Home Networking Annoyances: How to Fix the Most Annoying Things about Your Home Network
ONLY ONE MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
The Annoyance:
Several people share our Windows 98SE computer, and when anyone opens the My Documents folder, everybody's documents are in it. We've shared the My Documents folder so that we can get to our files when we work on another computer, but searching through everyone's documents to find your own stuff is annoying. How can I create a separate My Documents folder for each user of this computer? The Fix:
Apparently, the computer isn't set up for user profilesa feature that automatically gives every user who logs on to the computer an individual copy of My Documents. You could enable user profiles (see the next annoyance), but the feature will work only for users you create after you enable the user profile feature; the system doesn't automatically reconfigure existing users. You can use any of the following workarounds:
ENABLE USER PROFILES IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
The Annoyance:
I want to make sure users have their own profiles so that each user can have his own My Documents folder. I opened the Users applet in the Control Panel, but it doesn't have an option to enable user profiles. How do I do this? The Fix:
You apparently think user settings should be available in a dialog box named Users. With that kind of logic, you'll never get a job with Microsoft. To enable or disable profiles, open the Passwords applet in the Control Panel and click the User Profiles tab (see Figure 2-8). Figure 2-8. Open the Passwords applet in the Control Panel to enable User Profiles.
You'll probably notice immediately that neither of the two options at the top of the dialog box includes the term "user profile." The second option, which enables customized settings for each user, sets up user profiles (trust me). Warning: If you select the option to have all users share the same preferences and desktop settings, be aware that as each user logs on and makes configuration changes (such as adding or removing desktop icons), all the other users will have to live with those changes. The results can get ugly, as the "spare and lean desktop" folks do battle with the "shortcuts for everything" desktop decorators. The bottom of the dialog box contains two options that cover the type of customized settings included in a user profile. Both options use the word "include," and the "included" components are those that currently exist. Before you enable user profiles, any customization of the desktop, software installation, and other configuration changes are saved as an "all users" profile. At the point that you enable user settings, those profile settings are automatically passed on to new user profiles. By default, the first option (desktop icons and Network Neighborhood settings) is disabled. If you've customized the desktop and want to include these changes automatically for new user profiles, check the box. The second option, which includes the Start menu and Program groups in new profiles, is selected by default to make sure users can access the software installed on the Programs menu. When you click OK, you must reboot the computer to put the new settings into effect. When Windows restarts, open the Users applet in the Control Panel and create users for this computer (see "Create Users the Right Way in Windows 98SE/Me"). AUTOMATIC USER PROFILE FOLDERS CAN FOOL YOU
The Annoyance:
I enabled user profiles on my Windows 98SE computer, and I know you're supposed to add each user to the computer with the Users applet in the Control Panel. But why bother? When a user logs on for the first time, the system displays the following message: "You have not logged on at this computer before. Would you like this computer to retain your individual settings for use when you log on here in the future?" If the user clicks Yes, she gets a user profile, without any effort on my part. If I open Windows Explorer and go to the Windows\Profiles folder, I see a subfolder for this newly logged-on user. The Fix:
Yep, sucks you right into believing you've created a user profile automatically, doesn't it? Expand the user's subfolder (see Figure 2-9). Notice anything missing? (Hint: My Documents.) This user, and the other users who log on to this computer in the same manner (without having a user profile created the right way) all share the same My Documents folder. Check the Properties for My Documents, and you see that the path for the folder is C:\My Documents. Do it the right way, as described in the next annoyance. Figure 2-9. If you let Windows create a user profile automatically, it's not a real user profile. CREATE USERS THE RIGHT WAY IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
The Annoyance:
On my Windows 98SE computer, I set up user profiles in the Passwords applet in the Control Panel, but there's no option for creating users on that dialog box. How do I make sure everyone who logs on to the computer has a real profile, including a unique My Documents folder they can access locally or across the network? The Fix:
The Passwords applet in the Control Panel only contains the option to turn on user profiles. To create the actual user profiles, you must open the Users applet in the Control Panel. The first time you open it, the New User wizard launches automatically so that you can set up your own user profile. Thereafter, the User Settings dialog box lists your name as a user. You'll need to click Add User to start the wizard to set up another user. Like all Windows wizards, you move through the windows by clicking Next, providing the appropriate information at each step. You must provide a username (the user's logon name) and a password. Then you can select the items you want to customize for this user profile. The components you select are configured for customization, which means the user's choices are saved as part of the profile. Click Finish to create the user. CHANGE USER PROFILE SETTINGS IN WINDOWS 98SE/ME
The Annoyance:
I created two users (including myself) and realized I didn't set the customization parameters correctly. (I included everything, and nobody wants the original Downloaded web pages or Favorites list.) I'll know better for the next user, but do I have to remove and re-create the existing user profiles to change the settings? The Fix:
You can change the settings for any existing user in the Users applet in the Control Panel. Select the user's name and click the Change Settings button. In the Personalized Items Settings dialog box (see Figure 2-10), make the changes you need and click OK. Tip: If you remove settings you previously selected, choose the "Create new items to save disk space" option to clear out the stuff that had been previously put into the user's profile. Figure 2-10. If you change your mind, change the settings to match your new choices.
