Contents for User Profile Editor Help

Introduction

 About User Profile Editor

 About User Profiles

How To...

 Manage User Profiles

Commands

 File Menu Commands


Contents-All User Profile Editor Topics
Contents for User Profile Editor Help

Introduction

 About User Profile Editor

 What Is User Profile Editor?

 The User Profile Editor Window

 About User Profiles

 What Is a User Profile?

 Mandatory and Personal User Profiles

 Default Profiles

How To...

 Manage User Profiles

 Creating a New User Profile

 Editing a User Profile

 Copying a User Profile

 Saving a User Profile

 Assigning User Profiles to User Accounts

Commands

 File Menu Commands

 New

 Open

 Save To Current Profile

 Save As User Default

 Save As System Default

 Save As File

 Exit


Contents for User Profile Editor Help

Introduction

 About User Profile Editor

 What Is User Profile Editor?

 The User Profile Editor Window

 About User Profiles

How To...

 Manage User Profiles

Commands

 File Menu Commands


Contents for User Profile Editor Help

Introduction

 About User Profile Editor

 About User Profiles

 What Is a User Profile?

 Mandatory and Personal User Profiles

 Default Profiles

How To...

 Manage User Profiles

Commands

 File Menu Commands


Contents for User Profile Editor Help

Introduction

 About User Profile Editor

 About User Profiles

How To...

 Manage User Profiles

 Creating a New User Profile

 Editing a User Profile

 Copying a User Profile

 Saving a User Profile

 Assigning User Profiles to User Accounts

Commands

 File Menu Commands


Contents for User Profile Editor Help

Introduction

 About User Profile Editor

 About User Profiles

How To...

 Manage User Profiles

Commands

 File Menu Commands

 New

 Open

 Save To Current Profile

 Save As User Default

 Save As System Default

 Save As File

 Exit


What Is Defined by a User Profile?
What Is a User Profile?

A user profile is a definition of the Windows NT configuration for a specific user or group of users. By default, each Windows NT computer maintains a profile for each user who has logged on to the computer, except for Guest accounts. Each user profile contains information about particular user's Windows NT configuration. Much of this information is about things the user can set, such as color scheme, screen savers, and mouse and keyboard layout. Other information is about things that can be set only by a Windows NT administrator, such as access to common program groups or network printers.

For a description of user-specific information that is recorded in a user profile, choose one of the following topics:

 Program Manager

 File Manager

 Command Prompt

 Print Manager

 Control Panel Options

 Windows NT Accessories

 Third-Party Applications

 Online Help Bookmarks

See also

The User Profile Editor Window


Program Manager

All user-definable settings for Program Manager, including personal program groups and their properties, program items and their properties, and all settings saved by the Save Settings on Exit and Save Settings Now commands.


File Manager

All user-definable settings for File Manager, including network connections and everything saved by the Save Settings on Exit command.


Command Prompt

All user-definable settings for the command prompt, including fonts, colors, settings for the screen size buffer, and window position.


Print Manager

Network printer connections and all settings saved by the Save Settings on Exit command.


Control Panel Options

All user-specific settings.

For the Color, Mouse, Desktop, Cursor, Keyboard, International, and Sound options, all settings are user-specific. For the System option, the only user-specific settings are the entries in the User Environment Variables box. The other Control Panel options have no user-specific settings.


Accessories

All user-specific application settings affecting the user's Windows NT configuration. Accessory applications include Calculator, Cardfile, Clock, Notepad, Paintbrush, and Terminal.


Third-party Windows NT Applications

Any application written specifically for Windows NT can be designed so that it tracks application settings on a user-by-user basis. If this user-specific information exists, it is saved in the user profile.


Online Help Bookmarks

Any bookmarks placed in the Windows NT Help system.


Mandatory and Personal User Profiles

Two types of user profiles can be created with User Profile Editor. For information on each type of user profile, choose the following buttons.

 Mandatory User Profile

 Personal User Profile


Mandatory User Profile

A user profile that remains the same from one Windows NT logon session to the next. Users cannot make any permanent changes to a mandatory user profile.


Personal User Profile

A user profile that can be changed from one logon session to the next, depending on permissions specified in the user profile itself.


