Section 9: Configuring Roaming Profiles and Folder Redirection Managing User Profiles Configuring Folder Redirection Using Folder Redirection and Roaming

Section 9: Configuring Roaming Profiles and Folder Redirection

Managing User ProfilesConfiguring Folder RedirectionUsing Folder Redirection and

Roaming Profiles Together

Managing Windows Environments with Group Policy

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Section Objectives

After completing this section, you will be able to:Explain how to customize the processing of user

profiles and roaming user profilesExplain how to redirect user folders to a serverDescribe what happens when roaming profiles and

Folder Redirection are both enabled

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Managing User Profiles

Configuring Roaming Profiles

Modifying Multiple Users

Controlling Roaming Profiles

Restricting Profile Size

Configuring Folders That Can RoamControlling Slow Link Behavior

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Configuring Roaming Profiles

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\\Alpha\home\%username%\Profile

Roaming profiles are configured on the Profile tab of the user account.


Modifying Multiple Users

Use a saved query to find and select multiple users to modify their Profile properties at the same time.

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Controlling Roaming Profiles

Roaming profiles can be disabled through Group Policy at:

Computer Configuration, Policies, Administrative Templates, System, and User Profiles

Use the following setting to disable roaming profiles: Only allow local user profiles

Enable this setting to Disable roaming profiles

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Restricting Profile Size

Roaming profiles can get large very quickly.

Use a GPO to limit the size of profiles to a reasonable value.

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Configuring Folders That Can Roam

Add new items to the list of folders that should not be included in a roaming profile.

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Controlling Slow Link Behavior

Slow connection speeds can be a problem for the typically large roaming profiles.

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Controlling Slow Link Behavior (cont.)

Setting Description

Delete cached copies of roaming profiles

This setting lets you delete cached copies of roaming profiles. Enable this for security purposes or to conserve disk space on local drives, but do not enable it if you plan to use slow link detection.

Do not detect slow network connections

This setting tells Windows to treat all connections equally, effectively turning off the slow-link detection features and their related policies.

Slow network connection timeout for user profiles

This setting lets you specify a connection speed (Kbps) other than the default of 500 to use as a slow or fast boundary for IP connections, or a server response time (ms) other than the default of 120 to use as a slow or fast boundary for non-IP connections.

Wait for remote user profile

This setting tells Windows to wait for the server-based copy of the user profile to load, even if the connection is slow, rather than decide to use the most recently saved local copy of that user profile.

Prompt user when a slow network connection is detected

This setting enables you to give users the ability to decide whether to use a server-based profile or a locally cached profile when a slow link is detected.

Timeout for dialog boxes

This setting indicates how long Windows waits (the default is 30 seconds) before making a default choice after notifying the user of a slow link or unavailable server.

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Configuring Folder Redirection

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Folders Available for Redirection

Enabling Folder Redirection Configuring Folder Redirection Settings

My Documents


Folders Available for Redirection

Folders that can be redirected include:

AppData(Roaming) Favorites

Desktop Contacts

Start Menu Downloads

Documents Links

Pictures Searches

Music Saved Games

Videos

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Enabling Folder Redirection

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Right-click the folder

you want to redirect and

select Properties.


Configuring Folder Redirection Settings

Destination folder Redirection behavior

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Using Folder Redirection and Roaming Profiles Together

Provides the best of both worlds if you need Personal Profile settings to roam

My Documents will be server-hosted to limit profile traffic

NTUser.dat will roamRequires a delicate balance of settingsRoaming Profiles are becoming less necessary since

many Windows and application settings are now being stored in AppData (Roaming) as XML data instead of being stored in NTUser.dat.

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Summary

You can customize processing of user profiles and roaming user profiles in the following ways:Modify multiple users at the same timeDisable roaming profiles; new profiles will be stored

locally on the computersSet quotas to limit the size of profilesSet specific folders to include in the roaming profileControl how roaming profiles behave over slow links

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Summary (cont.)

Some of the settings are located in the Computer Configuration, Policies, Administrative Templates, System, and User Profiles node of the Group Policy Management Editor, some in the User Configuration, Policies, Administrative Templates, System, and User Profiles node.

To redirect user folders to a server, do the following: Right-click the folder that you want to redirect in the

console pane, and select Properties. Choose Basic or Advanced from the drop-down list on

the Target tab. Click the Setting tab and make your configuration

choices.

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Knowledge Check

1. Complete the following sentence: To redirect user folders to a server, rather than present a policy in the details pane, you must

___________________________________________

______________________________.

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right-click the folder you want to redirect in the GPME console pane and select Properties


Knowledge Check (cont.)

2. What does the ntuser.dat file contain when you enable Folder Redirection and roaming profiles?

Personalized registry desktop settings

3. Which nodes are used to customize user profiles and roaming user profiles?

Computer Configuration and User Configuration

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