MOVE THE MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER
The Annoyance:
I enabled user profiles, but an impatient user logged on before I had a chance to add her to the list of users. Now she has a profile, but it lacks a unique My Documents folder. Her My Documents folder is at C:\My Documents. I created a subfolder named My Documents in her user profile folders manually, but it's ignored when she saves documents. The Fix:
You can't create a My Documents subfolder in a user profile. OK, that's a lie; you can create one, but the system will ignore it. Instead, you have to move the existing My Documents folder for this user to her profile folder. Follow these steps:
From now on, the system will use the My Documents folder in the user's profile. Figure 2-12. If the My Documents folder doesn't already exist, Windows creates it for you.
DOCUMENTS DON'T TRAVEL WITH THE MY DOCUMENTS FOLDER
The Annoyance:
After I moved the My Documents folder (on Drive C) to a user's profile, the system used it to save all of that user's documents. However, all the documents the user had created in the original My Documents folder disappeared. It's annoying that Windows removes documents when you move the My Documents folder. The Fix:
The documents weren't deleted, they just didn't travel with the folder. There's actual logic to this approach because a generic My Documents folder often has a slew of documents belonging to multiple users. The documents still exist in the original My Documents folder, which is located at C:\My Documents. To move this user's documents into his new My Documents folder in his user profile, open Windows Explorer and select the My Documents folder in the left pane. The right pane displays the documents in the folder. You'll find all the documents this user saved before you moved his My Documents folder to his profile. Select all the documents that belong to the user, and then right-click and choose Cut from the shortcut menu. Tip: To select multiple documents, select the first document and hold the Ctrl key as you continue to select documents. To select all the documents, press Ctrl-A. To select contiguous documents, select the first document and hold the Shift key while you select the last document. Expand the user's profile in the left pane by clicking the plus sign to get to C:\Windows\Profiles\UserName\My Documents. Right-click the icon for the user's My Documents folder and choose Paste from the shortcut menu. All the documents are now where they belong. Tip: If the user had previously created a subfolder in the generic My Documents folder, don't cut and paste the subfolder. Instead, select the subfolder in the left pane and press Ctrl-A to select all the documents. Right-click any selected listing and choose Cut. Paste the documents into the My Documents folder in the user's profile. SEE A LIST OF USERNAMES WHEN YOU LOG ON TO WINDOWS 98SE/ME
The Annoyance:
I like the way Windows XP displays all the usernames when you log on to the computer. It's a shame I can't do that with my Windows 98SE computers so that users who make typing errors when they log on don't create new users by mistake. The Fix:
You can have the same type of logon window on your 98SE computerit's called Family Logon. To invoke it you need to replace your current network logon with Family Logon. Open the Network applet in the Control Panel and click the arrow to the right of the Primary Network Logon text box (see Figure 2-13). Select Family Logon and click OK. Restart the computer, and Windows displays a list of users instead of the Logon dialog box you'd been working with (see Figure 2-14). Select your name, enter your password, and click OK. Figure 2-13. Change the dialog box Windows displays when you log on to the computer.
Figure 2-14. Select your name to log on.
Tip: If the selected user doesn't have a password, the Password field is grayed out. FAMILY LOGON ISN'T AVAILABLE
The Annoyance:
My Window98SE computer doesn't offer the Family Logon option. That's really annoying because I think it's a good idea. The Fix:
Adding the Family Logon option to your 98SE computer is a piece of cake. You'll need your Windows CD to perform this task because the files for Family Logon have to be copied to your computer.