Default Profiles

When Windows NT is running but nobody is logged on, or when a user is logged on but has no available user profile, Windows NT loads a default profile. For information on default profiles, choose one of the following topics:

 User Default Profile

 System Default Profile


User Default Profile

The user profile that is loaded:

When a user account does not have a profile assigned to it, and the user has never logged on to the current Windows NT computer.

When a user account's assigned profile cannot be accessed during logon (for example, if the server where the profile is stored is down), and the user has never logged on to the current Windows NT computer.

When a user logs on to the Guest account.


System Default Profile

The user profile that is loaded when Windows NT is running and nobody is logged on. When the Welcome dialog box is visible, the system default profile is loaded.


What Is User Profile Editor?

User Profile Editor is a Windows NT administrative tool for creating a customized user profile. A customized user profile differs from the user profiles that Windows NT automatically creates and maintains in these ways:

A single user profile can be made available to a user from any computer on the network.

A single user profile can be shared by a group of users who perform similar tasks.

A custom user profile can limit a user's ability to change the user profile and to gain access to some commands in Program Manager.

See Also

What Is a User Profile?

The User Profile Editor Window


Creating a New User Profile

When you create or edit a user profile, the changes you make also affect the account where you are working. To keep your own user profile intact, it is a good idea to create a special Profile Administrator's account and log on to that account when you are managing user profiles. A Profile Administrator's account can be any account that is a member of the Domain Admins global group or the Administrators local group.

To create a new user profile

1.	Configure the Windows NT environment of your own computer until it is exactly as you want it for the intended users of the profile. Be sure to allow for different hardware and software configurations that may be encountered by users of the profile. In particular, allow for different video displays, and maintain consistent program paths.

2.	In the User Profile Editor window, configure the options as you want them. If you are not editing the user or system default profile, be sure to complete the Permitted To Use Profile box.

3.	From the File menu, choose the command for the way you want to save the profile.

See Also

What Is a User Profile?

The User Profile Editor Window

Saving a User Profile

Assigning User Profiles to User Accounts


Allowing for Different Hardware and Software Configurations

Allow for the differing workstation configurations the user may encounter. For instance, the same application on different Windows NT computers may use a different path, or an application may not even be available on some computers. Hardware configurations may differ, too. Not all computers, for example, may use the same kind of pointing device.

If the user is always going to be working at the same computer, be sure that the profile you create accounts for differences between the user's computer and the one you are using to create or edit the profile.


Allowing for Different Video Displays

Lay out program groups using a computer that has the same type of video display that will be used by those who will be assigned the profile. Problems can occur if you don't.

For example, if you lay out program groups using a super VGA screen and then assign the profile to users who have VGA screens, the users may find the screen boundaries awkward or unusable.


Maintaining Consistent Program Paths

The program path you specify for a program item must be valid for all Windows NT computers where the user profile is used. Here are three ways to be sure that program paths are correct:

If your software license permits, put the application on a server.

Install the application in the same directory on every workstation.

Add the application directory to the user's path, and do not enter a pathname when you define the command line for the application's program item.


Changing an Existing User Profile
Editing a User Profile

You can edit all the settings in the user profile, or you can edit only the options available in the User Profile Editor window. For the detailed procedure, choose one of the following topics:

Editing the Entire User Profile

Editing Only the Settings in the User Profile Editor Window


Editing the Entire User Profile

Editing the entire user profile is very similar to creating the profile in the first place. When you create or edit a user profile, the changes you make also affect the account where you are working. To keep your own user profile intact, it is a good idea to create a special Profile Administrator's account and log on to that account when you are managing user profiles. A Profile Administrator's account can be any account that is a member of the Domain Admins global group or the Administrators local group.

To edit an existing user profile

1.	If you are editing a personal user profile (file extension .USR), make sure the user to whom the profile is assigned is logged off.

2.	Assign the profile to your Profile Administrator's account, and then log on to that account.

3.	Configure the Windows NT environment of your own computer until it is exactly as you want it for the intended users of the profile. Be sure to allow for different hardware and software configurations that may be encountered by users of the profile. In particular, allow for different video displays, and maintain consistent program paths.

