Windows 7 User Accounts – How to get programs to appear under both but only need to be downloaded once?
Hello, I just bought a new Windows 7 PC for my personal use at home and have set up a secondary user account for my girlfriend to use. The problem I am running into is programs which I’ve downloaded (i.e. Chrome, Firefox, AIM, Gtalk, etc..) do not appear when she is logged in. Is there anyway to get them to show for both user accounts without my having to download and install them twice? Thanks!
May 26th, 2010 at 5:58 am
Hi there,
Sometimes programs will ask you during the installation process whether you want to install the program for the current user account only, or for all users of the computer. Sometimes they do not give you the option. Did you install Chrome, Firefox, etc. from the Admin account? If not, then the installers for those programs probably defaulted to single-user installation. In the future, install programs from the Admin account if you want them to be accessible to all users on your computer.
Here’s an FAQ on User Accounts for more information: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/Windows7/User-accounts-frequently-asked-questions
Cheers,
Walker
Windows Outreach Team
May 26th, 2010 at 1:41 pm
If you are installing them from an account with administrator privileges, then they should be available for all users.
If not, and you have an administrator account, you can always copy the shortcuts to the All Users’s Desktop or Start Menu.