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Lesson 4: Creating User Profiles
A user profile is a collection of folders and data that stores the user''s current desktop environment, application settings, and personal data. A user profile also contains all of the network connections that are established when a user logs on to a computer, such as Start menu items and mapped drives to network servers. User profiles maintain consistency for users in their desktop environments by providing each user with the same desktop environment that he or she had the last time that he or she logged on to the computer. This lesson introduces user profiles and explains the differences between local user profiles, roaming user profiles, and mandatory user profiles.
After this lesson, you will be able to
Explain the difference between a local user profile, a roaming user profile, and a mandatory user profile
Configure a local user profile
Create a roaming user profile
Create a mandatory user profile
Estimated lesson time: 45 minutes
User Profiles
On computers running Windows 2000, user profiles automatically create and maintain the desktop settings for each user''s work environment on the local
computer. A user profile is created for each user when he or she logs on to a computer for the first time.
User profiles provide several advantages to users:
More than one user can use the same computer, and each receives desktop settings when he or she logs on.
When users log on to their workstation, they receive the desktop settings as they existed when they logged off.
Customization of the desktop environment by one user does not affect another user''s settings.
User profiles can be stored on a server so that they can follow users to any computer running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 on the network. These are called roaming user profiles.
Application settings are retained for applications that are Windows 2000-certified.
As an administrative tool, user profiles provide these options:
You can create a default user profile that is appropriate for the user''s tasks.
You can set up a mandatory user profile, a profile that does not save changes made by the user to the desktop settings. Users can modify the desktop settings of the computer while they are logged on, but none of these changes is saved when they log off. The mandatory profile settings are downloaded to the local computer each time the user logs on.
You can specify the default user settings that will be included in all of the individual user profiles.
Profile Types
There are three types of user profiles:
Local user profile. A local user profile is created the first time you log on to a computer and is stored on a computer''s local hard disk. Any changes made to your local user profile are specific to the computer on which you make the changes.
Roaming user profile. A roaming user profile is created by your system administrator and is stored on a server. This profile is available every time you log on to any computer on the network. Changes made to your roaming user profile are updated on the server.
Mandatory user profile. A mandatory user profile is a roaming profile that can be used to specify particular settings for individuals or an entire group of users. Only system administrators can make changes to mandatory user profiles.
Settings Saved in a User Profile
A user profile contains configuration preferences and options for each user—a snapshot of a user''s desktop environment.
Table 7.14 shows the settings contained in a user profile.
Table 7.14 Settings Contained in a User Profile
| Parameters Saved | Source |
|---|---|
| All user-definable settings for Windows Explorer | Windows Explorer |
| User-stored documents | My Documents |
| User-stored picture items | My Pictures |
| Shortcuts to favorite locations on the Internet | Favorites |
| Any user-created mapped network drives | Mapped network drive |
| Links to other computers on the network | My Network Places |
| Items stored on the Desktop and Shortcut elements | Desktop contents |
| All user-definable computer screen colors and display text settings | Screen colors and fonts |
| Application data and user-defined configuration settings | Application data and registry hive |
| Network printer connections | Printer settings |
| All user-defined settings made in Control Panel | Control Panel |
| All user-specific program settings affecting the user''s Windows environment, including Calculator, Clock, Notepad, and Paint | Accessories |
| Per-user program settings for programs written specifically for Windows 2000 and designed to track program settings | Windows 2000-based programs |
| Any bookmarks placed in the Windows 2000 Help system | Online user education bookmarks |
Contents of a User Profile
Local user profiles are stored in C:\Documents and Settings\user_logon_name folder, where C:\ is the name of your system drive and user_logon_name is the name the user enters when logging on to the system. Roaming user profiles are stored in a shared folder on the server. Table 7.15 lists the contents of a sample user profile folder.
Table 7.15 Contents of a Sample User Profile Folder
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Application data folder* | Program-specific data—for example, a custom dictionary. Program vendors decide what data to store in the user profile folder. |
| Cookies folder | User information and preferences. |
| Desktop folder | Desktop items including files, shortcuts, and folders. |
| Favorites folder | Shortcuts to favorite locations on the Internet. |
| FrontPageTempDir folder | Temporary folder used by Microsoft Front Page. |
| Local Settings folder* | Application data, History, and Temporary files. Application data roams with the user by way of roaming user profiles. |
| My Documents folder | User documents. |
| My Pictures folder | User picture items. |
| NetHood folder* | Shortcuts to My Network Places items. |
| PrintHood folder* | Shortcuts to printer folder items. |
| Recent folder* | Shortcuts to the most recently used documents and accessed folders. |
| SendTo folder* | Shortcuts to document-handling utilities. |
| Start Menu folder | Shortcuts to program items. |
| Templates folder | User template items. |
| NTUSER.DAT file* | Stores user registry settings. |
*Indicates item is hidden.
