I have two users on my PC. Whenever one of us adds a shortcut, that
shortcut is added to both users. My wife and I use different shortcuts
on each of our desktops. How do I delete a shortcut from my desktop
that she uses, or from her desktop that I use, without deleting that
shortcut from the others desktop?
--
envengineer
Dell XPS400, DXP051, BIOS AO3
OS: Windows XP SP3 Professional,
Version 5.1.2600
Browser: IE7.0.5730.13, Build 75730
Hi "envengineer",
You apparently have a solution now. Here's some other info related
to your question you may find useful.
There are 3 sources for the items that appear on each user's desktop.
1. Special items, like "My Computer" that are a part of every desktop.
2. Items from the "All Users\desktop" folder
3. Items from your personal user account desktop folder.
The first, the special icons cannot be deleted, but can be hidden: Right
click on the user's desktop, click Properties, click Desktop tab at top of
dialog, click Customize Desktop. Another dialog should appear with a
"Desktop icons" section at the top. You can un-check any of those you do not
want to appear and click OK at bottom. (And close the first dialog also.)
As other replies have pointed out, any item you do not want to appear on All
Users' desktops should be removed from the All Users\desktop folder and
moved to the individual user account desktop folder. An easy way to access
the various desktop folders is to hold your Windows Logo key down and press
F to activate the search for files and folders. In the "All or part of
filename" box, type the word desktop, and press Enter. In the search results
pane to the right you will see folder icons for each of the desktop
accounts, and to the right, you will see "All Users", and each of your
individual account names. (Ignore the "Administrator" account.) Double click
the All Users desktop folder, and each of the user desktop folders to open,
then resize and position the folders so you can see inside all of them at
the same time. Left-click drag any items from the All Users desktop that
only need to be on one desktop, into the particular user desktop folder. If
there is any item in a particular user folder that both need, move that to
the All Users desktop folder.
When installing software, if the installation program offers the option of
putting a shortcut on All Users' Start Menu (Program group) or desktop,
choose otherwise, or use the above instructions to move the shortcut(s)
later. Right-click your Start button and notice that the context menu has an
"Open" option, and an "Open All Users" option. Start Menu items that you do
not want to appear on each user's Start Menu can be moved out of the All
Users\Start Menu subfolder, and into the particular user's Start Menu
subfolder.
The method above to search for all "desktop" folders can be used to search
for all "Favorites" and "Start Menu" folders also.
You might want to consider this, from a Windows XP HELP topic:
[begin quote:]
Why you should not run your computer as an administrator
Running Windows 2000 or Windows XP as an administrator makes the system
vulnerable to Trojan horses and other security risks. The simple act of
visiting an Internet site can be extremely damaging to the system. An
unfamiliar Internet site may have Trojan horse code that can be downloaded
to the system and executed. If you are logged on with administrator
privileges, a Trojan horse could do things like reformat your hard drive,
delete all your files, create a new user account with administrative access,
and so on.
You should add yourself to the Users or Power Users group. When you log on
as a member of the Users group, you can perform routine tasks, including
running programs and visiting Internet sites, without exposing your computer
to unnecessary risk. As a member of the Power Users group, you can perform
routine tasks and you can also install programs, add printers, and use most
Control Panel items. If you need to perform administrative tasks, such as
upgrading the operating system or configuring system parameters, then log
off and log back on as an administrator.
[:end quote]
Best wishes to y'all. --Richard
