Anyone care to offer some Vista advice?

[BroHay]

I trying to setup a computer for my son for school and I do not quite understand the permission(s) aspect.

I'm wanting to keep the Admin account, and set him up on a standard user. I do not need him to have access to all the programs, and do not want to do a clean install because I still use the machine for various things.

I've tried enabling parental controls, but it gives too many options to know if I'm disabling something that is necessary to run or not. I've also tried right clicking on the properties to enable/disable permissions granting only Admin full permissions, but it does not work.

I've searched and read what it is I think I'm after, but I guess I'm missing the right keywords to give me the "a-ha" momment to be able to achieve what I'm after......

any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[BroHay]

basically, the end result is trying to remove shortcut icons from his desktop without removing them from the Admin account as well.

Thanks.

 

[dart1963]

if set up from the getgo... select "this user only" when installing the program....

after the fact.... just deny permissions to the individual folders under program files and that should do it... copy desktop shortcuts from all users to your account to clean off the desktop....

somewhere to start anyways

 

[BroHay]

I've never had to share a computer with another individual before, other than a work laptop with its own dedicated IT department.

I was able to select the right permissions to be able to delete the itunes shortcut from son's user account and not affect the admin account. However, the file is still able to be accessed from the start menu, and if clicked on, will allow him to install.

any idea(s) on how to limit the permissions to install???

 

[dart1963]

honestly, skipped vista, still love xp.... but run 7 pro at work... (major pita with all the uac, Microsoft made it very difficult figuring out what we need to do)

if he's a standard user account, should not be able to install anything....

sadly, at work, I have set up trouble employee's as "standard user" and they still get viruses/malware.... users with no install privileges able to get these poc programs...

Cobalt may have some insite... or one of us other it guys

Cobalt???

 

[Klurejr]

The key is moving the shortcuts in the Start menu out of the all users section and into just your account, that will remove them from showing when your son is logged in.

You can also use Local Policies to remove access to run certain programs, but that is probably more trouble than it is worth for what you are trying to accomplish.

The Start menu's should be accessible from the user folder.

Which Version of Vista are you running?

 

[BroHay]

Vista Ultimate - 64bit

If I click on the public folder, there is nothing there for me to move.

If I click on MY user account, I mainly have the file folders I've created/stored on the desktop, but do not have any desktop shortcuts

If I click on son's, there is nothing there to move.

I'm thinking that I stumbled on your last suggestion by adding his name to the security list under the heading of how the computer was initially setup, and then went into each programs properties and denied access for his user account from there.

I beat my head long enough, till it just starts to hurt, but where is "all users section and into just your account"?

Is that under the c:/local disk/users/.....?

Thanks.

 

[Klurejr]

If you right click on the start menu you can either open the folder you have access to or open the all users folders right from there.

Did the security feature you did work for what you need?

 

[BroHay]

So, if I delete the shortcut from the start menu in a particular user file, the only way to access the program is finding the .exe file from the directory? That would have made things MUCH easier when I was initially trying to figure a way to limit access.

Yes, by adding the user account to the security list, I was able to limit his access to programs and hard disk space for various storage/backups.

Thanks.

 

[Klurejr]

So, if I delete the shortcut from the start menu in a particular user file, the only way to access the program is finding the .exe file from the directory? That would have made things MUCH easier when I was initially trying to figure a way to limit access.

Yes, by adding the user account to the security list, I was able to limit his access to programs and hard disk space for various storage/backups.

Thanks.

Yes, but just be careful you do not delete the shortcut from the all users start menu, better to just move all the shortcuts from the all users start menu to your account's start menu, that way all the shortcuts are there, but only for your user account.