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Centrally Managing User Settings with IcyScreen

IcyScreen has many features built-in that make it easy to centrally manage multiple user's settings from within the program. At the top of the setting window, you'll find a list that, when clicked, looks something like this:

This list will contain at least two entries on all systems: My Local Settings: Settings accessible only to the currently logged-in user (you) and those with administrator privileges. For most users, this is the only entry you'll ever need to worry about. Global Settings: Settings accessible to all users on the system. Most users can safely ignore this item; however, users/administrators who wish to have certain (or all) users use the same settings will find this entry very convenient. These settings can be modified by all users unless you have enabled write-protection (see the Security tab) or are running on a non-elevated account under Vista/7 (see the note below). If one of these two items contains the text "(in use)" next to it's title, that means that IcyScreen is currently utilizing those settings for the user who is currently logged-in (you). Viewing and modifying the settings of other users If you have the proper administrator privileges (if you can install software, you most likely have these privileges), and there is more than one user on the system, below the My Local Settings and Global Settings entries you'll find a selectable entry listed for each user account on the system, with the exception of your user account, as this is represented by the My Local Settings entry. Let's say you have three user accounts on your system: Bob, Johnny, and Lisa. Below My Local Settings and Global Settings, you would see: Bob's Settings Johnny's Settings Lisa's Settings Select Bob's Settings and you'll be able to view and modify Bob's settings; select Lisa's Settings and you'll be able to view and modify Lisa's settings, and so on. This makes it easy to maintain different settings for different users -- while Bob is logged in, and IcyScreen is running under his account, you may want to have a screenshot taken of his screen every 30 seconds, whereas while Lisa is logged in, and IcyScreen is running under her account, you may only want a screenshot to be taken of her screen every 60 seconds. For Bob, you may only want to have the screenshot e-mailed, whereas for Johnny and Lisa you may want the screenshot saved to disk and uploaded to a web server via FTP. Note: Users who are using Windows Vista/7 will need to run IcyScreen with elevated administrator privileges in order to modify the Global Settings and/or other user's settings. To run IcyScreen with elevated administrator privileges, simply right-click IcyScreen's icon and select 'Run as Administrator'. Saving time by making use of the Global Settings Of course, most users won't want to spend time manually configuring each user's settings. You may only want to configure custom settings for a few specific users, while having all other users on the system use the same settings. You can choose which users are to use the Global Settings and which users are to use their own individual settings in the Users tab of the setting window. To get to this tab, select Global Settings from the username list at the very top of the setting window and click the Users tab on the left-hand side of the window. The process is fairly straightforward, and is explained in further detail here; all you are really required to do is check the box next to the user(s) whom you want using the Global Settings, and uncheck the box next to the user(s) whom you want using their own individual settings, as set in USER's Settings for user's other than yourself, or My Local Settings for your own individual settings. Setting files When My Local Settings is selected from the username list and the Save These Settings button is clicked, IcyScreen saves the settings in the window to the Application Data/AppData folder of the current user (you). These settings are specific to you. When USER's Settings is selected (replace USER with whichever user you have selected) from the username list and the Save These Settings button is clicked, IcyScreen saves the settings in the window to that user's Application Data/AppData folder. These settings are specific to the user whom you have selected in the list. On the other hand, when Global Settings is selected from the username list, and the Save These Settings button is clicked, IcyScreen saves the settings in the window to the All User Application Data/ProgramData folder, which means that these settings can be used by any user on the computer (but not necessarily modified by them; see the note above as well as the Security tab. Setting file locations The actual directory path will vary from system to system, so you should manually check to see where the Application Data folder is located, but the guide below should be accurate for most systems: The All Users program setting folder: On Windows Vista/7 it is usually C:\ProgramData\16 Software\IcyScreen\settings On Windows 2000/XP it is usually C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\16 Software\IcyScreen\settings On Windows 98/ME it is usually: C:\WINDOWS\All Users\Application Data\16 Software\IcyScreen\settings The Current User program setting folder. Assuming the currently logged-in username is JohnDoe: On Windows Vista/7 it is usually C:\Users\JohnDoe\AppData\16 Software\IcyScreen\settings On Windows 2000/XP it is usually C:\Documents and Settings\JohnDoe\Application Data\16 Software\IcyScreen\settings On Windows 98/ME it is usually C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\JohnDoe\16 Software\IcyScreen\settings The name of the setting file is always default.as. The setting file loading process For the convenience of system administrators and technical users, the setting file loading process is as follows: 1) IcyScreen first attempts to load the global setting file. 2) If the file exists, it then checks the settings inside this file (see the Users tab) to see whether or not the user who is currently running IcyScreen is to use the Global Settings. If so, then these Global Settings are used. Otherwise, the user's local setting file is loaded and used. 3) If the file does not exist, then the user's local setting file is loaded and used. Automatic setting file reloading IcyScreen checks both the local and global setting files frequently to see if they have been modified. If any have indeed been modified, IcyScreen will automatically reload them, and depending on whether or not the reloaded setting file should be used -- the decision process is described in detail above -- it will use the reloaded settings. This feature makes it easy for network administrators to modify a user's settings without having to manually reload IcyScreen. Simply copy the new setting file over to the correct location -- the locations are listed above -- and IcyScreen will reload it for you automatically.