From: "Rich" 

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   No.  This has been around for a long time.  A quick search turns up =
references to the default user desktop in Windows NT 4.0.  See =
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/winntas/maintain/featusability/p=
rof_pol.mspx?mfr=3Dtrue.  I believe it was introduced in Windows 95 with =
the introduction of the desktop.

   There are APIs to enumerate the local user profiles.  I don't know if =
any of the common setup toolkits do this.  Off the top of my head I = can't
name an application that does this.  More typical behavior that I = do see
are application that create there icons on first run.  Outlook = and WMP
are ones that I see do this.  It's a model that is both simpler = and more
robust.  It's simpler because setup need do nothing.  It's more = robust
because it works both with existing users as well as new local = users and
roaming users.  It's also friendlier in that users that don't = run apps
don't get the icons for them.  The downside is that if your app = isn't
discoverable you aren't putting something in the user's face to = advertise
your app.

   Group policy is something else entirely.  With group policy and app =
deployment you can install apps or even create icons for apps that = aren't
installed until the user uses them.  For this kind of stuff where = the
central admins make the choices and the user's don't the all users =
desktop is appropriate for per-machine policy and the user's desktop for =
per-user policy.

Rich

  "John Beckett" 
wrote in message =
news:iihl4252df0ub3vkgu4jtdskqabtvk6d6u{at}4ax.com...
  "Rich"  wrote in message news::
  > Firefox's installer is poorly behaved.  Instead of adding a shortcut =
to
  > the desktop of existing users and the default profile for new users
  > it adds it to the single administrator restricted all users profile.
  > This is an unfriendly choice on Windows XP and earlier releases too.

  How does an installer add a shortcut to the profile of existing users =
and
  to Default User? Is that something new in Vista? I imagine you would =
need
  a bunch of ugly code to do that on Windows XP, or do the high-end =
setup
  programs provide this feature?

  If you deployed an app from an always-available server share with =
Group
  Policy, you could achieve the above effect. It didn't sound like you =
were
  talking about that.

  John

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No.  This has been =
around for a=20
long time.  A quick search turns up references to the default user
= desktop=20
in Windows NT 4.0.  See http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive/winntas/maintain/featusa=
bility/prof_pol.mspx?mfr=3Dtrue">http://www.microsoft.com/technet/archive=
/winntas/maintain/featusability/prof_pol.mspx?mfr=3Dtrue. =20
I believe it was introduced in Windows 95 with the introduction of = the=20
desktop.
 
   There are APIs to =
enumerate the local=20
user profiles.  I don't know if any of the common setup toolkits do =

this.  Off the top of my head I can't name an application that does =

this.  More typical behavior that I do see are application that = create=20
there icons on first run.  Outlook and WMP are ones that I see
do=20 this.  It's a model that is both simpler and more
robust.  = It's=20
simpler because setup need do nothing.  It's more robust because
it = works=20
both with existing users as well as new local users and roaming = users. =20
It's also friendlier in that users that don't run apps don't get the = icons for=20
them.  The downside is that if your app isn't discoverable you = aren't=20
putting something in the user's face to advertise your app.
 
   Group
policy is something =
else=20
entirely.  With group policy and app deployment you can install = apps or=20
even create icons for apps that aren't installed until the user uses =
them. =20
For this kind of stuff where the central admins make the choices and the = user's=20
don't the all users desktop is appropriate for per-machine policy and = the user's=20
desktop for per-user policy.
 
Rich
 

  "John Beckett" <FirstnameSurname{at}com=">mailto:FirstnameSurname{at}compuserve.com.omit">FirstnameSurname{at}com=
puserve.com.omit>=20
  wrote in message news:iihl4252df0=
ub3vkgu4jtdskqabtvk6d6u{at}4ax.com..."Rich"=20
  <{at}> wrote in message  * Origin: Barktopia BBS Site http://HarborWebs.com:8081 (1:379/45)

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