Guest Janetb Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro to XP Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet, LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService. Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was either just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet folder really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask because it seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see that there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as possible...... Thanks for the help! Janet
Guest Malke Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Documents and Settings Janetb wrote: > I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro to XP > Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following > folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet, > LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService. > > Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was either > just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet folder > really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask because it > seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see that > there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in > addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my > first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as > possible...... You are misunderstanding the file hierarchy. You had a similar one in Win2k, just apparently not your own user account. The way the tech set you up is good. You don't ever want to user the built-in Administrator account for daily use and you don't ever want to have only one user account with administrative privileges. Here is an explanation of the file hierarchy you are seeing: XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is using it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Unix, Linux, Mac OS X - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the system. In Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix world, it is "root". This is a necessary account and is not normally used in everyday work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator account nor would you ever want to. Here is the explanation of what you really have: My Computer - represents your entire computer, showing drives and shared folders. Shared Folders are folders where you can put files you wish to share with other users on the system. You don't need to use these folders if you don't want to, but leave them alone! [some name] C:\ - your first hard drive, usually the system drive. Document and Settings - The "container" for all user settings. Each user will have [username] Documents, Music, Videos, My Pictures. Administrator - Built-in account - Leave alone! Do not use! Do not worry about it! All Users - Section where items common to all users go. In a multi-user operating system, users have separate accounts. This is the place where if you want to share files with all the other users on the system you would put those files. You don't ever have to use those folders but they need to be there. This is where programs you install that are meant to be installed for all users put settings. All the "Shared Documents" type of folders you see at the root of C:\ are shortcuts to the shared folders in here. Leave them alone! Default Users - This is the template from which new user accounts are made. You will never put anything in any of those folders but they are needed to create new users. In Linux we use "skel" ("skeleton" - get it?). In Windows, the less-colorful term "Default User" is used. Leave it alone! [OEM] Administrator or Owner - This is the generic user created by the OEM when installing the operating system. After all, the OEM doesn't know who is going to buy the computer. If you aren't using this OEM user account, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet in Control Panel. It is not the same account as "Administrator". If you don't have an OEM-preinstalled Windows, you won't have this account. Malke -- Elephant Boy Computers http://www.elephantboycomputers.com "Don't Panic!" MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
Guest Curt Christianson Posted July 25, 2007 Posted July 25, 2007 Re: Documents and Settings Wow, *great* explanation! That's a keeper. -- HTH, Curt Windows Support Center http://www.aumha.org Practically Nerded,... http://dundats.mvps.org/Index.htm "Malke" <notreally@invalid.invalid> wrote in message news:eSRLp6szHHA.3564@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl... | Janetb wrote: | > I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro to XP | > Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following | > folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet, | > LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService. | > | > Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was either | > just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet folder | > really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask because it | > seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see that | > there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in | > addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my | > first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as | > possible...... | | You are misunderstanding the file hierarchy. You had a similar one in | Win2k, just apparently not your own user account. The way the tech set | you up is good. You