Using the My Documents folder centralizes all user settings and personal documents into a single folder that is part of the user profile. Windows 2000 automatically sets up the My Documents folder and it is the default location for storing users'' data for Microsoft applications. Home directories can also contain files and
programs for a user. Home directories are covered in the next lesson.
Local User Profiles
Windows 2000 creates a local user profile the first time that a user logs on at a computer, storing the profile on that computer. The local user profile is stored in the C:\Documents and Settings\user_logon_name folder, where C:\ is the name of your system drive and user_logon_name is the name the user enters when
logging on to the system. When a user logs on to the client computer running Windows 2000, the user always receives his or her individual desktop settings and connections, regardless of how many users share the same client computer.
A user changes his or her local user profile by changing desktop settings. For
example, a user may make a new network connection or add a file to My Documents. Then, when a user logs off, Windows 2000 incorporates the changes into the user profile stored on the computer. The next time that the user logs on, the new network connection and the file are present.
Roaming User Profiles
To support users who work at multiple computers, you can set up roaming user profiles. A roaming user profile is a user profile that you set up on a network server so that the profile is available to the user no matter where the user logs on in the domain. The user always receives his or her individual desktop settings and connections, in contrast to a local user profile, which only resides on one client computer.
When a user logs on, Windows 2000 copies the roaming user profile from the network server to the client computer and applies the roaming user profile settings to that computer. The first time that a user logs on at a computer, Windows 2000 copies all documents to the local computer. Thereafter, when the user logs on to the computer, Windows 2000 compares the locally stored user profile files and the roaming user profile files. It copies only the files that have changed since the last time that the user logged on at the computer, which makes the logon
process shorter.
When a user logs off, Windows 2000 copies changes that were made to the local copy of the roaming user profile back to the server where the profile is stored.
Standard Roaming User Profiles
You can create a standard roaming user profile for a group of users by configuring the desired desktop environment and then copying the standard profile to the user''s roaming user profile location.
You use standard roaming user profiles for the following reasons:
To provide a standard desktop environment for multiple users with similar job responsibilities. These users require the same network resources.
To provide users with the work environment that they need to perform their jobs and to remove connections and applications that they do not require.
To simplify troubleshooting. Technical support would know the exact baseline setup of the desktops and could easily find a deviation or a problem.
Creating Roaming User Profiles
You should create roaming user profiles on a file server that you frequently back up, so that you have copies of the latest roaming user profiles. To improve logon performance for a busy network, place the roaming user profile folder on a member server instead of a domain controller. The copying of roaming user profiles between the server and client computers can use a lot of system resources, such as bandwidth and computer processing. If the profiles are on the domain controller, this can delay the authentication of users by the domain controller.
NOTE
To successfully create roaming user profiles and assign home directories for user accounts, you must have permission to administer the object in which the user accounts reside.
To set up a roaming user profile
On a server, create a shared folder and use a path with the following format: \\server_name\shared_folder_name
On the Profile tab in the Properties dialog box (see Figure 7.10) for the user account, provide the path to the shared folder in the Profile Path box (such as \\server_name\shared_folder_name\logon_name).
You can type the variable %username% instead of the user''s logon name. When you use this variable, Windows 2000 automatically replaces the variable with the user account name for the roaming user profile, which is useful when copying template accounts.
Figure 7.10 Profile path for a roaming user profile
Creating a Standard Roaming User Profile
The following checklist provides an overview of the tasks required to implement a standard roaming user profile for a group of users.
Create a user profile template with the appropriate configuration. Do this by creating a user account using the Active Directory Users and Computers console and then configuring the appropriate desktop settings.
Create a shared folder on the server, which will be used to allow users to access the profile template from a remote computer.
Copy the user profile template to the shared folder on the server and specify the users who are permitted to use the profile in the User Profile tab in the System Properties dialog box in the Control Panel (see Figure 7.11).
Specify the path to the profile template in the Profile tab in the User Properties dialog box (see Figure 7.10).
