Installing multiple users on one machine

With these instructions, each User will have his or her own unique environment (for example, bookmark bar, desktop, address book, user dictionary, and so on.) but will share a commmon program directory. (From an R5 Help Desk Class in Atlanta, GA at New Horizons.)

1. Exit Notes.
2. Using Windows Explorer, create a data folder for another user (for example, c:lotusnotesssdata).
3. Copy all files and folders in your data directory (lotusnotesdata) to the new user's local data directory created in step 2.
4. In the new user's local data directory, delete the following files:
USERNAME.ID
BOOKMARK.NSF
CACHE.DSK
DESKTOP5.DSK
NAMES.NSF
all database files (.nsf) except HELP
*.BOX (if it exists)
Note: Do not delete the folders in the data directory
5. Move the NOTES.INI file from the lotusnotes directory to the lotusnotesdata directory
6. COPY the NOTES.INI file in the lotusnotesdata directory to your new users local data directory
7. Open the new users NOTES.INI file. Keep the first four lines and delete the remainder of the file.
8. Make the following changes to the NOTES.INI file:
Directory=[new user's local data directory]
(for example, directory=c:lotusnotesssdata)
Notesprogram=[Shared program folder]
(for example, notesprogram=c:lotusnotes)
WinNTIconPath=[new user's SmartIcon folder]
(for example, winnticonpath=c:lotusnotesssdataw32)
9. Choose File---> Exit. Click Yes to save the NOTES.INI file.
10. Find and select the NOTES.EXE file. Then, choose File =>Create Shortcut.
11. Drag the new shortcut to your Windows desktop and rename it to reflect the new user's name ( for example, Sam's Notes)
12. Select the shortcut icon. Choose File=>Properties
13. Change the Start in: field to the path of the new user's local data directory ( for example, c:lotusnotesssdata).Click O.K.
14. Start Notes, Complete the workstation setup as you would on a new user.
15. Repeat Steps 1 through 14 for each new user
16. Choose Start = Settings=Taskbar & Start Menu....
Select the Start Menu Programs tab. Click Remove
click the + to the left of Lotus Applications
Select Lotus Notes. Click Remove
Click Close. Then, Click OK.
17. Create a new desktop shortcut for the original user by following steps 10-13

** I would test this on a machine before implementing it with active users.

User Feedback

• I don't really wanna submit a new tip because this one by Dale Gissendanner is awesome...I just want to expound on it. If you create the desktop shortcuts to nlnotes.exe instead of notes.exe more than 1 person can run at a time off the server (terminal, or desktop). We will use this tip in place of doing a shared install on a terminal server. Fantastic!--Jayme Hansen, TSA