How to Update Permissions for User Profiles

ID: Q156697

The information in this article applies to:
  • Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
  • Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SUMMARY

The User Profiles tab in Control Panel System displays local, roaming, and mandatory user profiles in the %Systemroot%\Profiles, directory; the tab cannot be modified to show profiles for other paths.

This is a limitation in Windows NT 4.0 and will be addressed in future versions of Windows NT.


MORE INFORMATION

This limitation may cause problems for administrators who store server- based profiles in alternate locations and later want to either change the profile type (local to roaming or vice-versa) or modify the list of users and groups allowed to use existing mandatory profiles.

Several methods (listed below) are available to change permissions for mandatory profiles.

The information below assumes that computers running Windows NT Server or Workstation 4.0 have machine accounts in Windows NT domains, that the user making the change has administrator access in both the domain and the local workstation, and that server-based roaming or mandatory profiles are defined in User Manager for Domains.

Method I

  1. Log on with the reference account used to create the mandatory profiles and click Copy To on the User Profiles tab of Control Panel System.


  2. Redefine the users and groups permitted to use the mandatory profile as required.


  3. Recopy the profile to the server-based profile path.


Method II

  1. Rename the server-based mandatory profile Ntuser.man file to Ntuser.dat.


  2. Log on using a domain account whose profile properties in User Manager for Domains points to the renamed server-based profile (that is, \\Servername\Sharename\%Username%).


  3. On the User Profiles tab of Control Panel System, click Change Type to make the profile local.


  4. Make any desired changes to the profile.


  5. On the User Profiles tab of Control Panel System, click Copy To to copy the profile to the server-based location.


You can modify domain user and group permissions by clicking Change in the Copy To dialog box before copying the profile.

Method III

NOTE: This method involves editing the registry.

WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious, system-wide problems that may require you to reinstall Windows NT to correct them. Microsoft cannot guarantee that any problems resulting from the use of Registry Editor can be solved. Use this tool at your own risk.

  1. While logged on as an administrator of the computer used to store the user profiles, start Regedt32.exe and click the root level of
    HKEY_USERS .


  2. On the Registry menu, click Load Hive and import the server-based Ntuser.man file (\\Servername\Sharename\Ntuser.man).


  3. When prompted for a key name, type mandatory or the text string of your choice.


  4. Place the cursor at the root of newly imported hive.


  5. On the Security menu, click Permissions.


  6. Add or remove domain users or groups as required.


  7. On the Registry menu, click Unload Hive.


The same information can be applied to local or roaming profiles, but these tend to be user-specific rather than shared by multiple users (as is common for mandatory profiles).

Additional query words: hardcoded hard coded designed

Keywords : kbenv ntdomain
Version : winnt:4.0
Platform : winnt
Issue type : kbhowto


Last Reviewed: February 17, 1999
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