Working with Multiple User Profiles

About user profiles

User profiles let several people share the same copy of Communicator to access the Internet. For example, if you share your computer with other family members or colleagues, each user can create a user profile to keep Communicator settings, preferences, bookmarks, address book, and saved mail messages separate. Even if you are the only person using Communicator, you might want to create additional user profiles if you want to have more than one Internet account with the same Internet Service Provider (ISP), or if you want to have additional Internet accounts with different ISPs.

Note Communicator's user profiles are completely separate and work independently from your operating system's user profiles.

What Communicator saves in a user profile

When you install Communicator, it automatically creates a user profile for you. A user profile stores your Internet account settings as well as your Communicator preferences. Here's what Communicator stores in a user profile: Note While user profiles allow you to keep your own Internet account settings and Communicator settings separate from others, profiles are not private or password-protected; anyone can start Communicator using your user profile.

Note Conference preferences are separate from Communicator preferences and are not saved with your user profile.

How you can use multiple user profiles

User profiles let you share your copy of Communicator with others. When you create a user profile, Communicator lets you choose the Internet account that you want to associate with that user profile. Below are some typical ways in which you or others can connect to the Internet using the same copy of Communicator.

If you are the only person using Communicator, you can create additional user profiles if you want to:

If you share the same computer with others, each user can create a user profile. Multiple user profiles let you do the following:

User profiles and Netscape Conference

Since Netscape Conference is a separate application, if Communicator is not running and you start Conference from your desktop, you won't be asked to choose a user profile, even if Communicator has multiple user profiles. However, once you start one of Communicator's other components, you'll be asked to choose a user profile.

Creating a new user profile

When you installed Communicator and went through the account setup process, Communicator created a default user profile for you. Using the Profile Manager, you or others can create additional user profiles to meet your needs.

Creating a user profile to use with a new account

If you don't already have an Internet account,  you can use Account Setup to shop for and compare ISPs, so that you can choose one that best suits your needs.
  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  3. Click New, then click Next to advance.
  4. In the New Profile Setup dialog box, click No, and then click Next to advance.
  5. Enter the requested information in the screens that follow.

    6. Follow the instructions in Account Setup to create a new Internet account.
  6. Click Finish (Windows) or Done (Macintosh).

    7. Communicator starts so you can connect to the Internet using the new account.

Creating a new user profile to use with an account that you already have

Follow these steps if you already have an Internet account that you want to use with a new user profile.
  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  3. Click New, and then click Next to advance.
  4. In the New Profile Setup dialog box, click No, and then click Next to advance.
  5. Enter the requested information in the screens that follow.
  6. Choose the Internet account that you want to use with the new user profile.
  7. Click Finish (Windows) or Done (Macintosh).

    8. Communicator starts.

Creating a new user profile that uses the same Internet account as another profile

Follow these steps to create a new user profile that uses the same Internet account as another profile:
  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  3. Click New, and then click Next to advance.
  4. In the New Profile Setup dialog box, click Yes.
  5. Enter the requested information in the screens that follow.
  6. Choose the Internet account that you want to use with the new user profile.
  7. Click Finish (Windows) or Done (Macintosh).

    8. Communicator starts.

Creating a new user profile for connecting to a local area network (LAN)

If you typically use Communicator in an office that provides Internet access through a local area network connection, use the following procedure to create a user profile:
  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  3. Click New, and click Next to advance.
  4. Choose Advanced.
  5. Enter the requested information in the screens that follow.
  6. Click Finish (Windows) or Done (Macintosh).

    7. Communicator starts.

Creating a user profile for working offline or for use if you connect to the Internet using another communications program

If you want to create a user profile that lets you start Communicator without connecting to your Internet account, or if you use another communications program to connect to your account, follow the steps under Creating a new user profile for connecting to a local area network (LAN).

Using user profiles

Choosing a user profile to use with Communicator

When you start Communicator and there's more than one user profile, Communicator asks you to choose the profile you want to use.
  1. Start Communicator.
  2. When the Select Profile dialog box appears, choose the user profile that you want to use.
  3. Click Start Communicator.

Switching to another user profile

You must quit Communicator to switch to a different user profile.
  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start Communicator again.
  3. Choose the profile you want to use.

