Windows 7 / Getting Started

---

Managing User Profiles Using Group Policy

You can manage the behavior of user profiles (especially roaming user profiles) in AD DS environments by using Group Policy settings found under Computer Configuration\Policies\ Administrative Templates\System\User Profiles and User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\User Profiles. You do not need to reboot or log off for these settings to take effect after you configure them.

Tables below describe the per-computer and per-user policy settings for user profiles new to Windows Vista and later versions.

New Per-Computer Group Policy Settings for Managing User Profiles in Windows Vista and Later Versions

Policy Setting	Notes
Background Upload Of A Roaming User Profile's Registry File While User Is Logged On (Applies only to Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2)	Sets the schedule for background uploading of a roaming user profile's registry file (Ntuser.dat). This setting will upload only the user profile's registry file (other user data will not be uploaded) and will upload it only if the user is logged on. Only the registry file of a roaming user profile will be uploaded-regular profiles will not be affected. This policy does not stop the roaming user profile's registry file from being uploaded when the user logs off. If this setting is disabled or not configured, the registry file for a roaming user profile will not be uploaded in the background while the user is logged on. To use this setting, first choose which scheduling method to use: If Run At Set Interval is chosen, an interval must be set with a value ranging from 1 to 720 hours. Once set, the profile's registry file will be uploaded at the specified interval after the user logs on. For example, if the value is 6 hours and a user logs on at 6:00 A.M. and is still logged on at 12:00 P.M., her registry file will be uploaded at that time. Further, if she is still logged on at 6 P.M., it will upload then as well and then again every 6 hours until logoff. The next time the user logs on, the timer will start again, so the registry file will upload 6 hours later (in this example). If Run At Specified Time Of Day is chosen, then a time of day must be specified. Once set, the registry hive will be uploaded at that same time every day, assuming the user is logged on at that time.
Delete User Profiles Older Than A Specified Number Of Days On System Restart (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions)	Allows administrators to delete user profiles automatically on system restart if the profiles have not been used within a specified number of days. Enabling this policy setting causes the User Profile Service to delete all user profiles on the computer automatically upon reboot that have not been used within the specified number of days on the next system restart.
Do Not Forcefully Unload The Users Registry At User Logoff (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions)	Allows administrators to prevent Windows Vista from forcefully unloading the user's registry at user logoff. (By default, Windows Vista will always unload the user's registry even if there are open handles to per-user registry keys during user logoff.) Enabling this policy setting causes Windows Vista not to forcefully unload the user's registry during logoff, but instead to unload the registry when all open handles to per-user registry keys have been closed. Disabling this policy setting or leaving it Not Configured causes Windows Vista to always unload the user's registry at logoff even if there are open handles to per-user registry keys during user logoff. Do not enable this policy by default because it may prevent users from getting updated versions of their roaming user profiles. Instead, only enable this policy when you are experiencing application compatibility issues related to unloading the user's registry.
Set Maximum Wait Time For The Network If A User Has A Roaming User Profile Or Remote Home Directory (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions)	Allows administrators to specify how long Windows Vista should wait for the network to become available if the user has a roaming user profile or remote Home directory and the network is currently unavailable. (By default, when the user has a roaming user profile or a remote Home directory, Windows Vista waits 30 seconds for the network to become available when the user logs on to the computer.) If the network is still unavailable after the maximum wait time expires, Windows Vista continues the logon for the user without a network connection, but the user's roaming profile will not synchronize with the server, nor will the remote Home directory be used for the logon session. However, if the network does become available before the maximum wait time expires, Windows Vista proceeds immediately with the user logon. (Windows Vista will not wait if the physical network connection is unavailable on the computer-for example, if the media is disconnected.) Enabling this policy setting causes Windows Vista to wait for the network to become available up to the maximum wait time specified in this policy setting. (Specifying a value to zero will cause Windows Vista to proceed without waiting for the network.) Disabling this policy setting or leaving it Not Configured causes Windows Vista to wait for the network for a maximum of 30 seconds. You should enable this policy setting in scenarios in which the network takes longer to initialize than is typical-for example, when using a wireless network.
Set Roaming Profile Path For All Users Logging Onto This Computer (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions)	Allows administrators to specify whether Windows Vista should use the specified network path (usually \\Computername\Sharename\%UserName%) as the roaming user profile path for all users logging on to the computer. (If %UserName% is not specified, all users logging on to the computer will use the same roaming profile folder specified in the policy.) Enabling this policy setting causes all users logging on to the computer to use the specified roaming profile path. Disabling this policy setting or leaving it Not Configured causes users logging on to the computer to use their local profile or standard roaming user profile.

New Per-User Group Policy Setting for Managing User Profiles in Windows Vista and Later Versions

Policy Setting

Notes

Network Directories To Sync At Logon/Logoff Time Only (Applies to Windows Vista or later versions)

Allows administrators to specify which network directories should be synchronized only at logon and logoff using Offline Files. Use this policy setting in conjunction with Folder Redirection to help resolve issues with applications that do not function well with Offline Files while the user is online. (See the section titled "Implementing Folder Redirection" earlier in this tutorial for more information.) Enabling this policy setting causes the network paths specified in this policy setting to be synchronized only by Offline Files during user logon and logoff and to be taken offline while the user is logged on. Disabling this policy setting or leaving it Not Configured causes the network paths specified in this policy setting to behave like any other cached data using Offline Files and to continue to remain online while the user is logged on (provided that the network paths are accessible). Do not use this policy setting to suspend root redirected folders such as AppData\Roaming, Start Menu, or Documents. You should suspend only subfolders of these parent folders.

The following user profile policy settings are no longer supported in Windows Vista and later versions:

• Connect Home Directory To Root Of The Share
• Maximum Retries To Unload And Update The User Profile
• Timeout For Dialog Boxes

In addition, the behavior of two user profile policy settings has changed in Windows Vista and later versions:

• Limit Profile Size Instead of preventing the user from logging off, the roaming user profile will not be copied to the server on logoff. Disabling this setting or leaving it Not Configured means that the system does not limit the size of user profiles. When you enable this setting, you can:
  • Set a maximum permitted user profile size.
  • Determine whether the registry files are included in the calculation of the profile size.
  • Determine whether users are notified when the profile exceeds the permitted maximum size.
  • Specify a customized message notifying users of the oversized profile.
  • Determine how often the customized message is displayed.
    This setting affects both local and roaming profiles.
• Prompt User When A Slow Network Connection Is Detected Provides users with the ability to download their roaming profiles even when a slow network connection with the profile server is detected. Enabling this policy setting allows users to specify whether they want their roaming profiles to be downloaded when a slow link with the profile server is detected. In earlier versions of Windows, a dialog box is displayed to the user during logon if a slow network connection is detected. The user can then choose whether to download the remote copy of the user profile. In Windows Vista and later versions, a check box appears on the logon screen instead and the user must choose whether to download the remote user profile before Windows detects the network connection speed.
  Disabling this policy setting or leaving it Not Configured means that the system uses the local copy of the user profile and does not consult the user. If you have also enabled the Wait For Remote User Profile policy setting, the system downloads the remote copy of the user profile without consulting the user. In Windows Vista and later versions, the system will ignore the user choice made on the logon screen.
  If you enable the Do Not Detect Slow Network Connections policy setting, this policy setting is ignored. If you enable the Delete Cached Copies Of Roaming Profiles policy setting, no local copy of the roaming profile is available to load when the system detects a slow connection.

Note For additional information on policy settings for user profiles, see "Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows Server 2008 R2 and Windows 7" available from the Microsoft Download Center.