Windows XP Profile
When you create a user account in Windows XP, a profile is made for that user account. The profile contains all the info about that user account such as whether it is a computer administrator or a user account. It also has the desktop settings for that user.
You can set up numerous accounts in Windows XP. You can put passwords on each user account so no others have access to it.
NOTE: If you forget the password or the password file gets corrupt you won't be able to access the account. You will end up having to delete the user account or contact Microsoft to see if they have a work around. You can create a password reset disk in case you forget the password. Be careful if you create the disk because anyone can use that disk to get by the password.
You can also set the account to either Computer Administrator or as a user. If it is set to computer administrator, the person will have access to everything on the computer. If it is set to user then it will have access to only the items you designate.
Setting it to user account is very tricky and difficult. You have to tell windows what files you want the user to have access to. Some programs won't run unless the access is setup correctly. Some programs will not run at all if the account is setup as a user if the program wasn't specifically designed for windows XP. On those programs you have to decide if you want to keep the account set to user and not use the program or set the account to administrator and keep the program. On those programs you need to consult the manufacturer of the program. They may have a patch to fix it.
You can setup each user to have their own desktop and themes. They can have their own email setup so when they sign in to their windows the email is there.
If you are having trouble with windows, try creating another windows account. If the problem happens on the new account then the problem is not with the profile. There can still be a software issue but not with the profile. If the problem doesn't occur on the new account then you can either transfer your account to this profile, keep troubleshooting to see if you can resolve the issue or reinstall the operating system.
For help with profiles, click here