SUperior SU

The SUperior SU application was designed to be not only a traditional SU utility but also a powerful desktop switcher utility that allows for running multiple shells on different desktops on behalf of different users. Smell the Unix-like power of a quasi-multisession environment on a Windows NT-based Workstation or Server.

When you normally log in to your Windows NT, 2000 or XP computer after having provided your user name and password (aka the "credentials"), a so-called "desktop" is created for you by a system component (the winlogon.exe process) that acts as the surface for your user shell, the taskbar, and all windows you create by starting programs.   For every logged in user, Windows creates this single desktop, that has the name "default" and is therefore often called the "default desktop". SUperior SU and its desktop switcher can create additional desktops for you and on each desktop that is created, a new taskbar and desktop background with links on it, etc. is created. The real cool thing is, that every desktop runs in the context of a user whose user name and password you provide prior to creation of the desktop.

This way it is easily possible to be logged in simultaneously with a number of different users and switch between these users' desktops with a press of a hotkey or a few mouse clicks. One possible usage scenario might for instance be that you are logged in on the default desktop as a local administrator (because you have work to do that requires administrative privileges) and that you then start a second desktop that runs under the auspices of a non-privileged user. On that desktop you can then safely surf the web or do other things that might do harm when running as a privileged user.

By pressing keyboard shortcuts you can switch between these desktops almost instantly. Of course, completely opposite or different usage scenarios are possible, SUperior SU will not force you to follow a certain usage pattern. SUperior SU's desktop switcher itself resides in the system tray and can be used via a context menu or keyboard shortcuts.