Doc Err: Mandatory Profiles Are Not Cached

• Microsoft Windows NT operating system version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Advanced Server version 3.1
• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 3.5
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 3.5

SYMPTOMS

Even though the Windows NT Concepts and Planning Guide states on page 88 that you should be able to log on using cached profiles on the local workstation, users are denied access, are unable to log on, and the following error message appears if the server based mandatory profile is not available:

   Unable to log you on because your mandatory profile is not available.
   Please contact your administrator.

Windows NT Concepts and Planning Guide Excerpt

The Windows NT Concepts and Planning Guide states on page 88:

"If a user has a personal profile, the per-user settings are saved to both the user's personal profile and the locally cached version of the profile when the user logs off. The locally cached profile is identical to the updated personal profile.

If a user has a mandatory profile, changes made by the user during a session are not uploaded to the mandatory profile when the user logs off- the user can never change the mandatory profile. However, if the mandatory profile allows the user to make changes during a session, any changes made by the user are saved in the locally cached version of the mandatory profile. So, the next time the user logs on at this workstation, if the user's mandatory profile is unavailable, the locally cached profile is loaded, and the user will have the changes made during his or her last session."

CAUSE

Mandatory profiles do not get cached on the local workstations.

RESOLUTION

This is a documentation error.

If a user logs on and both the server-based profile and local version of the profile are unavailable, the user is logged on using the computer's default profile, if the user has a personal profile. If the user has a mandatory profile, the logon attempt is denied. This is expected for mandatory profiles.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT versions 3.5 and 3.51. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.