Windows 7 / Getting Started

Implementing Mandatory Profiles

The procedure for implementing mandatory user profiles is similar to the procedure for implementing RUP described earlier in the tutorial, with the following differences:

  • Instead of assigning the Authenticated Users built-in group Full Control permission of the Profiles folder on the profile server, assign this group Read permission and the Administrators group Full Control instead.
  • Follow the steps in the section titled "Creating a Default Network Profile" earlier in this tutorial, but instead of copying the domain user profile that you configured to \\domain_controller\NETLOGON\Default User.v2, copy the profile to \\profile_server \Profiles\Mandatory.v2.
  • Browse to locate the super-hidden \\profile_server\Profiles\Mandatory.v2\Ntuser.dat file and change its name to Ntuser.man. (Super-hidden files have the hidden and system attributes set.)
  • Follow the steps in the section titled "Configuring a User Account to Use a Roaming Profile" earlier in this tutorial, but instead of typing \\profile_server\Profiles \%username% in the Profile Path text box, type \\profile_server\Profiles\Mandatory.

Any user who now logs on with this mandatory user profile will be able to configure the desktop environment while logged on to the network, but when the user logs off, any changes made to the environment will not be saved.

Warning Do not add .v2 to the profile path of the user object in Active Directory Users And Computers. Doing so may prevent Windows Vista and later versions from locating the roaming or mandatory profile. You should apply the .v2 suffix only to the name of the user folder on the central file server.

Warning It is acceptable to use the existing server and file share where you store your current roaming user profiles. If you do so, however, each user will have two roaming profile folders: one for Windows Vista and later versions and one for Windows XP. The added folder also means additional storage requirements for the server. Ensure that the server hosting the share has adequate free disk space, and adjust any disk-quota policies accordingly.

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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