General

eMule allows you to choose, how you want to share your configuration and downloads with other users on your PC. This article explains the options eMule offers, which effects they have and which default directories will be used. If you are the only users on your PC, there is in general no need to change the default setting and you can skip this article.

The setting can be selected while installing eMule, but also anytime later in the Options => Extended Dialog. Please note that if you change this setting after installing eMule, any custom configuration, serverlist, downloads, ipfilter etc. will disappear. This happens because eMule will use another folder for its configuration files and downloads, and therefore won't load your previous settings . However you can always switch back to your previous setting (and therefore config folder) and everything will be back, so nothing is deleted or lost. The following paragraphs will explain each available setting for sharing eMule.

Settings

"Store config and downloads in the program directory"

All files eMule uses will be stored in the same directory (or subdirectories) where eMule.exe is located and all users will share the same configuration and downloads. This option is the default for all Windows versions except Vista and it is also the way eMule stored its files before the possibility to change this setting was introduced with eMule 0.48a. The advantage of storing everything in the program folder is that you can find all eMule related files without any searching and if you want to copy, backup or delete eMule, all you have todo is copy or delete this folder. Also no other traces (except optional registry settings) of eMule will be left in the host system. Please note, that this setting does not work by default on Vista if you install eMule into the default location, since Vista does not permit writing to the program directory.

This setting is also the way to go, if you want to use eMule portable for example with a USB-Stick. However, if the host machine already has another eMule installation which has a different setting, then the configuration files of the host installation will be used untill the setting is switched.

"Each user has its own configuration and downloads"

This is the option to choose if you do not want to share your configuration and downloads with other users of your PC and it is also the default for Windows Vista. Each Windows Account will use its own folders, so you will not see downloads from other users and you will have your own configuration, credits, serverlist and so on. The advantage of this setting is, that other users will not be able to mess with your downloads or your options, they can have their own name, friends and credits. Also, you could change the permission of your user folders (or enable encryption) and by this avoid that any other user of your PC is able to even see any of your eMule files or downloads (except the administrator of course).

"Everyone has the same configuration and downloads" (Vista Only)

This option has the same effect as the first one, but avoids any folder permission issues by using Windows's default folders for shared application data. So if you use Vista and want to share your configuration and downloads with all other users on your PC without running into any permission problems, choose this option.