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how many users do I have to have?

S

SusanJ

Flightless Bird
I recently had massive virus problems and reloaded XP. Now I'm slowly
reinstalling my applications, trying to get all my hardware to work, and
trying to understand a bit more about how XP actually works.

I'm the only one who uses my computer, and I don't see the need of any more
than one user. When I look at Documents and Settings now, post-reload, I see:

Administrator
All Users
Default User (grayed-out, as a system file I suppose)
Susan

When I look at Documents and Settings from a pre-reload backup, I see:

Administrator
All Users
Default User (grayed-out, as a system file I suppose)
Owner

On my newly loaded current setup, can I get rid of my "Susan" user and just
use "Administrator"? I read somewhere that if I delete a user, I'll have a
chance to save any files from that user -- is that right? Is there any
downside to deleting "Susan"? Pre-reload, I thought I just had the one
Administrator user -- not sure what "Owner" was...

Thanks for any advice / insight --
 
B

Bruce Chambers

Flightless Bird
SusanJ wrote:
> I recently had massive virus problems and reloaded XP. Now I'm slowly
> reinstalling my applications, trying to get all my hardware to work, and
> trying to understand a bit more about how XP actually works.
>
> I'm the only one who uses my computer, and I don't see the need of any more
> than one user. When I look at Documents and Settings now, post-reload, I see:
>
> Administrator
> All Users
> Default User (grayed-out, as a system file I suppose)
> Susan
>
> When I look at Documents and Settings from a pre-reload backup, I see:
>
> Administrator



Profile for the built-in Administrator account, which cannot be deleted.


> All Users



System file used to apply common settings to multiple user accounts,
should they ever be created.


> Default User (grayed-out, as a system file I suppose)


Correct.

> Owner
>


Default user profile created by some OEMs, usually used by the first
user account created during Windows installation and set up.


> On my newly loaded current setup, can I get rid of my "Susan" user and just
> use "Administrator"?



Not very wise.

While using a computer with limited privileges isn't the cure-all,
silver bullet that some claim it to be, any experienced IT professional
will verify that doing so definitely reduces that amount of damage and
depth of penetration by the malware. If you get infected/infested while
running as an administrator, the odds are much greater that any malware
will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to remove with formating
the hard drive and starting anew. The intruding malware will have the
same privileges to all of the files on your hard drive that you do.

A technically competent user who is aware of the risks and knows
how to take proper precautions can usually safely operate with
administrative privileges; I do so myself. But I certainly don't
recommend it for the average computer user.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the built-in Administrator
account was never intended to be used for day-to-day normal use. The
standard security practice is to rename the account, set a strong
password on it, and use it only to create another account for regular
use, reserving the Administrator account as a "back door" in case
something corrupts your regular account(s).


> I read somewhere that if I delete a user, I'll have a
> chance to save any files from that user -- is that right?


It's supposed to work that way, but it's be wiser to manually back up
any data first, just in case.






--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375

They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin

Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell

The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has
killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot
 
D

dadiOH

Flightless Bird
SusanJ wrote:
> I recently had massive virus problems and reloaded XP. Now I'm slowly
> reinstalling my applications, trying to get all my hardware to work,
> and trying to understand a bit more about how XP actually works.
>
> I'm the only one who uses my computer, and I don't see the need of
> any more than one user. When I look at Documents and Settings now,
> post-reload, I see:
>
> Administrator
> All Users
> Default User (grayed-out, as a system file I suppose)
> Susan
>
> When I look at Documents and Settings from a pre-reload backup, I see:
>
> Administrator
> All Users
> Default User (grayed-out, as a system file I suppose)
> Owner
>
> On my newly loaded current setup, can I get rid of my "Susan" user
> and just use "Administrator"? I read somewhere that if I delete a
> user, I'll have a chance to save any files from that user -- is that
> right? Is there any downside to deleting "Susan"? Pre-reload, I
> thought I just had the one Administrator user -- not sure what
> "Owner" was...
>
> Thanks for any advice / insight --


The good folks at Microsoft try their best to save you money by insisting
you use XP for multiple users. Could they have given users a choice? Sure,
but they didn't. You have pretty much the minimal, just ignore all the
useless, superfluous "users".

--

dadiOH
____________________________

dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
....a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
 
S

SusanJ

Flightless Bird
Thanks, Bruce Chambers & DadiOH.

I guess I'll keep Susan & be Susan except when being Susan isn't enough :)
:)

"SusanJ" wrote:

> I recently had massive virus problems and reloaded XP. Now I'm slowly
> reinstalling my applications, trying to get all my hardware to work, and
> trying to understand a bit more about how XP actually works.
>
> I'm the only one who uses my computer, and I don't see the need of any more
> than one user. When I look at Documents and Settings now, post-reload, I see:
>
> Administrator
> All Users
> Default User (grayed-out, as a system file I suppose)
> Susan
>
> When I look at Documents and Settings from a pre-reload backup, I see:
>
> Administrator
> All Users
> Default User (grayed-out, as a system file I suppose)
> Owner
>
> On my newly loaded current setup, can I get rid of my "Susan" user and just
> use "Administrator"? I read somewhere that if I delete a user, I'll have a
> chance to save any files from that user -- is that right? Is there any
> downside to deleting "Susan"? Pre-reload, I thought I just had the one
> Administrator user -- not sure what "Owner" was...
>
> Thanks for any advice / insight --
 
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