From: Subject: MCSE - Win2000 Pro Study Notes Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2004 10:13:38 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="windows-1250" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: http://defoenet.com/MCSE/userprofiles.shtml X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2800.1165 MCSE - Win2000 Pro Study Notes

Windows 2000 Administration For Dummies - Step-by-step = instructions on how to take advantage of all the Windows 2000 management = tools.=20 Discover how to administer users and groups, partition files and make = backups,=20 manage clients, make the most of Active Directory, build in ironclad = security,=20 troubleshoot problems, and more. Softcover

User Profiles

User Profiles let different users maintain their own individual = setings and=20 preferences. They make it possible for different users to share the same = computer while each keeps his own settings; profiles can also enable a = user to=20 log on to different computers and still see the their usual desktop = environment.=20 If a configuration option is a personal preference, it is most likely a = part of=20 the user profile. Configuration options that relate to the computer = itself are=20 not a part of the user profile. For example, the mouse driver is not a = part of a=20 user profile. However, the properties of the mouse configuration - such = as its=20 speed, the pointer, and the mouse button setings - reflect the user's = personal=20 preferences and are a part of a user profile.

Following are some of the settings saved in user profiles:
Settings Preferences stored in User Profile
Windows Explorer View of Windows Explorer, mapped network drives, = types of=20 files that are displayed
Control Panel Screen appearance, accessibility options, mouse and = keyboard preferences
Printer Settings Network printer connections
Taskbar All settings, including program items and their=20 properties
Accessories Preferences for programs such as Calculator, = Command=20 Prompt, and Notepad
Online Help Bookmarks Any bookmarks that the user has set in the Windows = 2000=20 help program
Windows 2000 Applications User configuration setings for applications that = support=20 such settings

You can think of a user profile as containing two big categories of=20 information: Registry stuff and non-registry stuff.=20

Note: You should see an "All Users" folder in the main profile = folder=20 of you machine. The contents of this folder combine with the = contents of=20 a user's individual profile folders to create the actual user profile. = So, for=20 example, the actual Start menu that you see is rally the sum of all the=20 shortcuts in C:\Documents and Settings\\Start Menu plus all = the=20 "community" shortcuts in C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu. = Only=20 administrators can add, change, or delete contents of the All Users = folder.=20



LOCAL PROFILES

Local profiles are user profiles that live on a particular PC, as = opposed to=20 a network location. A local profile stays on the local hard drive of a = single=20 PC. The drawback of local user profiles is that they are available only = on the=20 computer where they were created.

For users to be able to access their user profile from any computer = they log=20 onto, you need to use roaming profiles.

With Windows 2000, unlike Win 9x, you don't ahve to take a separate = step to=20 activate user profiles; the feature is already "on". Also unlike Win 9x, = you=20 can't just log on with a new user name and hae Win 2000 create and = account for=20 you automatically. You have to create the account ahead of time and then = log on.=20

To create a local profile on a machine that is not on a = network domain=20 you can:=20

To create a local profile on a machine that is is on a network = domain=20 and you want to add a user who's already defined on the domain you can:=20

On a machine that is on a network domain where you want to add = a lcoal=20 (non-domain) user, run the Users and Passwords control panel and user = the=20 Advanced tab.


ROAMING PROFILES

A roaming profile is stored on a network server and allows = users to=20 access their user profile, regardless of the client computer they're = logged on=20 to. The procedure for creating a roaming profile is to create a folder = on the=20 server for profile data =3D> point the user's account to that folder = =3D> load=20 that folder with customized profile information that Win2000 will = download the=20 next time the user logs on at any PC.

On a networked PC with roaming profiles enabled, Win 2000 maintains a = user-specific copy of NTUSER.DAT under C:\Documents and = Settings\ just=20 as it does with locl profiles, but Windows 2000 keeps a copy on the = network=20 also. Here's what happens on the network:=20

  1. When you log on, Win 2000 checks for an NTUSER.DAT file on your = local hard=20 drive. It also checks for an NTUSER.DAT file in the user's profile = directory=20 on the server.=20
  2. If either copy of the NTUSER.DAT file is newer than the other, Win = 2000=20 updates the older version and then starts up. (It also does this for = the=20 USRCLASS.DAT file.)
When you log off, Win2000 copies any = changed=20 profile settings back to your profile folder on the network, so the = latest=20 settings and documents are avilable next time you log on - wherever you = log on.=20

By default, the folders History, Local Settings, Temp, and Temporary = Internet=20 Files do no "roam" with the user. You can specify additional files that = you'd=20 like to exclude from the roaming profile. Run the Group Policy utility = and=20 modify the Exclude Directories in Roaming Profile policy. You can find = it under=20 User Configuration \Administrative Templates\System\Logon-Logoff. This = policy=20 modifies the text file C:\Documents and Settings\\NTUSER.INI =

MANDATORY PROFILES

A Mandatory Profile is a profile that can't be modified by the = user.=20
Only the members of the Administrators group can manage mandatory = profiles.=20
You can create mandatory profiles for a single user or a group of = users.=20
The mandatory profile is stored in a file named NTUSER.MAN.
A = user with=20 a mandatory profile can set different Desktop preferences while logged = on, but=20 those settings

You can replace the NTUSER.DAT file that resides in the user's = network=20 directory with an NTUSER.DAT file that you want to make mandatory and=20 unchangeable.=20

  1. Create a roaming profile folder as you would normally.=20
  2. Copy the NTUSER.DAT file you want to use into that folder.=20
  3. Rename it NTUSER.MAN and you've created a mandatory user profile. =

If you want point a whole group of users to the same mandatory = profile, point=20 every user in the group to the same roaming profile folder.


Back=20