Much thanks indeed to Don !, Eddie B !, and Gman! As each chunk of advice from these sage and learned gurus reaches me, it onlyhighlights the woeful depth of my ignorance (which fortunately is being stripped away layer by layer) though the overburden, including my comprehension is fearfully thick. 1. No I don't have any Utility for managing desktops, but 2. Yes the top of the Start button shows RMB White (I don't ever remember creating this, but must have done so at some stage when I had got myself intoanother pickle) 3. I have clicked on each of the other Desktops (Administarator, All Users, Default User, then next in the C:\Docs and settings comes Local Service, thenNetwork Service and finally RMB White) and all these other Desktops open as a BLANK.....so we make progress ! 4. However Administrator contains NO programs except a couple under Startup 5. All users contains NO programmes except the COMPLETE DECK of Programmes under Startup 6. Default User contains a couple of Programmes under Startup and 7. All the major contents of the computer are under R.M.B.White (except thatunder IT'S Startup there is only Acronis, Administrative Tools, Cooliris,EnditAll, Irfanview and Winderstat) This means incredibly long pathways, e.g. "C:\Docs and Settings\R.M.B. White\Desktop\My Documents\MY DOCUMENTS\Mozart in Salzburg". Shouldn't it just go "C:\Desktop\My Documents\......... ?? and if so, HOW do I reset everything without falling flat on my face?? Please help. Roger W ps all this may have something to do with my continuing inability to make thetouchpad work; and other gremlins. On 19/08/2009 5:26 p.m., Gman wrote: Roger! If you click on the Start button,you may be able to see the username that you're booted into right there near the top of the main menu. I suspect that your normal bootup doesn't bother asking you for your username &/or password. If that's the case, then you are consistently booting into the same username each time and we'll need more specific info on what you're seeing here. As a couple of replies have mentioned, the Desktop.ini files contain various folder customizations (some that you've set, some set by the OS). They are system files and their removal will remove the customizations they represent. In alllikelyhood, you will NOT like the results of their removal. I cannot answer your last question without knowing much more about what we're really talking about here. By default, the original Windows installation creates at least two separate desktops. One is a part of the 'Default" user and is used as a sort of template for any users added after that original install. The other one is the primary Administrator account's Desktop. This is a part of the Admin account that is needed to make certain modifications to a system inthe event that all additional users are set to Limited accounts. If, duringthe original install, you create an account for yourself, this will create a third Desktop that is specifically a part of your personal account, regardless of whether you create it as a limited account or one with Admin privileges. Since I always set up my own Gman account on the XP systems I install for myself, every one of them has these three Desktop folders found within the main Documents &Settings folder. If that somewhat mirrors what you're seeing, then what you're seeing is 'normal'. On the other hand, if you, at some point, had added additional users and now want to remove them, let us know that and we'll walk you through the steps to reclaim whatever maybe stored within them before giving them the 'other' boot. Peace, Gman http://www.thevenusproject.com/index.php[1] "The entire future of humankind is yet to be written" ----- Original Message ----- From: "RMB White" <roguer@xxxxxxxxxx>[2] To: <pctechtalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>[3] Sent: Tuesday, August 18, 2009 4:28 AM Subject: -=PCTechTalk=- Re: How many "Desktop"s is enough?? Greetings Gman ! and Eddie B, and thanks for yr invaluable advice. However, I do not KNOW which account I have booted into, and sometimes it's different depending on which boot I am wearing. Is it REALLY NECCESSARY for me to have all these different Desktops?? and if not, how do I delete all except ONE (without deleting the stuff recorded under the others??) Roger W. --------------------------------------------------------------- Please remember to trim your replies (including this sentence and everything below it) and adjust the subject line as necessary. 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