Windows XP Home Edition - New User

[robby]

Hello to Everyone,
                          I am a new user to XP Home Edition and am a little confused with the different accounts, and the functions each user can perform, such as Windows Updates, PC Maintenance, and Program Installation.

I do not want anyone to be logged on as Administrator on a regular basis, but I am not sure if the computer has been defragmented or updated properly when performing these functions while logged into my user account.

Q. Does each user have to logon on to their account and repeat the Windows Updates and PC Maintenance/Defrag processes?

I have read some info says that you have to be logged on as the Administrator to install programs and some info says that regular User's can install most but not all programs.

I wonder if our user accounts have more rights then they should because we are all able to download and install programs from the internet.

Q. Is there a way I can see if all our accounts should be able to do this?

Q. Also, when installing new programs are they always available to each and every user's account?

I ask this because my son downloaded a program called Bear Share something or other from the internet that I believe has caused advertising pop-ups while I am browsing the internet and logged into my user account.

Q. While logged in to your own account, is there a way you can you avoid the negative effects of programs that your kids want to use?

I recently installed a virus program and spyware remover from the internet and would like these programs to scan all the files on the computer.

Q. Does each user have to logon on to their account and repeat the virus and spyware scanning processes?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Seriously confused  :-?,
Robby

[Dilbert]

Q. Does each user have to logon on to their account and repeat the Windows Updates and PC Maintenance/Defrag processes?

No. Changes to the hard drive affect the disk, not users.

I have read some info says that you have to be logged on as the Administrator to install programs and some info says that regular User's can install most but not all programs.

Correct. System administrators must be logged in to install some programs. Limited users cannot. If you aren't sure which you are, go to Start > Control Panel > User Accounts. If you're an admin, you can do anything on the computer. If you're limited, you're... limited.

I wonder if our user accounts have more rights then they should because we are all able to download and install programs from the internet.

Indeed, that is a danger. However, it's the Admin's job to make sure the computers don't contract a virus. If a user offends the PC by contracting a lot of viruses, the admin can change the password for a while.

Q. Is there a way I can see if all our accounts should be able to do this?

The start > control panel > user accounts shows who has admin priveleges and who doesn't.

Q. Also, when installing new programs are they always available to each and every user's account?

Some. You may be able to choose to install only for yourself, if there are multiple users. However, by default all users can access the programs you install.

I ask this because my son downloaded a program called Bear Share something or other from the internet that I believe has caused advertising pop-ups while I am browsing the internet and logged into my user account.

Make sure you have an Anti-Virus application. This Post may be of use to you.

Q. While logged in to your own account, is there a way you can you avoid the negative effects of programs that your kids want to use?

What kind of "negative effects"?

I recently installed a virus program and spyware remover from the internet and would like these programs to scan all the files on the computer.

Without knowing which one, I can't tell you how to do it.

Q. Does each user have to logon on to their account and repeat the virus and spyware scanning processes?

No. Again, you're affecting files, not users.

[robby]

Hello,

Thank you for your help Dilbert, I can now rest assured and save a lot of time from repeatedly running the virus, spyware scans, etc. on each user account.

With some of the info on the internet it is confusing. I read that you had to be logged on as the Admin. to do the Windows Updates, which is why I wasn't sure if they were updated properly because I was logged into my user account, not the Admin. account.

I also read to access the Admin. account you had to press F8 at start up and go into Safe Mode. I find this confusing because with my old OS - "98 SE" you could not access the internet while in Safe Mode.

Can the XP OS access the internet in safe mode, so you can access the Updates website?


The negative effects I was referring to with some programs are ones that have advertisments/spyware attached to them that cause pop-ups and while browsing.

The virus program and spyware remover I installed from the internet are AVG Free Edition from grisoft and Adaware from lavasoft.

Less confused  :-? ,
Robby

[Dilbert]

No, you cannot access the Internet in Safe Mode. However, your account, if it is a Computer Administrator, IS an admin account of sorts. It's not THE admin account, but that doesn't matter.

See, on my system I am not THE admin either, but I am an admin, and can do updates:



If your account says "computer administrator", you can run updates too, or set them to do it automatically. The updates will then affect all users, since these are disk updates.