Windows 7 / Getting Started

Enhancements to Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection Previously Introduced in Windows Vista

Because of the limitations of the way that RUP and Folder Redirection were implemented in earlier versions of Windows, these two corporate roaming technologies were enhanced in Windows Vista in several ways:

  • The changes made to the user profile namespace (described in the section titled "User Profile Namespace In Windows Vista and Windows 7" earlier in this tutorial) separate user data from application data, making it easier to roam some data and settings using roaming profiles and to roam others using Folder Redirection.
  • The number of folders that can be redirected using Group Policy is considerably increased, providing greater flexibility for administrators in choosing which user data and settings to redirect. The list of folders that can be redirected in Windows Vista and later versions now includes AppData, Desktop, Start Menu, Documents, Pictures, Music, Videos, Favorites, Contacts, Downloads, Links, Searches, and Saved Games.
  • When you implement RUP with Folder Redirection, Windows Vista and later versions copy the user's profile and redirect folders to their respective network locations. The net result is an enhanced logon experience that brings up the user's desktop much faster than when you implement these two technologies on earlier versions of Windows. Specifically, when all user data folders are redirected and RUP is deployed, the only thing slowing logon is the time it takes to download Ntuser.dat (usually a relatively small file) from the profile server. (A small part of the AppData\Roaming\ Microsoft directory is also roamed, even when the AppData\Roaming folder has been redirected. This folder contains some encryption certificates.)
  • Offline Files, which can be used in conjunction with Folder Redirection, is enhanced in a number of ways in Windows Vista (and even more so in Windows 7). For more information concerning this, see the section titled "Working with Offline Files" later in this tutorial.
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In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Users and User Data
  2. Understanding User Profiles in Windows 7
  3. Types of User Profiles
  4. User Profile Namespace
  5. User Profile Namespace in Windows XP
  6. User Profile Namespace in Windows Vista and Windows 7
  7. Application Compatibility Issue
  8. Disabling Known Folders
  9. Windows 7 Understanding Libraries
  10. Working with Libraries
  11. Including Indexed Folders in a Library
  12. Adding Nonindexed Remote Locations to a Library
  13. Creating Additional Libraries
  14. Managing Libraries
  15. Implementing Corporate Roaming
  16. Understanding Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection
  17. Understanding Roaming User Profiles in Earlier Versions of Windows
  18. Understanding Folder Redirection in Earlier Versions of Windows
  19. Enhancements to Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection Previously Introduced in Windows Vista
  20. Additional Enhancements to Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection Introduced in Windows 7
  21. Improved First Logon Performance With Folder Redirection
  22. Implementing Folder Redirection
  23. Configuring the Redirection Method
  24. Configuring Target Folder Location
  25. Configuring Redirection Options
  26. Configuring Policy Removal Options
  27. Folder Redirection and Sync Center
  28. Considerations for Mixed Environments
  29. Additional Group Policy Settings for Folder Redirection
  30. Troubleshooting Folder Redirection
  31. Implementing Roaming User Profiles
  32. Creating a Default Network Profile
  33. Configuring a User Account to Use a Roaming Profile
  34. Implementing Mandatory Profiles
  35. Implementing Super-Mandatory Profiles
  36. Managing User Profiles Using Group Policy
  37. Working with Offline Files
  38. Enhancements to Offline Files Introduced Previously in Windows Vista
  39. Additional Enhancements to Offline Files Introduced in Windows 7
  40. Understanding Offline File Sync
  41. Modes of Operation in Offline Files
  42. Managing Offline Files
  43. Managing Offline Files Using Windows Explorer
  44. Managing Offline Files Using the Offline Files Control Panel
  45. Managing Offline Files Using Sync Center
  46. Configuring Offline Files on the Server
  47. Managing Offline Files Using Group Policy
  48. Offline Files Policy Settings Introduced in Windows Vista
  49. Additional Offline Files Policy Settings for Windows 7