CONFIGURING THE DESKTOP | Home Networking Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things about Your Home Network

OTHER USERS CAN'T FIND SOFTWARE

The Annoyance:

I installed a software program on our Windows XP computer, but the other users on the computer can't find it. I see it on the Programs menu when I log on, but other users can't see it when they log on.

The Fix:

The software installed its menu item only into your user profile. Some software automatically installs itself for all users (a computer-wide installation), and some installs for the current user. What's annoying is that not all software offers the choice between computer installation or user installation during setup. More irritating is the fact that software that doesn't ask you to choose doesn't announce its installation plans. Once the software is installed, you can make it available to all users or some users.

In Windows Explorer or My Computer, expand C:\Documents and Settings\YourName\Start Menu\Programs (substitute your logon name for YourName). Shortcuts for programs that appear on your All Programs menu are displayed in the right pane (see Figure 2-18).

Figure 2-18. The shortcuts for program menu items are stored in user profiles.

Right-click the shortcut for the program you want to provide for other users, and choose Copy. Then, expand the user profile for another user and paste the shortcut into that Programs subfolder. Do this for each user with whom you want to share the application.

Warning: If your user account is configured as Limited User, you cannot access the user profile folders of other users.

SOFTWARE NOT FOUND ERROR

The Annoyance:

I selected a program and Windows displayed an error message telling me it couldn't find the software's file. I learned later that another user on the computer had uninstalled the software. It's annoying that Windows removes the program's icon only from the menu of the user who uninstalled it, and not from the other users' menus.

The Fix:

You're right, it's very annoying. Windows should check to see whether the program's shortcut is on the menu of all the computer's users, and remove any shortcuts it finds. Unfortunately, Windows isn't smart enough to do that, so users have to remove the menu item manually. To do this, right-click the item on the menu and choose Delete, or you can go into each user's profile and remove the shortcut from the Programs submenu (see the previous annoyance).

DISPLAY RESOLUTION IS GLOBAL IN WINDOWS XP/2000

The Annoyance:

I like to work with high-resolution settings, but other users of my computer prefer the larger icons of a smaller resolution. On our Windows 98SE computer, Windows remembers the settings for each user, but on our Windows XP computer, anyone who changes his settings also changes everyone else's.

The Fix:

Microsoft removed the ability to configure screen resolution settings starting with Windows 2000, and I don't know why. Surely there weren't complaints from users who said, "When I change my settings I want everybody else to live with my decision, so how dare you let them make their own choice?" You can't do anything about this, except change your settings whenever you log on, which takes only a few seconds. It's probably a good idea to change them back before you log off, unless you don't care about hearing the groans and complaints.

LIMITED USERS CANNOT CHANGE POWER SETTINGS

The Annoyance:

I don't like the default setting that Windows applies to turn off my monitor after a certain amount of time that I'm not using the mouse or keyboard. I opened the Power Options dialog box and changed the setting to Never, but when I clicked OK, I received an Access Denied message.

The Fix:

For some reason that defies logic, Microsoft chose to forbid Limited Users to change power-saving options. What harm could come to the computer as a result of changing when (or whether) monitors and hard disks are powered down automatically for this user?

If you think that's annoying, check Microsoft's support web sites, where the suggested "fix" is to log on to the computer with an administrative account to make the change. Why is that a fix? The power options are part of the user settings, so they are unique to each user. Changing another person's power settings doesn't change the settings for a limited user. The only real fix is to have someone with administrative rights log on, change your account to an administrative account, make the power settings change, and then reset the account for limited permissions. Is this silly, or what?

COPY DESKTOP THEMES IN WINDOWS XP

The Annoyance:

I changed the look of my Windows XP computer by changing the desktop design and the way windows look when they're open (I didn't think the title bars and background colors were attractive). I named my new desktop design Debby. Windows doesn't seem to offer a quick list of the selections I made, so I can't tell other users how to duplicate them.

The Fix:

Just give them a copy of Debby. Your desktop design is a theme file (named Debby.Theme), and you can give the file to any other Windows XP user. When you saved your theme file, Windows automatically located it in your My Documents file. Copy the file to the root directory, or to the desktop for easy access. If users on other Windows XP computers on the network want to use the file, copy it across the network. Heck, send it by email to everyone who has a Windows XP computer.

To load a theme file:

Right-click a blank spot on the desktop and choose Properties.
Click the arrow to the right of the Themes text box and choose Browse.
Navigate to the place where the theme file you want to load is located and select it. Click OK.
Tip: Copy your theme file to all the other Windows XP computers on your network. Load it the next time you log on to each of those computers to make your environment just as pleasing no matter which computer you work on.

COPY DESKTOP DESIGNS IN EARLIER VERSIONS OF WINDOWS

The Annoyance:

I customized my Windows 98SE desktop and saved it. I want to have the same desktop when I use the other Windows 98SE computer on our network. Also, my brother-in-law wants a copy for his Windows 98SE desktop. But unlike Windows XP, I can't create a theme file that I can copy to other computers.

The Fix:

In earlier versions of Windows (98/98SE/Me/2000), you can provide your customized desktop settings to other users, but it's a bit more complicated than it is with XP. When you create a customized desktop and give it a name, the changes are written to the registry. You can export the registry key and then import it to another computer running the same version of Windows by following these steps:

Choose Start Run, type regedit, and click OK.
In the right pane, you'll see the registry items for your current settings (see Figure 2-19). Choose Registry Export Registry File and save the file using any filename you choose (Windows automatically adds the Figure 2-19. The details of your desktop are in the registry (and in incomprehensible binary data).
Copy the file to any other computer on the network that's running the same version of Windows. You can also email the file to anyone using the same version of Windows.
To import the registry file, double-click its listing. Windows asks if you're sure you want to merge the contents of the file to the local registry. Choose Yes to import the display settings for yourself (the current user).

If additional users on the computer want to use this desktop design, they must log on to the computer and import the file.

Warning: Playing in the registry can be very dangerous. If you're not comfortable with computers and don't have a thorough understanding of the way the registry works, ask somebody more experienced to help you. Before you import a registry file, export the current contents of the affected key as a backup in case something goes wrong and you have to return to the previous settings.