How to create a roaming user profile in Windows 2000

This step-by-step article describes how to create a roaming user profile. Roaming user profiles provide the user with the same working environment, no matter which Microsoft Windows NT-based computer to which the user logs on.

Creating a roaming user profile

Creating a roaming user profile is a two-step process: creating a test user profile and then copying the test user profile to a network server.

Creating a test user profile

In this procedure, you create a test profile for the roaming user:

1. Create a user account to act as a test user account. For example, create an account named Sales Profile.
2. Log on as the test user account. A user profile is automatically created on the local computer in the c:\Winnt\Documents and Settings\username folder.
3. Configure the desktop environment, including appearance, shortcuts, and Start menu options.
4. Log off, and then log on as Administrator.

Copying the test user profile

In this procedure, you copy the test profile to a network server:

1. Create a folder on a network drive in which you can store network profiles. For example:
   \\server_name\Profiles\user_name
2. In Control Panel, double-click System, and then click the User Profiles tab. Under Profiles Stored On This Computer, click the profile that you want to copy, and then click Copy To.
3. In the Copy Profile To dialog box, type the network path to the folder. Under Permitted to Use, click Change.
4. Add the appropriate user, and then click OK.
5. In the folder that you created on the network, rename the file Ntuser.dat to Ntuser.man if this is a mandatory user profile.
6. In User Manager for Domains, double-click the user account, and then in the User Properties dialog box, click Profile.
7. In the User Profile Path box, type the UNC path to the network profile folder. For example:
   \\server_name\Profiles\user_name

Troubleshooting

Windows 2000 does not support the use of encrypted files with roaming user profiles.