Implementing Super-Mandatory Profiles

The procedure for implementing super-mandatory profiles is similar to the procedure for implementing mandatory user profiles described earlier, with the following differences:

• Instead of copying the domain user profile you configured to \\domain_controller \NETLOGON\Default User.v2, copy the profile to \\profile_server\Profiles \Mandatory.man.v2.
• Instead of typing \\profile_server\Profiles\%username% in the Profile Path text box, type \\profile_server\Profiles\Mandatory.man.

After you have implemented these profiles, users will be able to configure their desktop environments while logged on to the network, but when they log off, any changes they made to their environments will not be saved. In addition, if the profile server is unavailable when the user tries to log on to the network (or if the super-mandatory profile does not load for any other reason), Windows Vista and later versions will not allow the user to log on to the computer.

Using Roaming User Profiles with Folder Redirection

If you implement both Folder Redirection and RUP, do not store redirected folders within the user's roaming profiles. Instead, store them on the network share where Folder Redirection is targeted. This reduces the size of a user's roaming profile, speeds up its download time, and improves the user's logon experience.

In general, the best practice is to configure Folder Redirection first, make sure it applies successfully, and then deploy roaming user profiles. Also, users should log off all computers and follow these steps on one computer first (with all of their main data).

Considerations for Mixed Environments

The following considerations apply when implementing RUP in mixed environments that consist of a combination of computers running Windows Vista and later versions and computers running Windows XP or Windows 2000:

• Default network profiles created for computers running an earlier version of Windows are not compatible with default network profiles created for Windows Vista and later computers because the profile namespace of Windows Vista and later versions is incompatible with the profile namespace of Windows XP. Because of this incompatibility, users who log on to a computer running an earlier version of Windows cannot roam their profiles to Windows Vista and later computers and vice versa. If users must use Windows Vista and later computers as well as computers running earlier versions of Windows, they will need separate roaming profiles for each computer and must manage the profiles separately. If Folder Redirection is implemented, however, part of the user profiles (the redirected folders) can be shared between the two desktop environments.
• If users need to roam across both Windows Vista and later computers and computers running earlier versions of Windows, you will need twice the usual space to store their roaming profiles. For example, if user Jacky Chen roams across both Windows Vista and later versions and computers running an earlier version of Windows, he will have two roaming profiles on the profile server:
  • \\Profile_server\Profiles\jchen, which is his roaming profile on earlier versions of Windows
  • \\Profile_server\Profiles\jchen.v2, which is his roaming profile on Windows Vista and later computers
    These two user profiles are incompatible and will not share any data unless you also implement Folder Redirection for the user. Specifically, if you implement all available Folder Redirection policies for this user (including those that apply to earlier versions of Windows), only the HKCU settings will be unavailable between platforms.

In Windows Vista and later versions, disk quotas configured on roaming profiles no longer prevent users from logging off as disk quotas do on earlier versions of Windows. However, disk quotas will prevent roaming profiles from being uploaded to the profile server when the user logs off. No user data is lost because the data still remains in the user's local user profile on the computer, but data could be lost if profiles are set to be deleted after the user logs off-for example, in a Terminal Services scenario. In this case, any changes the user made during his current session would be gone, but the server copy of his profile is still intact. Note For information about how to migrate user profiles for previous versions of Windows to environments running Windows Vista and later versions and Windows Server 2008, see Knowledge Base article 947025, "Support Guidelines for Migrating Roaming User Profiles Data to Windows Vista or to Windows Server 2008" found at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/947025.