# Sharing from one user account to another

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-from-one-user-account-to-another/579146>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 20, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-from-one-user-account-to-another/579146 "2011-04-20T22:27:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-from-one-user-account-to-another/579146/1 "2011-04-20T22:27:09Z")

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This probably is a dirt simple question but how does one share programs between user accounts? (programs like Word, Excel, Firefox, Thunderbird and so on)

I can’t find the specific information I need under "User Accounts)

I’m running Window 7 with Firefox as a browser.

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**Author:** ![typoink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecb155/32.png) [@typoink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/typoink)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-from-one-user-account-to-another/579146/2 "2011-04-20T22:32:25Z")

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If it’s dirt simple, then I’m dumb as dirt, too.

In my experience, if you install while logged into the admin acct, it’ll generally install for all accounts. But not always. There’s plenty of apps I’ve had to manually install to both the UAs on my Win7 PCs. And generally have to do any tweaks to them seperately, as well.

It’s something I’ve been wanting Windows to do for a while: allow me to log into a “universal” admin account that allows changes that are mirrored by both my user accts.

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**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2011, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-from-one-user-account-to-another/579146/3 "2011-04-20T23:39:33Z")

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Come on, guys, I need to know how to do this.

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**Author:** ![drachillix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/48db29/32.png) [@drachillix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drachillix)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-from-one-user-account-to-another/579146/4 "2011-04-21T02:22:25Z")

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The program should be available to any account in windows, you may have to make a shortcut to it manually. Try copying a shortcut to the shared docs or public folder, switch users, move shortcut to desktop.

You could just copy and paste directly from one user desktop to another if you know how to navigate windows file system well enough.

If need be, PM me and I will remote into you and demonstrate.

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**Author:** ![LouisB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dfb087/32.png) [@LouisB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LouisB)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2011, 10:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sharing-from-one-user-account-to-another/579146/5 "2011-04-21T10:31:25Z")

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> [@drachillix](#):
>
> The program should be available to any account in windows, you may have to make a shortcut to it manually. Try copying a shortcut to the shared docs or public folder, switch users, move shortcut to desktop.
> 
> You could just copy and paste directly from one user desktop to another if you know how to navigate windows file system well enough.
> 
> If need be, PM me and I will remote into you and demonstrate.

My brain is dead.  
I forgot that I owned a memory stick; using it might have been cumbersome but it worked.  
I appreciate your offer but I think I’m okay now.  
Damn these senior moments anyway.