don't ever want to user the built-in Administrator | account for daily use and you don't ever want to have only one user | account with administrative privileges. Here is an explanation of the | file hierarchy you are seeing: | | XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is | using it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Unix, | Linux, Mac OS X - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the | system. In Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix | world, it is "root". This is a necessary account and is not normally | used in everyday work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator | account nor would you ever want to. | | Here is the explanation of what you really have: | | My Computer - represents your entire computer, showing drives and shared | folders. Shared Folders are folders where you can put files you wish to | share with other users on the system. You don't need to use these | folders if you don't want to, but leave them alone! | | [some name] C:\ - your first hard drive, usually the system drive. | | Document and Settings - The "container" for all user settings. Each user | will have [username] Documents, Music, Videos, My Pictures. | | Administrator - Built-in account - Leave alone! Do not use! Do not worry | about it! | | All Users - Section where items common to all users go. In a multi-user | operating system, users have separate accounts. This is the place where | if you want to share files with all the other users on the system you | would put those files. You don't ever have to use those folders but they | need to be there. This is where programs you install that are meant to | be installed for all users put settings. All the "Shared Documents" type | of folders you see at the root of C:\ are shortcuts to the shared | folders in here. Leave them alone! | | Default Users - This is the template from which new user accounts are | made. You will never put anything in any of those folders but they are | needed to create new users. In Linux we use "skel" ("skeleton" - get | it?). In Windows, the less-colorful term "Default User" is used. Leave | it alone! | | [OEM] Administrator or Owner - This is the generic user created by the | OEM when installing the operating system. After all, the OEM doesn't | know who is going to buy the computer. If you aren't using this OEM user | account, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet in Control | Panel. It is not the same account as "Administrator". If you don't have | an OEM-preinstalled Windows, you won't have this account. | | | Malke | -- | Elephant Boy Computers | http://www.elephantboycomputers.com | "Don't Panic!" | MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
Guest Janetb Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Re: Documents and Settings Many thanks for your very helpful explanation! I never intended to do delete any of the system entries (Administrator, All Users, Default User). The question was where the Janet folder came from, because in 2KPro my user folder was simply Administrator (or perhaps Administrator/Owner). I see now that the confusion was in my not knowing that there is both a 'god' Administrator as well as an [OEM]Administrator/Owner, and that you work out of the latter only. 1. If one is not supposed to work out of the god-Administrator folder, shall we assume that in 2KPro they (a lab) had set me up to work out of the [OEM]Administrator/Owner folder without renaming it for me? 2. I am now assuming that the private technician who installed my XP also set me up to work out of the [OEM]Administrator/Owner folder but changed the folder name to Janet---unless there was no such folder, in which case he would have created the Janet folder. As stated in my original post, I have no [OEM]Administrator/Owner folder on my system. Is ther a way to see if my Janet folder is(was) this folder? My concern is that I was going to backup just the Janet folder, but saw there were entries which I did not (knowingly) make in both the All Users folder and the Default folder and I didn't know if they had to be backed up as well...... Many thanks for the help! Janet "Malke" wrote: > Janetb wrote: > > I am the only one who ever uses my computer. When I switched from 2KPro to XP > > Pro, installed by a computer technician, he left me with the following > > folders under Documents and Settings: All Users, Default User, Janet, > > LocalService, LogMeInRemoteUser, and NetworkService. > > > > Under 2KPro, I didn't have a separate user folder named Janet. I was either > > just Administrator or some such default name. Is this separate Janet folder > > really necessary? Can't I just be Default User or All Users? I ask because it > > seems most efficient to have all my settings in one place, and I see that > > there are entries in the All Users folder and the Default User folder in > > addition to the many entries in the Janet folder. I am now setting up my > > first backup system (daily) and would like to have things as simple as > > possible...... > > You are misunderstanding the file hierarchy. You had a similar one in > Win2k, just apparently not your own user account. The way the tech set > you up is good. You don't ever want to user the built-in Administrator > account for daily use and you don't ever want to have only one user > account with administrative privileges. Here is an explanation of the > file hierarchy you are seeing: > > XP is a multi-user operating system, no matter if only one