    4. See Choosing a user profile to use with Communicator.
  4. Click Start Communicator.

Bypassing your connection settings to work offline or over a LAN on a per-session basis

If you use a laptop computer and a modem to dial into your company's network when you're working offsite, and then use the same computer to connect directly to your company's network when you're working onsite, you can tell Communicator to bypass your connection settings when you're working onsite. You can also use this procedure to start Communicator without connecting to your Internet account to work offline, or when you want to use a connection you've already established to your account using another communications program.
  1. Start Communicator.
  2. When the Select Profile dialog box appears, choose the user profile that you want to use.
  3. Click Advanced.
  4. Check the checkbox.

    5. Checking this box tells Communicator to ignore the dial-in settings specified in your user profile and use the current network settings (such as your current LAN connection). Communicator uses this setting only for the current Communicator session.
  5. Click Start Communicator.

Working offline or over a LAN on a regular basis

If you typically work offline or over a LAN, you can disable the dialer settings associated with your user profile. Communicator uses your user profile to connect to your company's network using the current network configuration instead of your dial-up connection settings.
  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  3. Select the profile that you want to disable the connection settings for.
  4. Click Options.
  5. Uncheck the checkbox.

    6. Unchecking this box tells Communicator to ignore the dial-in settings in your user profile and use the current network settings (such as your current LAN connection). Communicator applies this setting across sessions, until you change it.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Click Start Communicator.

Accessing your Internet account from different locations (Windows)

If you use a laptop computer to access your Internet account from more than one dialing location--from home, work, and while traveling--you can set up different dialing locations:
  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Modems.
  3. Select the modem you are using.
  4. Click Dialing Properties.
  5. Enter the requested information.
  6. Click OK when you are done creating locations.
  7. Click OK to close the Modem Properties dialog box.
When you move from one location to another, do the following:
  1. Open the Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Modems.
  3. Select the modem you are using.
  4. Click Dialing Properties.
  5. Choose the location you want to use.
  6. Click OK to close the Dialing Properties dialog box.
  7. Click OK to close the Modem Properties dialog box.

Accessing your Internet account from different locations (Macintosh)

If you want to access your Internet account from more than one dialing location--from home, work, and while traveling--you can set up different dialing locations by:

Step 1: Setting up your dialing locations

To create a new dialing location configuration, follow these steps:
  1. Start FreePPP by double-clicking the FreePPP Dialer, located in your System Folder's Control Panels folder.
  2. In the FreePPP Dialer expanded window, click the Locations tab.
  3. In the Locations tab, click New if you want to create an entirely new configuration.

    4. If you want to create a new configuration based on an existing configuration, select the configuration from the list on the left and click Duplicate.
  4. In the Location Configuration dialog box, fill in or edit the text boxes as necessary.

Step 2: Associating a location with your user profile

  1. If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager by opening the Netscape Communicator folder, and double-clicking User Profile Manager.
  3. Select the profile that you want to associate with a location.
  4. Click Options.
  5. Choose the location you want to use.
  6. Click OK.

Changing user profiles

Changing your Internet account

Note  If you want to change your ISP, it is recommended that you first create a new user profile and then create a new account with the new ISP. Once you have your new account up and running, you can delete your old profile (and notify the old account that you are stopping service).

Follow these steps to choose a new Internet account.

  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start Account Setup in one of the following ways:
  3. Follow the instructions to change your ISP.

    4. If you have more than one user profile, choose the user profile that you want to use with the new ISP account.

Changing to an Internet account that's used by another profile

When you change your user profile to use a different Internet account, Communicator changes the phone number you use to connect, as well as the login name and password. Once Communicator is running, you must change your mail and group server preferences to complete the switch.
  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  3. Select the profile that you want to change.
  4. Click Options.
  5. (Windows only) Check the box that says "I do wish to setup my dialer configuration."
  6. Choose the ISP that you want to associate with the selected user profile.

    7. If the ISP you want to switch to is not listed, follow the instructions for setting up a new account.
  7. Click OK.
  8. In the Profile Manager dialog box, click Start Communicator.

Renaming a user profile

  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  3. Select the profile that you want to rename.
  4. Click Rename.
  5. Type the new name.
  6. Click OK.

Deleting a user profile

  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.

    2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  3. Select the profile that you want to delete.
  4. Click Delete.