CAN'T ADD NAMES TO THE FAMILY LOGON USER LIST
The Annoyance:
Two family members share our Windows 98SE computer, and today I had to use that computer because somebody was using mine. When the Family Logon dialog box appeared, my name wasn't on it. It's annoying that there's no way to add a username to the list. The Fix:
When you see the Family Logon dialog box, Windows hasn't yet finished booting, so the Windows features, including the Add User feature, aren't yet available. To add a name to the Family Logon dialog box list, you must add the user profile to the computer. Tip: If nobody in the Family Logon dialog box is available to log on and add your name to the Users list, click the Cancel button on the dialog box and do it yourself. Windows 98SE doesn't care who logs on, and lets anybody do anything (see "Earlier Versions of Windows Are Not Secure"). EARLIER VERSIONS OF WINDOWS ARE NOT SECURE
The Annoyance:
I installed the Family Logon feature so that only those users who exist on the computer (and appear on the Family Logon list) can get into the computer. However, there's a Cancel button on the Family Logon dialog box, and clicking it lets you into the computer, even if you're not an authorized user. The Fix:
If your computer runs Windows Me or any version of Windows that starts with a 9 (95/98/98SE), find a blackboard and write the following sentence 100 times until you've memorized and absorbed it: "My version of Windows is not secure, it can't be made secure, and anybody can get into the computer and reconfigure the settings, rip off the data, delete files, and generally do anything they want to do." If you want security and controls, update your computer to Windows XP. CAN'T BYPASS THE USER LIST IN WINDOWS XP
The Annoyance:
I don't usually work on our Windows XP computer, but when I need to use it, my name isn't on the list. It's annoying that I can't bypass or add my name to the list so that I can use the computer. The Fix:
Security is annoying, but it's a great idea. Your Windows XP computer is imposing controls to keep out people who shouldn't be messing around on the computer. Have one of the authorized users add your name to the computer's User List. The user you ask must have Administrative status; a Limited User can't add names to the computer's user list. ELIMINATING PASSWORDS ISN'T A GOOD IDEA
The Annoyance:
My Windows XP computer doesn't have any way to bypass the Logon window if your name isn't on the list. It's annoying that the instructions for using Windows don't point out that a good workaround is to skip entering passwords for the users you create. That way, anyone can select any name and use the computer. I've eliminated passwords and now we don't have a problem letting anyone use this computer. The Fix:
Sure, and "anyone" includes your kids' friends or any other person visiting your home who thinks it would be fun to log on to the computer with your name and look at your private documents, change your settings, and generally wreak havoc. Did you create automatic logons for web sites where you buy products and keep your credit information? Ouch! Want to rethink your solution? ONLY COMPUTER ADMINISTRATORS CAN CREATE USERS IN WINDOWS 2000/XP
The Annoyance:
My daughter was using one of our Windows XP computers, and I asked her to add me to the user list for the computer. When she opened the User Accounts applet in the Control Panel, no option for creating accounts appeared. In fact, only her own account was listed, along with options for making changes to it. The Fix:
Your daughter doesn't have the permission required to create a new account. Only users who are configured as Computer Administrators can perform this task. Your daughter's account is configured as a Limited User. You'll have to have someone with administrative access create your user account. LOGON WINDOW DOESN'T INDICATE ACCOUNT TYPE
The Annoyance:
When the Logon window appears, only the names are listed, without any indication of the user's account type. How do I know if I'm a Limited User or a Computer Administrator? The Fix:
I guess you're supposed to remember not only who you are (your logon name) and your password, but also what type of user you are. Unfortunately, the only way to find out is to try to perform some task that requires a Computer Administrator. Open the User Accounts applet in the Control Panel. If you see only your own account, you're a Limited User. If you see all the accounts, you're a Computer Administrator. Tip: Any Computer Administrator can change the account type for another user. PASSWORD DISKS ARE LIFE SAVERS!
The Annoyance:
One of our Windows XP users forgot his password and couldn't log on. Nobody could change his password because you have to know the original password to create a new password. In the end, I had to delete the user and re-create him. (Luckily, Windows XP copies the files in My Documents to another folder when you do this.) All the work involved with overcoming a forgotten password is very annoying. The Fix:
Setting up users on your network should include creating a password-reset disk. If you didn't perform that task as part of your user configuration for the computer, go back and create a password disk for each user now. A password disk lets you create a new password without entering the old password to complete the task. Warning: You can create password disks for other users only if your user account is configured for Computer Administrator. If your user account is configured for Limited User, you can create a password disk only for yourself. To create a password disk, open the User Accounts applet in the Control Panel and select the user for whom you want to create the disk (start with yourself). In the User Accounts window, select "Prevent a forgotten password" in the Related Tasks section in the left pane. Put a floppy disk in the floppy disk drive and follow the prompts of the Forgotten Password Wizard. The only information you have to enter in the wizard's windows is the current password for this user. Tip: The wizard suggests you label the floppy disk "Password Reset" and put it in a safe place. I disagree because if anyone sees it, it could be difficult to fight the temptation to use it. Label the floppy disk with the user's name and some innocuous title, such as "Work Schedule." Or, just use the user's initials on the label. To use the password disk, stare at the monitor for a few minutes as you try to remember your password. Scratch your head, bang the desk, or do whatever you usually do when you're having an annoying, frustrating memory lapse. Now go get your password reset disk from its safe hiding place. Click your name (I'm assuming your memory lapse is limited to your password, and you still remember your name), and click the arrow (or press Enter) without typing in a password. Windows asks if you forgot your password, and offers a link to the password reset disk feature (see Figure 2-16). Put the password reset disk in the floppy drive and click the link. Follow the wizard to create a new password and (if you want) a new password hint (see Figure 2-17). Windows changes your password and returns you to the Logon window. Enter your new password (you can't possibly have forgotten it this fast) and log on to the computer. Figure 2-16. Windows offers to help you create a new password if you have a password reset disk.
Figure 2-17. This is the only way to create a new password without having to enter the current password.
Tip: Windows resets the password disk with your new password, so if you forget again, the password disk continues to work.
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