person is > using it. In all multi-user operating systems - NT, Win2k, XP, Unix, > Linux, Mac OS X - there is the one built-in account that is "god" on the > system. In Windows terminology, that is "Administrator". In the *nix > world, it is "root". This is a necessary account and is not normally > used in everyday work. You cannot delete the built-in Administrator > account nor would you ever want to. > > Here is the explanation of what you really have: > > My Computer - represents your entire computer, showing drives and shared > folders. Shared Folders are folders where you can put files you wish to > share with other users on the system. You don't need to use these > folders if you don't want to, but leave them alone! > > [some name] C:\ - your first hard drive, usually the system drive. > > Document and Settings - The "container" for all user settings. Each user > will have [username] Documents, Music, Videos, My Pictures. > > Administrator - Built-in account - Leave alone! Do not use! Do not worry > about it! > > All Users - Section where items common to all users go. In a multi-user > operating system, users have separate accounts. This is the place where > if you want to share files with all the other users on the system you > would put those files. You don't ever have to use those folders but they > need to be there. This is where programs you install that are meant to > be installed for all users put settings. All the "Shared Documents" type > of folders you see at the root of C:\ are shortcuts to the shared > folders in here. Leave them alone! > > Default Users - This is the template from which new user accounts are > made. You will never put anything in any of those folders but they are > needed to create new users. In Linux we use "skel" ("skeleton" - get > it?). In Windows, the less-colorful term "Default User" is used. Leave > it alone! > > [OEM] Administrator or Owner - This is the generic user created by the > OEM when installing the operating system. After all, the OEM doesn't > know who is going to buy the computer. If you aren't using this OEM user > account, you can delete it from the User Accounts applet in Control > Panel. It is not the same account as "Administrator". If you don't have > an OEM-preinstalled Windows, you won't have this account. > > > Malke > -- > Elephant Boy Computers > http://www.elephantboycomputers.com > "Don't Panic!" > MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User >
Guest Malke Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Re: Documents and Settings Janetb wrote: > Many thanks for your very helpful explanation! You're welcome although I think you are still misunderstanding a bit. See my comments inline: > I never intended to do delete any of the system entries (Administrator, All > Users, Default User). The question was where the Janet folder came from, > because in 2KPro my user folder was simply Administrator (or perhaps > Administrator/Owner). I see now that the confusion was in my not knowing that > there is both a 'god' Administrator as well as an [OEM]Administrator/Owner, > and that you work out of the latter only. The Janet folder comes from you having a user account on the system called "Janet". Go to Control Panel>User Accounts and see the users. "Janet" should be one of them. There is always a built-in Administrator. There is not always an OEM Owner. This account is a regular user account with administrative privileges. You want to work out of a regular user account - no matter what it is called - and not the built-in Administrator account. > 1. If one is not supposed to work out of the god-Administrator folder, shall > we assume that in 2KPro they (a lab) had set me up to work out of the > [OEM]Administrator/Owner folder without renaming it for me? There's no way for me to know how your Win2k box was set up without looking at it. You could have had an account called "Owner" or you could have been using the built-in Administrator account. The latter would have been bad practice but you certainly could have been doing it. > 2. I am now assuming that the private technician who installed my XP also > set me up to work out of the [OEM]Administrator/Owner folder but changed the > folder name to Janet---unless there was no such folder, in which case he > would have created the Janet folder. As stated in my original post, I have no > [OEM]Administrator/Owner folder on my system. Is ther a way to see if my > Janet folder is(was) this folder? I would not assume that at all unless you don't see a "Janet" account when you go to the User Accounts applet in Control Panel. If the tech had simply renamed an account named "Owner", there would be no folders named "Janet" because simply renaming a user account doesn't change any of the underlying account folders. As I said before, not all computers have an "Owner" account. Only a computer that comes with the operating system preinstalled - like a Dell, HP, Sony, etc. - has a generic "Owner" type of account. When I install an operating system for a client, I always create a user account in their name - "Janet" for example. It sounds like your tech did exactly that. Of course if you are not sure, you could always call the tech who did the work. > My concern is that I was going to backup just the Janet folder, but saw > there were entries which I did not (knowingly) make in both the All Users > folder and the Default folder and I didn't know if they had to be backed up > as well...... Look at the explanation of the file hierarchy I gave you once again. You want to back up *your* data which will be in *your* user account. This will be in your My Documents, My Music, etc. You would not be backing up any other account's data - especially because since you are the only user on the system there *is* no data in any other user account to back up. http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Backing_Up Malke -- Elephant Boy Computers http://www.elephantboycomputers.com "Don't Panic!" MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
