I:\Documents and Settings\All Users.WINDOWS\Application Data\start menu

[mrmomaz]

In looking for my start menu, I found that I have a 'all users'WINDOWS' section. Any ideas on what this is or why i have it? I have multiple WINXP/pro sp2 partitions, and this is the only one that has this extra 'all users. windows' section. everything works even tho programs are listed in both start menu- not duplicated.

having trouble srinking screen shot to fit upload?????? ideas????

[Sylvander]

This works with "User Profiles".
When a new user account is made...
That account would have [among other things] a Start Menu...
That would consist of entries from...
C:\Documents and Settings\...
All Users
Plus...
Default User [I think :confused: ]
Plus any entries chosen to be installed only to...
[Their Specific User Account Name]

They would NOT be given entries for those programs that were installed only to other account names.

Anyone logged into an administrative account could [provided they know how] edit/alter these entries so as to change the arrangements.

I use "Gadwin Print Scree" to specify/choose a [small 8.6 kB in this case] region of screen to be saved to a jpg file, then upload it to here. [See screenshot below]
.

[mrmomaz]

HI again,
I'm not sure i understand your answer. See the jpg to see if we understand each other.

All of my winxp/op's have multiple users, but only one has a
All users.windows folder.

BTW:
I tried your idea and finally got a jpg small enough to show my question. thanks for the idea.

[Sylvander]

Ah, I now see what you mean.
No wonder they say a picture is worth a thousand words. :)

That is strange.
My system doesn't include such as those.
Why would there be two similar but different folders named:
All Users
All Users.WINDOWS

And...
Default User
Default User.WINDOWS

Do you have two installations of Windows on the partition?

[Paul Komski]

This happens when a second installation is made into the same partition that originally had some Documents and Settings folders from another installation to avoid conflicts - even if one of the windows installations has since been got rid of.

You can determine your current "Windows" and "AllUsers" Folders by entering the system variables %windir% or %AllUsersProfile% respectively into the Address Bar of MyComputer or the Run Box.

If "the other" installation is redundant but you cant and want to acces the files within these Documents and Settings folders then you will need "to take ownership" of them. http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/308421

[mrmomaz]

would this happen if i did an inplace-install (not sure of the name - an installation of windows that reloads windows, but preserves all of the existiing programs.)?

[Paul Komski]

I can't say that I remember a repair installation (aka "an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of Windows XP (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;315341)") exhibiting this duplication of entries, which I think only occurs with a parallel installation into the same partition. With a parallel installation there will be two differently named Windows Directory folders and certain Documents and Settings and Program Files folders can be dupicated or overwritten.

I think the overwriting is likely to be more of an issue with a repair installation but I can't be dogmatic about it. Microsoft points out some of the potential for such lost data (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb%3Ben-us%3BQ312369) with repair installs.

I can remember this happening to me long ago when installing a new installation rather than an upgrade installation into an unmodified partition containing an earlier WinXP installation. That can also happen, by mistake, if you do not get given an option to repair such an earlier installation. This can happen for a number of reasons, but in particular if there is no boot.ini file in existence at the time. Setup then doesn't discover the Documents and Folders and Windows folders till it actually reaches the part of the setup when it has to install them.

[mrmomaz]

Thanks for the replies. I don't remember what all I did on one particular partition, so I'm gong to take Paul's reply as what I did and not worry about it. (And be careful in the future). Thanks for your imputs - much appreciated.