Can changes in one account auto-reflect in another account?

[Michael33]

Hi - just wondering if there's a way to make changes in one user account automatically reflect in another user account? Like maybe in appdata for example (appdata from admin auto-updates appdata for standard user, for example). I know I can do this manually by copy and paste, but I'm thinking automatically. Maybe there's a regedit or something that would accomplish this?

Thanks,
M33

 

[UsernameIssues]

It depends on what you want to update.

Can you be more specific?

 

[Michael33]

It depends on what you want to update.

Can you be more specific?

Like for document updates, browser changes, profile changes, etc.

 

[UsernameIssues]

Document changes:
If all users use Public folders, then all document, images, videos will be the same for all users. Apps can be set to point to those Public folders.

Browser settings:
Favorites can be shared by all via folder redirection. Any changes made by any user (standard or admin) will be seen/used by all other users. Browser settings like displaying Favorite bar would not be shared for browser like IE. You could use Chrome or a portable browser... then everything could be shared.

Profile changes:
I don't see a way to share most of those.


Maybe other forum members will chime in.

 

[Michael33]

Favorites can be shared by all via folder redirection.

Sorry, still novice. What is "folder redirection"?

 

[Michael33]

Apps can be set to point to those Public folders.

And sorry, how do I do that?

 

[UsernameIssues]

Why you are making these changes? Have all of the user accounts already been created? Is this for a computer at home or work? The reason why I ask: there might be better ways to achieve the same goal... but we need to know what the entire goal is. I suggest that you not move forward with these changes until we have had a chance to discuss the reasons/goals behind doing so. If desired, you can send me a Private Message to discuss this.

You mentioned that the accounts involved are standard and admin. Making these changes means that an infection that strikes a standard user can now infect documents uses by an admin user... because all of the documents would be in the same folder. Also, the admin user might need to create a place to put documents that the admin does not want to be shared/seen by all other users. Doing that might not be as easy as it sounds.

Favorites can be shared by all via folder redirection.

Sorry, still novice. What is "folder redirection"?

See this tutorial:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18629-user-folders-change-default-location.html

For your case, you would be moving C:\Users\username\Documents to C:\Users\Public\Documents

You would repeat that move for each folder of interest.
(e.g. Downloads, Music...)

Do not redirect each user's Desktop folder to the Public Desktop folder. You would need to create a new folder to be the target (destination) of the move. Perhaps, C:\Desktop\

You should know that many folders have aliases.
(e.g.
C:\Users\username\Documents
will appear as
C:\Users\username\My Documents
at times.)

Apps can be set to point to those Public folders.

And sorry, how do I do that?

It would vary by app. Most apps should use the user's folders by default. (e.g. when downloading a file, it should be downloaded to the user's folder named Download. If you do the steps in the tutorial mentioned above for each user, then no further action within the app should be required. However, for apps that create there own folders, those might need to be changed via settings within the app or via hard links. Let's deal with that only if it happens.

Problems might arise if the user tells the app to download files to a non-standard location (e.g. C:\Data).
The C:\Data folder could be made available for each user to access, but each user would need to know that one user put files in there.


If you opt to redirect user folders to the Public folder structure as I have suggested, and later change your mind about doing this - you could use option two in this tutorial to but things back the way that they were: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/18583-user-folders-restore-default-location.html

 

[Michael33]

Sorry, guess I didn't realize a little background info would have simplified things...

I'm the sole user of my home computer, and live alone. This post is related to another thread I have going about whether I can regulate my own internet access with OpenDNS, being the sole user. The only conclusion we've reached thus far is that I would have to use a standard account and password-protect my admins, to restrict having access to DNS settings. Admittedly annoying, but it seems like the only way.

My point here is that if I'm updating my standard account with daily changes, I don't want my main admin acct to be "left in the dark", not reflecting those changes. Like I mentioned, I know I can copy and paste (like appdata,etc), but only after retrieving admin password (which would be purposely difficult [somewhat] to obtain in order to pull off the aforementioned goal) and logging in as admin every time I want to reflect such changes to the admin acct.

Thank you for your suggestions. I'll take a look at the tutorials you mentioned and try your other solutions to see if that solves my problem. But based on your answers, it's clear I have a baseline ignorance of the fundamental structure and capabilities of the Windows file/folder system, like the characteristics, capabilities and permissions of groups, for example. Will having standard and admin in the same group accomplish the auto-reflecting I desire? Or is this ultimately no different than using public folders (with the same security vulnerabilities I suppose as well)? And what about the concept of "sharing" folders? Does this accomplish the same sharing functions inherent in groups? Or is this a way of superceding group permissions, in order to share between groups? Or do these questions just reflect the aforementioned ignorance?

A lot to learn....

And as far as those security vulnerabilities go, I'm willing to risk it for the convenience of auto-reflecting. I'll just have to be careful (antivirus, restore points before downloading,etc).

 

[UsernameIssues]

Okay, that info makes things so much simpler:

For your situation, you should (in my opinion) use the standard user for day to day usage. Save/use your browser favorites/bookmarks while using that account. Save your documents while using that account. You will probably never need to log onto the admin account. You never need to see the desktop or the folders for that admin account.

When you are using the standard account and you need to install something, you should be prompted for the admin credentials*. You just provide those credentials and the install should complete. There are a few apps where that does not work correctly, but that is how things are supposed to work. If need be, restart the computer, logon to the admin account, install stuff, restart the computer again and log back into your standard account. From what you have shared, I see no reason to be spending much time while logged on to the admin account.


*assumes the the UAC is turned on:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/299-user-account-control-uac-change-notification-settings.html

 

[Layback Bear]

This might be helpful UsernameIssues

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/378015-possible-self-regulate-using-opendns.html

 

[UsernameIssues]

This might be helpful UsernameIssues

http://www.sevenforums.com/general-discussion/378015-possible-self-regulate-using-opendns.html

Thanks.

Sadly, I have been following that thread, but I did not connect the dots that this thread was by the same member. I even tested the reg key encryption batch files offered in that thread after Michael33 said it ended all connectivity. It ended connectivity for my virtual machine too.


:::UNI forgets his senility:::