Guest Janetb Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Re: Documents and Settings See my comments inline: "Malke" wrote: > The Janet folder comes from you having a user account on the system > called "Janet". Go to Control Panel>User Accounts and see the users. > "Janet" should be one of them. This is (and was) of course tautologically obvious. Wherever I referred to a Janet folder, I was referring to a Janet user acct..... The original question was not why the folder is there but rather why I have such a user account in XP when it was not necessary (ie did not exist) in 2KPro. I'm clearer on that now. "Malke" wrote: >There is always a built-in Administrator. There is not always an OEM Owner. This >account is a regular user account > with administrative privileges. You want to work out of a regular user > account - no matter what it is called - and not the built-in > Administrator account. I always thought I had been working out of a built-in Administrator account which was a sort of default user account on a system which was not going to be serving multiple users. (How many misconceptions can you fit into one sentence...:-)...?) I learned from you that the built-in administrator account is not in effect a user account at all (not clear on what it in fact is) and that the Default User is also not a user account but rather a sort of template. In short, I thought I had 3 user options on my system: Administrator, Default User, and Janet and didn't get why I needed the third if I could have been/used one of the first two. I understand now that there is in effect only one actual user: Janet. By the way, the Ctrl Panel lists 1. Janet and 2. Guest as the user accounts. "Malke" wrote: >since you are the only > user on the system there *is* no data in any other user account to back up. This simply is not true. As I wrote earlier: "...there were data entries which I did not (knowingly) make in both the All Users folder and the Default User folder". This in fact is what raised the entire issue in the first place...:-)...! In any case, I decided that the only things I will back up from Docs and Settings will be Janet's email and address book....:-).... Many thanks for all your help! Janet
Guest Malke Posted July 26, 2007 Posted July 26, 2007 Re: Documents and Settings Janetb wrote: You're almost there but not quite. > This is (and was) of course tautologically obvious. Not really. One never knows what a user thinks. And you could have had a renamed user account. > I always thought I had been working out of a built-in Administrator account > which was a sort of default user account on a system which was not going to > be serving multiple users. (How many misconceptions can you fit into one > sentence...:-)...?) I learned from you that the built-in administrator > account is not in effect a user account at all No, you didn't learn that from me. The built-in Administrator is a user account just like any other user account in XP with administrative privileges. You just don't want to use it on a regular basis. It's there for emergenices. The built-in Administrator account is slightly different in Vista, but I'm not going into that now. (not clear on what it in fact > is) and that the Default User is also not a user account but rather a sort of > template. You have this correct now - The Default User account is a template from which all new user accounts are made. In short, I thought I had 3 user options on my system: > Administrator, Default User, and Janet and didn't get why I needed the third > if I could have been/used one of the first two. I understand now that there > is in effect only one actual user: Janet. By the way, the Ctrl Panel lists 1. > Janet and 2. Guest as the user accounts. No, there are two actual users - Janet and the built-in Administrator. The Guest account, while technically a user account, is a system account and is normally disabled for security reasons. > "Malke" wrote: > >since you are the only >> user on the system there *is* no data in any other user account to back up. > > This simply is not true. As I wrote earlier: > "...there were data entries which I did not (knowingly) make in both the All > Users > folder and the Default User folder". This in fact is what raised the entire > issue in the first place...:-)...! Please read the explanation of All Users again. Perhaps you put data in the Shared Documents/Shared Music/Shared Video folders which are in the All Users account. If you yourself did not create data there, then anything you see is just a placeholder put there by a program. AOL for instance creates an "AOL Downloads" folder in the All Users/Shared Documents space. There will be none of your personal data in the Default User folder. If you erroneously saved something there, move it to your own My Documents in your own User account. Malke -- Elephant Boy Computers http://www.elephantboycomputers.com "Don't Panic!" MS-MVP Windows - Shell/User
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