I have XP too.
mine is set on classic style view so maybe that is why it looks different on yours.??

I have tabs showing of
volume, sounds, audio, voice , hardware

ah ha that's probably it-
[The other way to view the Control Panel is by the Classic View, familiar to anyone who has used the Control Panel in previous versions of Windows. In Classic View, all the applets are dumped into the one folder. It may be a little intimidating to start with, but it makes it much easier to track down all the Control Panel items and reduces the number of clicks required to access them.]
more here-
http://www.geekgirls.com/articles/20...nel-shortcuts/



but I still think you would be happier if you made your own user profile on your computer.

You could have it all set up on your profile just the way you like it and Alan would have his - his changes shouldn't affect your use on your profile.

[Windows XP gives you the ability to create user profiles, which allows each user on your computer to have a separate log in. There are also additional benefits, such as allowing each user to have their own document folders and personal settings, such as desktop icons, Start menu items, favorites, etc. This also allows for greater privacy and less hassle of changing individual preferences for each user.]
step by step how to do it if you want to try-
http://www.worldstart.com/tips/tips.php/2891