

And how does one allow "guest" accounts access to apps? I created a guest login on a PC (running XP) that I leave in the cabin, and Firefox showed up but nothing else. How can I allow guests access to Word, for example?

Maybe I should only let them run Firefox, in which case my question is moot.

The Microsoft menus and help, as unsual, make little or no sense.

John

You log back on as admin and change the acoount setting for the other user account.

Regardless, you should be ab;e to change gui/theme settings.

Use admin acount to raise the level of that account, log on change settings, then log back on as admin, and reduce the account settings again to lock things in place.

Check under -> Start -> Programs. You should see Word there, then right-click and plop a quick-launch icon onto the desktop.

Depends on whether they have to do some more serious work there or not.

Yup, no real depth there :-(

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

T'is exactly what I did. Under admin everything is fine, the minute I reduce the account level back to "limited" all the stupid jingles, sounds and whatnot are back.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

"Limited" might be a bit too ...limiting... but "power user" accounts are usually quite serviceable except for installing some new software or hardware drivers.

Some ideas:

If you go to control panel, you can shift+right click an icon to get a menu that includes "Run as..." -- you then enter the name and password of an admin account and you can change whatever you want for that limited user.

In general you can right-click a program or shortcut and yse "Run as..."; the control panel applets just need shift held done as well for some reasons.

The menus that show up in the start menu are a combination (merging) of "c:\documents and settings\[your user name]\Start Menu" and "c:\documents and settings\all users\Start Menu". If you're logged on as an admin, right-clicking the start menu button gets you both "Open" and "Open all users," which lets you easily copy the shortcuts for a program you installed just for yourself to show up for all users. (Although most newer setup.exe's include a clickable options for "Install for everyone who uses this computer" vs. "Install for just me.")

Unfortunately XP was introduced back when Microsoft was still in the mindset of, "well, individual users are probably OK just running as admins 100% of the time" so it is just plain old clunky to want to run under a more limited account. There are some utilities that can help here as well, e.g., "cpau"

which lets your limited account essentially do a "run as" with any program that can be launched from the command line. Making a batch file to run cpau to launch explorer.exe is quite useful, as is one to launch cmd.exe if you prefer the command-line environment.

---Joel

I've never had reason to create a guest account before. After reading this thread, I've just created a limited account and also turned on the guest account (different things). They work fine. The differences between them and logging in to my own account are -

1. Desktop shortcuts. About two-thirds of my desktop icons do not appear on the other accounts. Some of these are shortcuts I placed manually after installing the programs. Others must be according to settings saved during installation, either automatically done by the wizard or by me. Progs without desktop shortcuts can be launched from the Start Menu. Placing shortcuts for these on the desktop is a trivial process.
2. Some programs went through a brief configuration process when first run from the new accounts. This includes MS Word.
3. I have no password-protected programs. Those that *must* have an account set up before they can be used (like OE, my Usenet client) prompt me to set up an account.

Helicopter-MS joke. Never fails to amuse me whenever I think of it.

[...]

Translated:

New hardware has been found Device: Airbus 310 Start automatic configuration? [Start] [Abort]

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

My XP only offers "admin" and "limited".

Yes, but this did not work with the control panel. Which I'd need to turn those sounds off.

It sure is clunky. Lots of things won't work in limited mode. I mean, what's the security risk in turning sounds on and off? They could at least allow part of the control panel. XP ain't that old, they had 95,

98, NT and 2000 before. But ...

Thanks, that one I'll have to try out.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

You can move any shortcuts that you want to appear on all desktops to c:\documents and settings\all users\desktop.

Ah, you must be running XP Home. Gotcha... although I can't say I have that much experience with it.

There's no security risk, but in the mind of many an IT guy, "limited" users aren't "supposed" to change sounds, backgrouns, keyboard/mouse settings, the start menu, etc. since it's just "asking for trouble" -- or something like that. Apparently Microsoft largely agrees with that definition...

---Joel

Yes, XP Home.

Well, I guess then Microsoft should get into the habit of talking more to their customers. They tout in their latest ads that customers built Win7 but I don't believe that. Everyone is bitching about this limited user stuff around here. So they all run it as admin, not good. That's a large part of the virus issues we are hearing about, if not the largest.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

"gmail" domain blocked because of excessive spam.
Use another domain or send PM.

ve

t

There is no "admin mode" in Windows7.

This is about XP, and should be about Pro as any idiot that buys anything else should be ignored.

Anyone that opts for the home version is an idiot. The pro version and ultimate versions have the functionality you need. Especially if you have a multi-core motherboard and want optimal use of it. It isn't all about the frills. Then, you can make a user and then downgrade that user's abilities. Vista and 7 have a different paradigm altogether.

You can download Internet browsing capable guest VMs for use with vmware-player, for this scenario. End of session, turn off VM, and the system forgets what happened during that session.

Access to your filesystem is via the networking system, not direct, so much safer when you're on a potentially hostile network. Only shared folders are seen, so you control file visibility.

Have a look at vmware's site: vmware.com, and look for vmware player.

Vmware player allows you to run a prebuilt guest OS, and, you'll find a downloadable safe Interment access guest OS on vmware's site, does what you ask.

Guest OS be Linux running firefox browser, but that's as easy as windoze to use, once you're in the application. Pint and click to open the browser -- Linux aint so bad from user perspective :)

There are other virtual hosts about, but vmware is the biggie, and has the player option.

A linux live CD would allow similar safe access, but they're dog slow compared to a VM.

There are tricks to let windoze return to a known state, but they're more for the school type system to reimage the OS to return to known state.

If you want to stay within windoze, try copying the user profile to new user? I haven't done this in years :( Dunno how well it would work. And your machine would still be vulnerable as nothing has protected the filesystem -- windoze don't really understand secure computing, compared with unix-like OS.

(I use both Linux and Windows, take best of both worlds :)

Grant.

Out of interest, what threat do you think there is from an unsecured WLAN?

this page seems to cover all of the things I can think of:-

On my home PC (running XP home) the kids are "limited user", I promote the accounts to admin to install stuff for them and then put the account back to limited. This has not failed for anything as far as I remember. For convenience my account on that PC is admin and I use dropmyrights.exe on all internet facing programs.

It has been too long since i did that kind of setup for XP-Pro. My memory is all muddy. In general, MSOffice can be installed for all users, but you need the full package. Some apps can only be installed for one user (many EDA apps are like this, though some are only "node locked"). Pregroomed user settings are discussed rather fully in the M$ webforums. They used to have a Usenet presence that was mirrored with the webforums. I did things like that once, i know (work with) people that do it on a daily basis. The issue involves editing the the default account properties, doable if time consuming in XP-Pro, in just XP not so much.

True. And it will provide access to many programs almost cleanly, just not all programs.

There are methods to shut that off manually, but that get tiresome with the second new account.

Then you have the just XP version; instead of the more expensive XP-Pro version. BTW it is just settings that determine the difference. The kinds of accounts, and better privlege controls on those accounts is much of the difference, and all just settings.

It is nearly 9 years old. not a record but a solid product.

It is not like they don't get an abundance of feedback from IT professionals and IT management.