# Guest account



## peterpan9988 (Feb 21, 2011)

Hi, 

I have got my own user account (obviously). I have family coming over soon and don't want them to use my account (also obviously). I want to grant them access to only certain programs (i.e. Google Chrome - without them seeing my bookmarks, or Photoshop - without them seeing my recent files list etc. You'll get my point).

Therefore I enabled Guest Account. Problem is: there are no icons or charms for the programs i want to grant access to and I don't know how to add those icons or charms to the start screen. 

When googling Guest Account, all the websites explain how to enable the guest account. I know how to enable or disable it. But what is the point on enabling a guest account that has no programs? :ermm:

I tried using Parental controls, to individually tick the programs for them to use, but apparently Win8 doesn't allow Parental Controls to be used with Guest Account. 

Bit confused... thought Guest Accounts were supposed to make life simple... So how do I add programs? Do I really have to re-install the programs completely in the Guest account with my admin password? So I'll have the program installed twice, once for my own account and once for the guest account? Or make a shortcut to the program in the C:\program files folder?

Thanks for your help.


----------



## shawnpb (May 30, 2010)

By default from Windows XP and newer the Guest Account and whom uses it will not have access to your personal files if they are under your user account. Which Version of Windows 7 do you have Home, Pro, Ultimate?

Also your profiles says you have Windows 7. This is a Windows 8 forum. Which one do you have installed?


----------



## peterpan9988 (Feb 21, 2011)

Thanks for replying. I have Windows 8 Pro installed. Not the beta, but the original, new, retail version. I mentioned charms. Windows 7 doesn't have those. Windows 7 does not have a start screen either, but only a desktop.

I am afraid your info is not correct either. From the guest account i can easily access my personal files, as all my personal files are stored on a seperate D: partition (separate from my OS partition on C. Actually, I even had to block the personal folders one by one yesterday, cause my guest account could still access them. I am guessing you made the assumption that my personal files would be stored in my user folder on the c: drive, just like my OS. Then your assumption would be correct. But to do that would obviously be madness.

Anyway, I was not asking about my personal files. I was asking how to add PROGRAM icons (from the programs installed under my admin account), to my start screen. In the meantime I found I could just add shortcuts from the installation folderon C: to my start screen, although that is not perfect as the names of the applications are not always the neat complete names in those folders, and you can't change the names of charms on the start screen.

Besides, if you right click the start screen, there is a button for "all apps". If you click that, most of the programs installed are listed there anyway. Problem is, I don't want the guest to have access to those programs. Only to programs i make available to them. There is no way in the guest account to prevent those programs from showing up under "all apps". 

Is this a win 8 fluke?


----------