Figure 7.11 Copying a user profile template
Mandatory User Profiles
A mandatory user profile is a read-only roaming user profile. Users can modify the desktop settings of the computer while they are logged on, but none of these changes is saved when they log off. The next time that the user logs on, the profile is the same as the last time that he or she logged on. The mandatory profile settings are downloaded to the local computer each time the user logs on.
You can assign one mandatory profile to multiple users who require the same desktop settings, such as bank tellers. By changing only one profile, you can change the desktop environment for several users.
Creating a Mandatory User Profile
A hidden file in the profile (for example, \\SERVER1\share\user_logon_name) called NTUSER.DAT contains that section of the Windows 2000 system settings that applies to the individual user account and contains the user environment
settings, such as desktop appearance. This is the file that you make read-only by changing its name to NTUSER.MAN.
Practice: Managing User Profiles
In this practice you configure and test a local user profile. Then you create and test a standard roaming user profile.
Exercise 1: Configuring a Local User Profile
In this exercise you create a local user account and profile and then view,
define, and test the profile.
To create a user account
Log on to your domain as Administrator.
Use the Active Directory Users and Computers console to create the puser account listed in Table 7.16. In the list to the right of the User Logon Name box, select @microsoft.com. Add puser to the Print Operators group so that he or she can log on to the domain controller.
Table 7.16 Puser Account Information for Exercise 1
| First Name | Last Name | User Logon Name | Password | Member Of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | User | puser | None | Print Operators |
Log off Windows 2000.
To create a local user profile
Log on to your domain as puser.
The first time that you log on to Windows 2000, a local user profile is created for you with default settings. Logging on as puser creates a local user profile.
Log off Windows 2000.
To view existing profiles
Log on to your domain as Administrator.
Click Start, point to Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.
Windows 2000 displays the System Properties dialog box.
Click the User Profiles tab.
Which users'' profiles are stored on your computer?
Click OK to close the System Properties dialog box, then close Control Panel.
Log off Windows 2000.
Answers
To define and test a local profile
Log on to your domain as puser.
Right-click anywhere on the desktop, then click Properties.
The Display Properties dialog box appears.
Click the Appearance tab.
Notice the current color scheme.
In the Scheme list, select a different color scheme, then click OK.
This change takes effect immediately.
Log off and log on as the same user, puser.
Were screen colors saved? Why or why not?
Log off Windows 2000.
Answers
Exercise 2: Defining a Standard Roaming User Profile
In this exercise you create a shared folder in which a standard roaming user
profile can reside. You create a user account named Profile Template, which will be the model for a standard roaming user profile. You configure the settings for the template profile. Then, you copy the Profile Template user profile to the shared folder for User2. Finally, you specify the path to the profile for User2. Optionally, you can test the standard roaming profile if you have access to two computers on the same network.
To create a shared folder in which to store roaming user profiles
NOTE
Shared folders are covered in detail in Chapter 11. For now, you are walked through the steps for creating a shared folder for the purpose of sharing user profiles.
Log on to your domain as Administrator, at your domain controller.
In the C:\ folder (where C:\ is the name of your system drive), create a folder named Profiles.
Right-click the Profiles folder, then click Properties.
In the Profiles Properties dialog box, select the Sharing tab.
Click Share This Folder, then click Permissions.
In the Permissions For Profiles dialog box, ensure that the Everyone group is selected and that Full Control-Allow is checked, then click OK.
On the Profiles Properties dialog box, click OK.
To create a user profile template
Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, then click Active Directory Users And Computers.
Use the Active Directory Users and Computers console to create the ptemplate account listed in Table 7.17. In the list to the right of the User Logon Name box, select @microsoft.com. Add ptemplate to the Print Operators group so that he or she can log on to the domain controller.
Table 7.17 Ptemplate Account Information for Exercise 2
| First Name | Last Name | User Logon Name | Password | Member Of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Profile | Template | ptemplate | None | Print Operators |
Log off Windows 2000.
Log on as ptemplate.
A local user profile is automatically created for the Profile Template users on the local computer in the C:\Documents and Settings\user_logon_name folder (where C:\ is the name of your system drive).
Right-click anywhere on the desktop, then click Properties.
The Display Properties dialog box appears.
Click the Appearance tab.
Notice the current color scheme.
In the Scheme list, select a different color scheme, then click OK.
This change takes effect immediately.
Log off and log on as the same user, ptemplate.
Notice that the screen colors are saved in the user''s profile.
Log off Windows 2000.
