Master password? (WNT)

[Leenie]

Is there such a thing as a master password for all users on an NT network? We've recently added XP users to our network and I log in as the administrator to install various software and set up the pc's. However, when the user logs in they don't have all the software and the desktop is not the one I set up as the administrator. I realize that is the way XP works, but if I could log in as the user with a master password I wouldn't have to ask them to log in to do the setup and besides they don't have the rights to many of places I go on our network to get the software. What I've been doing is installing as the administrator and then changing the users password to something I can enter to finish installing and setting up the desktop. Then I have them change their password back. Too much work. A master password would be great. Does such a thing exist?
Thanks.

Colleen Lane
Milton Public Library

[Paul S]

If I have understood you correctly you could do the installation with the User still logged in if you use the runas command. To find out the correct syntax Start>Run> then type cmd and press return. Once at the command prompt type runas /?

If you want to setup the desktop then you need to modify the All Users or Default User profile.

Hope this helps...

<font color=green>Paul</font color=green>

[Leenie]

The thing is, I'm usually doing work on workstations on the weekends or at night when the user is away and logged out.

Colleen Lane
Milton Public Library

[The_Dude]

Log on as administrator, then go to start, settings, Taskbar and Startmenu, advanced, and advanced again. This is for win 2k, the menu may be a little diferent for XP. Look in the Documents and Settings folder. There are folders for the admin and each user and all users. Each one has a start menu and a desktop folder. If you drag and drop the missing icons from the admin desktop to the all users desktop everybody will have them. The draw back is if one person deletes one everybody looses it. I move them all from all users to the admin and then copy them to each user. You can do the same for the Start Menu, Programs folders.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by The_Dude on 09/27/02 13:04.</FONT></P>

[Leenie]

Thanks, that will help out quite a lot, but what about the printers I install as the administrator?

Colleen Lane
Milton Public Library