Multiple users and resident security applications

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hector
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H

Hector

I am totally ignorant about how multiple users on Windows XP affects
resident security applications. I have just set up several user identities
on my machine, and I notice that when I change users, AVG antivirus and Zone
Alarm automatically appear in the system tray, but Spybot resident and
Spyware Guard do not. Does this mean that they are not active when a
different user is logged on? How do I set it up so that these spyware
resident programs are automatically active for all users?
 
Some apps are multi-user aware, some aren't. Then again, it may be as simple
as changing the location from where the app is started. There are five
basic areas (out of >40 locations) that apps generally launch themselves
from. 3 of those are common to all users and 2 are user specific (again,
there's actually quite a few more, but we're talking normal applications
stuff).

Two options: Either log on as each user and reinstall the app or, while
logged into one of the user accounts that works correctly fire up msconfig
to see from where the app is being launched. Odds are that if it's being
launched only for a given user the startup location will reference either an
HKCU branch in the registry or 'startup' (rather than 'common startup'). If
the launch point is HKCU then you'd need to hack the registry to move the
launch point to a part of the registry common to all users. Unless you're
real comfortable with editing the registry I'd recommend simply logging on
as each user and doing multiple installs. On the other hand, if the startup
location is 'startup' then you can move the application launch from
'documents and settings\[user id]\start menu\programs\startup' to 'documents
and settings\all users\start menu\programs\startup'. Or, again, just log on
as each user and reinstall the app.

--
Walter Clayton - MS MVP(WinXP)
Associate Expert
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
Any technology distinguishable from magic is insufficiently advanced.
http://www.dts-l.org
http://support.microsoft.com/servicedesks/fileversion/default.asp|
 
Hi Hector,

As Walter said, some application will place the startup entry to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER RUN keys, which affects your profile only. Some applications will place in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE area which affects all the user profiles. There is a freeware application which can flip the startup entries from HKEY_CURRENT_USER to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and vice-versa. But, create a System Restore Point first before flipping the startup items, in case.

Download the utility from: http://www.geocities.com/eecrazyone/crazyone.html

Limitation:
Only the entries under these two locations can be flipped.
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

--
Ramesh, Microsoft MVP
Windows XP Shell/User
http://www.mvps.org/sramesh2k

Windows 2000 Group Policy Registry Table:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/techinfo/reskit/en-us/gp/gpref.asp

I am totally ignorant about how multiple users on Windows XP affects
resident security applications. I have just set up several user identities
on my machine, and I notice that when I change users, AVG antivirus and Zone
Alarm automatically appear in the system tray, but Spybot resident and
Spyware Guard do not. Does this mean that they are not active when a
different user is logged on? How do I set it up so that these spyware
resident programs are automatically active for all users?
 
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