Each user on a Windows NT network works in a unique environment. The user environment is composed of such things as the file and print resources that are available, the configuration of Program Manager icons, screen wallpaper or background, automatic network connections, and applications that run on startup. One important element of the user environment is a directory assigned to a user or to a defined user group on either a workstation or a server where the user can store files. This directory is called a home directory.
A user's environment is determined primarily by a user profile, which you can create and maintain on a Windows NT Server computer using the User Profile Editor administrative tool. For information on the User Profile Editor, see the Windows NT Server System Guide. Some elements of the user environment are more easily controlled by creating a script that is executed whenever the user logs on to a Windows NT Workstation computer or a Windows NT Server computer. Such a script is called a logon script.
This chapter explains how to create home directories and logon scripts. It also describes special parameters you can use in logon scripts so the same script runs in different user environments with the expected result for each individual user.