How User Profiles Work

Each time the user logs on to a computer, Windows 98 searches the registry under the following key to determine whether the user has a local profile:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current Version\Profile List

Windows 98 also checks for the user profile in the user’s home directory on the server. If the user profile on the server is the most current, Windows 98 copies it to the local computer for use during the current session, and then it loads the settings in this local copy into the registry. If no local user profile exists, Windows 98 copies the server version to the local computer. If no profile is found, Windows 98 creates a new user profile on the local computer using default settings. If the user does not log on, Windows 98 automatically uses the Default User profile.

Both the local and the network copies of the user profile are automatically updated with current settings when the user logs off.

If the user is logged on at more than one computer at the same time, any changes made to the profile on the computer where the user first logs off will be overwritten when the user logs off the other computer. In other words, the last logoff is saved, and no merging of changes occurs.

In the \Profiles subdirectory of the \Windows directory, a folder is created for each user who has a profile on that computer. Each of these folders contains the following:

• A User.dat file that contains the user portion of the registry.
• An Application Data folder that contains the Address Book (User.wab), the QuickLaunch toolbar, Outlook Mail and News, and the Windows 98 Welcome.
• A Cookies folder that contains the contents of Cookies for IE.
• A Desktop folder that contains the contents of the Active Desktop. (Only if this has been enabled in the Personalized Items Settings in the Users option of Control Panel.)
• A Favorites folder that contains the channels for Internet Explorer. (Only if this has been enabled in the Personalized Items Settings in the Users option of Control Panel.)
• A History folder that contains the contents of the History option for IE.
• A My Documents folder that contains the contents of the My Documents folder on the user’s desktop. (Only if this has been enabled in the Personalized Items Settings in the Users option of Control Panel.)
• A NetHood folder that contains additional shortcuts available while viewing Network Neighborhood items. (Only if this has been enabled by a system policy. For information about system policies, see Chapter 8, "System Policies.")
• A Recent folder that contains the contents of the Documents option on the Start menu.
• A Start Menu folder that contains the contents of the Start menu and includes the Programs folder. (Only if this has been enabled in the Personalized Items Settings in the Users option of Control Panel.)
• A Temporary Internet Files folder that contains the contents of the \Temporary Internet Files directory. (Only if this has been enabled in the Personalized Items Settings in the Users option of Control Panel.)