If your environment dictates a different profile for roaming users, based upon the location they log on from, as in multiple student labs, try the following approach:
Assumptions
- Each client computer has a fixed location.- The client computer contains the proper initial default profile for new users.
Server configuration changes
- Create folders for the roaming profiles on the server using a path similar to:\\<Server Name>\<Location Name>\<UserName>
When the user logs on, they will receive a location environment variable based upon the client PC.
- Share each location folder as hidden share <Location Name$>.
- Set the user's Profile Path to \\<Server Name>\%location%$\%UserName%
NOTE: You must create a folder for each possible %location% that the user can use.
NOTE: You can use the net user <User Name> /profilepath:\\<Server Name>\^%location^%$\^%UserName^% /domain command. The ^ prevents the environment variable from being immediately interpreted.
NOTE: Set NTFS permissions according to your normal security policy.
Client computer configuration changes
- Use the freeware REG to set the location system environent variable by issuing the following command from your computer:<path>\REG -Set "\\ClientComputerName\Machine\System\currentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\location"=<Location Name>
- Shutdown and restart the client computer by using Shutdown.exe from your computer.
NOTE: You can create a batch file and run the commands when no one is logged on.
This procedure works because the %location% and %UserName% environment variables in the Profile Path are NOT interpreted until the user logs on.
When a new user logs on, they receive their initial profile from the local PC. When they log off, their profile is written to the server at \\<Server Name>\<Location Name>\<UserName>.
When an existing user logs on, the System environment variable %location% and the %userName% variable are expaned, causing the user profile to be download from the server.
