Maintaining Roving User Profiles on Other Networks

Windows 95 has limited support for user profiles if the network does not have support for a 32-bit, protected-mode client or centralized network logon. This includes networks that provide only 16-bit network clients and peer networks such as Windows for Workgroups or Windows 95 without a Windows NT domain.

To enable roving user profiles on such a network, you must first establish a network directory that can be accessed by all users. For security reasons, you should ensure that this directory has read-only permissions so that users cannot modify it. You must create a text file in that directory that lists the home directories for all users who can use roving user profiles. For example, such a file might be named PROFILES.INI on \\BIGSEVER\PROFILES, and have the following contents:


[Profiles]
Mary=\\bigserver\homedirs\mary
John=\\bigserver\homedirs\john
Pat=\\bigserver\homedirs\pat

After you have created this file, you must configure each computer running Windows 95 to use it. First, disable roving profiles. For more information about disabling roving profiles, see "Enabling User Profiles" earlier in this chapter. Then do the following:

To configure a computer for roving user profiles on other networks

  1. In Registry Editor, select the Hkey_Local_Machine\Network\Logon subkey.
  2. On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click String Value.
  3. Type SharedProfileList, and then press ENTER. Then press ENTER again.
  4. In the Edit String dialog box, type the UNC path and filename for the home directory list (for example, \\BIGSERVER\PROFILES\PROFILES.INI). Click OK.

Thereafter, when a user logs on at this computer, Windows 95 will look in the specified text file to determine the user's home directory. The user's profile will be loaded from that home directory as it is from other networks. If the user is not listed in the text file, the user profile will be local only.