A user profile consists of user-specific information contained in the file USER.DAT, which is one of the two files in the Windows 95 Registry. Optionally, a user profile can also contain special Windows 95 directories. The benefits of using user profiles are summarized in this section.
Multiple users on a computer can retain their personal settings.
"Roving" users can log on to the network from any computer and work with the same desktop settings as long as the computer is running a Windows 95 32-bit, protected-mode network client.
Windows 95 automatically maintains each user's profile.
Whether profiles are stored locally or on the network, you need to enable user profiles only for the computers where they will be used.
Mandatory profiles can be used to enforce consistent desktops.
This is useful for novice users who cannot manage their own desktop settings. Mandatory profiles increase user productivity and ease the burden of training and support for system managers.
System policies allow you to override local Registry values for user or computer settings. Policies are defined in a policy (.POL) file, usually called CONFIG.POL. When a user logs on, system policy settings overwrite default settings in the Registry. You can also set system policies to contain additional custom settings specific to the network.
Unlike SYSTEM.DAT and USER.DAT (the two files that make up the Registry), CONFIG.POL is not a required component of Windows 95 Setup and, when implemented, is stored on the logon server, not the local computer. The following list summarizes the benefits of system policies.
System policies can be used to enforce system configuration.
You can restrict what users are allowed to do from the desktop and what they are allowed to configure using Control Panel. Also, you can use system policies to centrally configure network settings, such as the network client configuration options and the ability to install or configure File and Printer Sharing services. Finally, policies can be used to customize certain parts of the desktop, such as Network Neighborhood or the Programs folder.
Registry settings can be changed by using System Policy Editor.
You can use System Policy Editor to change many common Registry settings, either for an individual local or remote computer. You can use these settings in a system policy file to change Registry values on multiple computers.
System policies can be applied individually or per group.
You can use group policies to define a set of policies to be applied on the basis of membership in the groups already defined on a NetWare or Windows NT network. Group policies make computer management on the corporate network easier by leveraging the current administrative organization of users.
Windows 95 provides a set of policies that you can use to specify settings for users. You can also add new Registry settings to this set of policies or you can modify policy templates to create new custom policies for any applications that use the Windows 95 Registry.