4.	In the User Profile Editor window, configure the options as you want them. If you are not editing the user or system default profile, be sure to complete the Permitted To Use Profile box.

Except for the Startup program group, the settings in the User Profile Editor do not have any effect on administrator accounts. For example, even if the Disable Run In File Menu option is selected, the administrator still has access to the Run command.

5.	From the File menu, choose Save To Current Profile.

See Also

What Is a User Profile?

The User Profile Editor Window

Saving a User Profile

Assigning User Profiles to User Accounts


Profile Administrator's Account

When you create or edit a user profile, the changes you make also affect the account where you are working. To keep your own user profile intact, it is a good idea to create a special Profile Administrator's account and log on to that account when you are managing user profiles. A Profile Administrator's account can be any account that is a member of the Domain Admins global group or the Administrators local group.


Saving an Edited Personal User Profile That Is Assigned to a User

When you edit a personal user profile that is already assigned to a user, you should save it under a new filename or a new pathname. If the user of the profile is logged on when you overwrite it, the original version of the profile will overwrite your modifications when the user logs off.

After you have saved the edited personal user profile, update the User Profile Path assigned to the user account in User Manager for Domains. The next time the user logs on, the new personal user profile is loaded.


Editing Only the Settings in the User Profile Editor Window

To edit only the settings in the User Profile Editor window

1.	If you are editing a personal user profile (file extension .USR), make sure the user to whom the profile is assigned is logged off.

2.	Assign the profile to your Profile Administrator's account, and then log on to that account.

3. From the File Menu, choose Open. In the dialog box that appears, select the user profile you want to change, and then choose the OK button.

4.	In the User Profile Editor window, configure the options as you want them.

Except for the Startup program group, the settings in the User Profile Editor do not have any effect on administrator accounts. For example, even if the Disable Run In File Menu option is selected, the administrator still has access to the Run command.

5.	From the File menu, choose Save As File. Specify the drive, pathname, and filename you want, and then choose the OK button.


Copying a User Profile

If you want to assign the same personal user profile to a number of users, it is best to make copies of the profile and assign each copy to a different individual.

To copy a user profile

1. From the File Menu, choose Open. In the dialog box that appears, select the user profile you want to change, and then choose the OK button.

2. Choose the Browse button next to the Permitted to Use Profile box. In the User Browser dialog box that appears, add the name of the user or group you want to assign the copy of the profile to.

3. From the File menu, choose Save As File. Save the profile under a unique filename. Mandatory user profiles must have a file extension of .MAN; personal user profiles must have a file extension of .USR.


Saving a User Profile

To save a user profile

1.	From the File menu, choose the command for the way you want to save the profile: Save To Current Profile, Save As User Default, Save As System Default, or Save As File.

2.	If you choose Save As File, complete the Save As dialog box. Mandatory profiles must have a file extension of .MAN; personal user profiles must have a file extension of .USR.

When you edit a personal user profile that is already assigned to a user, it is a good idea to give the profile a new filename, a new pathname, or both. This precaution is unnecessary for a mandatory profile or for a profile that is not yet assigned to a user account.

See also

Assigning User Profiles to User Accounts

Save To Current Profile command

Save As User Default command

Save As System Default command

Save As File command


Assigning User Profiles to User Accounts

You assign user profiles to user accounts in User Manager for Domains.

Remember that mandatory user profiles can be assigned to any number of user accounts, but personal user profiles should each be assigned to only one user account.

Except for the Startup Group, settings in the User Profile Editor window do not affect administrator accounts.


The User Profile Editor Window

For information on the individual elements of the User Profile Editor window, choose one of the following buttons. Use the scroll bar to see more buttons.

 Permitted to Use Profile

 Browse Button

 Program Manager Settings

 Disable Run in File Menu

 Disable Save Settings Menu Item and Never Save Settings

 Show Common Program Groups

 Startup Group

 Program Group Settings

 Lock button

 Unlock button

 For Unlocked Groups, Allow User To

 Make Any Change

 Create/Delete/Change Program Items

 Change All Program Item Properties

 Change Program Item Properties Except Command Line

 Allow User to Connect/Remove Connections in Print Manager

 Wait for Logon Script to Complete Before Starting Program Manager

See Also

What Is User Profile Editor?

