How To Create a Roaming User Profile in Windows Server 2003

This step-by-step article describes how to create a roaming user profile. Roaming user profiles give you the same working environment, no matter which Windows Server 2003-based computer that you log on to.


Creating a Roaming User Profile

Creating a roaming user profile is a two-step process. First you create a test user profile, and then you copy the test user profile to a network server.

Create a Test Profile

To create a test profile for the roaming user, follow these steps:

1. Log on as Administrator.
   
   
2. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.
   
   
3. In the console tree, expand Local Users and Groups, and then click Users.
   
   
4. Right-click Users, and then click New User.
   
   
5. Type a name and password for the user.
   
   
6. Click to clear User must change password at next logon.
   
   
7. Click Create, and then click Close.
   
   
8. Quit the Computer Management snap-in.
   
   
9. Log off the computer.
   
   
10. Log on as the test user account that you created in step 7.
    
    A user profile is automatically created on the local computer in the drive:\Documents and Settings\username folder (where drive is the drive on which Windows is installed).
    
    
11. Configure the desktop environment, including appearance, shortcuts, and Start menu options.
    
    
12. Log off, and then log on as Administrator.

Copy the Test Profile

To copy the test profile to a network server, follow these steps:

1. Create a folder on a network drive in which you can store network profiles. For example:
   \\server_name\Profiles\user_name
   
   
2. Click Start, point to Control Panel, and then click System.
   
   
3. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings in the User Profiles section of the System Properties dialog box.
   
   
4. Under Profiles Stored On This Computer, click the profile for the user that you created in the "Create a Test Profile" section of this article, and then click Copy To.
   
   
5. In the Copy Profile To dialog box, type the network path to the folder.
   
   
6. Under Permitted to Use, click Change.
   
   
7. Type the name of the user account that you created in the "Create a Test Profile" section, and then click OK.
   
   
8. Click OK three times.
   
   
9. Click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Computer Management.
   
   
10. In the console tree, expand Local Users and Groups, and then double-click Users.
    
    
11. Double-click the user account that you created in the "Create a Test Profile" section.
    
    
12. Click the Profile tab. In the Profile path box, type the path to the network profile folder. For example, type \\server_name\Profiles\user_name.
    
    
13. Click OK.
    
    
14. Quit the Computer Management snap-in.

NOTE: To make this profile mandatory, rename the Ntuser.dat file as Ntuser.man in the user's profile folder.