What is the best possible way for me to:

1. Have a shortcut on each users desktop so they can open that, which opens FM Pro and automatically gives them a "main menu" type layout which would allow them to go to the different sections of databases that they may use.

Would I have a local database on each harddrive that I can create a shortcut for which then will give buttons to press to access the different hosted files?

I also want to include a login which will be activated when the user tries to go to a certain section off the main menu. Please help, I'm a noob!

I think this may be a good start.

Go to www.filemaker.com and click on the "Support" tab, then click on "Solutions and Tools" and download "FileMaker Solution Framework". It should answer most of your questions and help in other ways as well. It is an open solution so you can walk around inside and kick the tires. Let us know if we can be of any addational help...

hj

Would I have a local database on each harddrive that I can create a shortcut for which then will give buttons to press to access the different hosted files?

Yep, but you don't need buttons, you could simply set up a script to automatically run at startup (look in document preferences), and it should only open one hosted file, the one that will then open the rest (usually your main menu).

Search the Forums for "opener file." I posted a long explanation some time ago.

Thanks, guys. I created an opener file as a 'main menu' right now that is sitting on a shared folder on a server. I did it this way because if I need to make changes to the opener file, I won't have to replace it on all the workstations. Will this create any problems for me?

My opener files just open the hosted file (or the main file in the hosted solution) then close themselves: nothing else. No interface as such. The only time the opener files need changing is when the server changes IP number or the file name changes, which is almost never. So I put the opener file on the user's desktop. I distribute updated opener files as e-mail attachments.