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General discussion

Users

Aug 2, 2007 6:23PM PDT

My old computer had XP and had only one user. Outlook Express email had a switch identity option so that both my wife and I could have separate email accounts.
This computer has Vista and OE is now Windows Mail and it does not offer the switch identity option so I had to have two users.
My question is this. When I download AIM(Instant Messenger) to my user, why does it show up on my wife's user also. I thought each user could have there own programs.
I also see that when I update AdAware or Spybot on my user, it also is updated on her user which is a good thing.

Discussion is locked

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Account users programs
Aug 3, 2007 12:10AM PDT

Personally I have never had any luck with user accounts, in XP and don't want to even go there with Vista and I think it is silly that MS did away with this in the Windows Mail program since creating another user account is a waste of hard drive space just for email.

To answer your question. Some programs give you the option of who gets to use the program on the computer, when you do the install it will say something like allow use by all users or just this one, other programs just install with the default of all users or just the one who is doing the install and you don't get to pick. For example when I install OpenOffice it asks during the install who to make it available to. As it is popular for people to create accounts you would think more programs would give you a choice upon install but that doesn't seem to be the case.

Hope this helps,
Northlite

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Re: accounts and programs.
Aug 3, 2007 12:26AM PDT

Auggie,

A program (whatever program) is on the system only ONCE. But it can be used by any user who runs it, and - generally - each user will have his or her own data for that program in his own account. That's the big picture.

The details:
- Some installs put a shortcut in the All Users profile. Then all users have such a shortcut to run it. Other installs only put the shortcut in the profile of the user who installs it; other users must make their own shortcut to it, which is easy of course. Apparently uses the first option.
- Adware and Spybot (and in fact all such programs like antivirus) put their own data (their 'knowledge' of malware) in their Program Files folder, so it's automatically shared. But they might (I didn't check) put their quarantine in the accounts of the user who runs it. Or just as well, on one (shared) location.
- Most programs, as I said, store user dependent data in that users account. So you and your wife share the same program (Windows Mail, AIM), but each of you has different data (like address book, mail boxes, chat history). But some might have the option to share the data also. With MS Word, for example, the default is to store docs in your own My Documents, but you can put any document you like in any folder you like. So, effectively, you and your wife can have a shared folder for shared documents (and pictures, and music, and whatever you have on your system). It's just the way you set it up.

Kees

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AIM
Aug 3, 2007 3:29AM PDT

My latest experience with AIM is that even though I have my wife's set up not to open when signing on, it does.

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RE: Identities for Windows Mail
Aug 5, 2007 6:09PM PDT

Their is a program called "WMIDs" that will add the Identities feature back to Windows Mail. Unfortunately it is not free, but it is not very expensive at all. You can see deatails on it hear if your interested.

http://www.oehelp.com/WMIDs/Default.aspx