To copy the user profile template to a shared folder on a network server
Log on to your domain as Administrator.
Use the Active Directory Users and Computers console to create the User2 account listed in Table 7.18. In the list to the right of the User Logon Name box, select @microsoft.com. Add User2 to the Print Operators group so that he or she can log on to the domain controller.
Table 7.18 User2 Account Information for Exercise 2
| First Name | Last Name | User Logon Name | Password | Member Of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| User | Two | User2 | None | Print Operators |
Click Start, point to Settings, then click Control Panel.
In Control Panel, double-click System.
The System Properties dialog box appears.
Click the User Profiles tab.
Notice that a user profile has been created for all users who have previously logged on to the computer, including a user profile named MICROSOFT\ptemplate.
Under Profiles Stored On This Computer, click MICROSOFT\ptemplate, then click Copy To.
The Copy To dialog box appears.
In the Copy Profile To box, type \\computer_name\profiles\user2 (where computer_name is SERVER1 or the name of your computer). This is the location of the shared folder where the profile template will be stored.
To specify the users who are permitted to use the profile
In the Copy To dialog box, under Permitted To Use, click Change.
The Select User or Group dialog box appears.
In the Name column, click User Two, then click OK.
MICROSOFT\user2 appears in the Permitted To Use box in the Copy To dialog box.
Click OK.
A folder named user2 is created in the Profiles folder with all the desktop settings configured for the Profile Template user account.
In Windows Explorer, view Profiles\user2. Notice the folders for the desktop settings that are stored in the Profiles folder.
To specify a path to the roaming user profile
In the Active Directory Users and Computers console, double-click User Two.
The User Two Properties dialog box appears.
Click the Profile tab.
In the Profile path box, type \\computer_name\profiles\user2 (where computer_name is SERVER1 or the name of your computer).
Click OK.
Exit the Active Directory Users and Computers console.
NOTE
To make the Profile Template mandatory, type the actual profile name, for example: \\server1\profiles\user2\ntuser.man.
If users will log on to computers running Windows NT or Windows 2000, but not to computers running Windows 3.1, then the user profile path does not need a filename.
If users will log on to computers running Windows NT 3.1, as well as to computers running Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000, then the user profile path must contain a filename.
If users will log on only to computers running Windows 2000, the user profile path should be to a folder name and should not include an extension of .man. If the folder specified in the user profile path does not exist, it is automatically created the first time the user logs on.
To test the roaming profile
Log off and log on as User2.
Are the screen colors and desktop the same or different from those set in the Profile Template? Why or why not?
Answers
To determine the type of profile assigned to a user
Log off and log on as Administrator, and start Control Panel.
Double-click System, then click the User Profiles tab.
What type of profile is listed for the User2 account?
Exit all programs and log off Windows 2000.
Answers
NOTE
If you have access to two computers on the same network, complete this procedure from the second computer.
To test the roaming profile from another computer
Log on to the second computer as User2.
If a dialog box appears that provides profile options, click Download.
Notice that the screen colors are the same as those set on the first computer because the roaming profile for the template user account is downloaded from the server and applied to the computer that the template logs on to.
Log off the second computer.
To delete the Profile Template user profile
In the User Profiles tab, under Profiles Stored On This Computer, click the MICROSOFT\ptemplate profile and click Delete.
A Confirm Delete message appears.
Click Yes to delete the local profile.
The Profile Template user profile is deleted from the local computer.
Lesson Summary
In this lesson you learned that a user profile is a collection of folders and data that stores the user''s current desktop environment and application settings, as well as personal data. A user profile also contains all of the network connections that are established when a user logs on to a computer, such as Start menu items and mapped drives to network servers.
You learned that there are three types of user profiles: local user profiles, roaming user profiles, and mandatory user profiles. A local user profile is created the first time you log on to a computer and is stored on a computer''s local hard disk. Any changes made to your local user profile are specific to the computer on which you make the changes. A roaming user profile is created by your system administrator and is stored on a server. This profile is available every time you log on to any computer on the network. Changes made to your roaming user profile are updated on the server. A mandatory user profile is a roaming profile that can be used to specify particular settings for individuals or an entire group of users. Only system administrators can make changes to mandatory
user profiles.
In the practice portion of this lesson, you created a local user account and profile and then viewed, defined, and tested the profile. You also created a standard roaming user profile, which included creating a user account model for use as a profile template, copying the profile template to a shared folder in the server, and specifying the path to the profile for the user.
