Master Windows NT Explorer The Desktop and Program Groups Paul Jones
Where are shortcuts and other objects I've placed on my desktop really stored?
If you've spent time on a Windows 95 PC, you've probably become accustomed to opening the WindowsDesktop folder. That's the easy-to-remember location for a simple, easy-to-use operating system intended for a single user.
On a Windows NT system, though, you'll need to go at least two layers deeper to find your Desktop folder. Because NT is designed to allow multiple users to log in without stomping all over each other's data, every user gets a separate Desktop folder stored alongside a brace of other user-specific folders (Start Menu, Favorites, and the like) beneath the WinntProfilesUsername hierarchy of folders.
With Windows applications that use the new, Windows 95-style common dialog boxes, this distinction is pretty much academic--you'll always find the Desktop at the top of the Explorer tree. But for older Windows and DOS apps, it's helpful to know how to quickly find your own Desktop when you want to save or open a file.
What happens when I install a new application under Windows NT 4.0?
That depends on what type of user you are. If you've been given the permissions of an ordinary user or power user, the application will be available to you alone. Any program groups created by the setup program will appear only on your personal Start menu. On the other hand, if you have logged in with administrator privileges, the installation will appear by default in the Common groups found at the bottom of the Programs list for every user of that system. Look in WinntProfilesAll UsersStart Menu to manually remove or add items to this list. Of course, you'll need administrator rights to do that, too.