Backing up or moving your user profile to another computer

Follow these steps to back up or copy your user profile to another computer so that you can use Communicator on another computer while maintaining your settings and preferences:

Note You can only copy your user profile to another computer that uses the same operating system. You can't, for example, use a Macintosh user profile on a Windows machine.

Note Your user profile folder can be several megabytes in size, especially if you have many saved mail and discussion group messages. To reduce the size of your profile folder before you copy it, you may want to delete unnecessary mail and discussion group messages, and clear your disk cache and history using the Preferences command on Communicator's Edit menu.

  1. (Windows) If Communicator is running, choose Exit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. (Macintosh) If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  3. (Windows) Locate your existing user profile by opening the C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users directory.

    4. (Macintosh) Locate your existing user profile by opening the Netscape Users folder, which is located in your System Folder's Preferences folder.
  4. Copy the profile folder to a diskette or to some other removable storage media.
  5. Take the diskette to the destination computer.
  6. (Windows) On the destination computer, copy the profile folder from the diskette to the C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users directory.

    7. (Macintosh) On the destination computer, copy the profile folder from the diskette to the System Folder:Preferences:Netscape Users folder.
  7. Start the User Profile Manager in one of the following ways:
  8. Click New.
  9. (Windows only) Choose Yes, No, or Advanced and click OK.
  10. Follow the instructions for creating a new user profile.
  11. (Windows) When the Profile Manager asks you to specify the location where your user profile will be stored, enter the pathname to the profile folder that you copied. For example, if you copied a profile folder called "Robin" into the C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users directory, enter the pathname: C:\Program Files\Netscape\Users\Robin.

    12. (Macintosh) When the Profile Manager asks you to specify the location where your user profile will be stored, click Choose and select the profile folder you copied into the System Folder:Preferences:Netscape Users folder.
  12. Click Next, and then click Done to create the user profile.

    13. Communicator starts up using the new profile.

Changing your modem

Using a different modem (Windows 95)

To use a different modem, do the following:
  1. Install the new modem according to the manufacturer's instructions.

    2. Be sure that the modem is properly connected to your computer and that it is turned on.
  2. Open the Control Panel.
  3. Double-click Modems.
  4. Click Add.

    5. Windows automatically detects your new modem and adds it to the list of installed modems.
  5. Click OK.
  6. Restart your computer to have the change take affect.

Using a different modem (Windows 3.1)

If the Shiva Remote Dialer is installed, the modem configuration information is
included in each .sr (shiva remote) file. To change the modem type or settings:
  1. Double-click the Shiva Remote Dialer icon.
  2. Open an .sr file.
  3. Click Properties.
  4. Select a modem type.
  5. In the modem type section, click New.
  6. Follow the instructions to install a new modem.
If the Shiva Remote Dialer is not installed, you must install the driver software that comes with the
modem.

Changing the modem associated with your user profile (Macintosh)

To change the modem associated with your user profile, you must:

Step 1: Creating a modem configuration

To create a new modem configuration, you use the Netscape Modem Setup program included with Communicator.
To use Netscape Modem Setup to create a new modem configuration, follow these steps:
  1. Install the new modem according to the manufacturer's instructions.

    2. Be sure that the modem is properly connected to your computer and turned on.
  2. In the Netscape Communicator folder, double-click the Netscape Modem Setup icon.

    3. The program automatically detects your new modem and its speed.
  3. If Modem Setup correctly identifies your modem, click the Use This Modem button.

    4. If Modem Setup incorrectly identifies your modem, click the Choose From List button to specify your modem manually. Modem Setup presents you with a list of modem manufacturers and a list of modem models and speeds. Select your modem manufacturer and model from the lists and click Use This Modem. If your modem manufacturer or model isn't displayed in the lists, select the manufacturer Hayes Compatible and the model that best approximates the speed of your new modem.
  4. Click Use This Modem.

Step 2: Associating the modem with your user profile

  1. If Communicator is running, choose Quit from the File menu to quit the program.
  2. Start the User Profile Manager by opening the Netscape Communicator folder, and double-clicking User Profile Manager.
  3. Select the profile that you want to associate with the new modem.
  4. Click Options.
  5. Choose the modem you want to use.
  6. Click OK.
  7. Repeat steps 3-6 for each profile that you want to associate with the new modem.