What Is a User Profile?


Permitted to Use Profile

Gives a user or a local or global group access to a user profile. This option does not assign the profile; it only gives the specified user or group the necessary permission to write to or read the profile.


Browse Button

 Choose the Browse button to give a user or a local or global group the necessary file permissions to use the profile.


Program Manager Settings

The options under Program Manager Settings specify a startup group and determine the user's access to some features in Program Manager.


Disable Run in File Menu

Prevents users from issuing the Run command on the File menu in Program Manager.

Selecting Disable Run In File Menu does not prevent users from starting programs from within other programs, running File Manager or the command prompt, or changing program-item command lines to run other programs.


Disable Save Settings Menu Item and Never Save Settings

Prevents users from issuing the Save Settings on Exit and the Save Settings Now commands on the Options menu in Program Manager.


Show Common Program Groups

Makes common program groups available to the user of the profile.

Common program groups are stored on a workstation and can be made available to any user who logs on to the workstation. Only an administrator can create or change common groups.


Startup Group

Specifies a startup program group. The program items in the startup group are started every time the user logs on.


Program Group Settings

The options under Program Group Setttings determine how much control the user has over personal program groups. Personal program groups are available only to the user or users of a particular profile.

Personal program groups can be locked or unlocked. When a personal program group is locked, a user cannot change it in any way.

When a personal program group is unlocked, a user can change the program group and the program items within that group, depending on the setting in For Unlocked Groups, Allow User To.


Lock button

Locks any personal program groups selected in the Unlocked Program Groups list and moves the names of the selected groups to the Locked Program list. When a personal program group is locked, a user cannot change it in any way.


Unlock button

Unlocks any personal program groups selected in the Locked Program list and moves the names of the selected groups to the Unlocked Program Groups list. When a personal program group is unlocked, a user can change the program group and the program items within that group, depending on the setting in For Unlocked Groups, Allow User To.


For Unlocked Groups, Allow User To

Determines the user's ability to make changes to the unlocked personal program groups.


Make Any Change

Allows users to create, delete, or change unlocked personal program groups and program items in them.


Create/Delete/Change Program Items

Allows users to create, delete, and change program items in unlocked personal program groups.

If this option is selected, users cannot create, delete, or change program groups.


Change All Program Item Properties

Allows users to change the properties of program items in unlocked personal program groups.

If this option is selected, users cannot create or delete program items, nor can they create, delete, or change any personal program groups.


Change Program Item Properties Except Command Line

This option allows users to change all properties of program items in unlocked personal program groups except the Command Line entry in the Program Item Properties dialog box.

If this option is selected, users cannot create or delete program items, nor can they create, delete, or change program groups.


Allow User to Connect/Remove Connections in Print Manager

Allows users to add or remove network printer connections in Print Manager.

Clearing this option does not prevent users from establishing printer connections from the command prompt, nor does it prevent users from establishing printer connections using the Run command on the File menu in Program Manager.


Wait for Logon Script to Complete Before Starting Program Manager

Keeps Program Manager from starting until after the logon script has completed. This allows Program Manager to reference files that are copied to the local drive during the logon script or are on network drives connected during the logon script.


New command
New

Closes the current user profile and sets all options in the User Profile Editor window to the defaults for the user account where the profile is being created.

If any changes to the current user profile have not been saved, User Profile Editor warns you that the changes will be lost and asks if you want to continue.


Open command
Open

Opens an existing user profile in the User Profile Editor window.

For information on the Open dialog box that appears, choose one of the following topics:

 File Name

 Directories

 List Files of Type

 Drives

 Network button


File Name

 Enter the name of the file you want to open, or select one from the list below the File Name box.


Directories

 If the directory path shown does not contain the file you want to open, select a different one in the box immediately below.


List Files of Type

Specifies the files that are listed in the File Name box.

 Select All User Profiles (file extensions .MAN and .USR), Per-User Profile (.USR), or Mandatory Profile (.MAN).


Drives

 If the disk drive shown does not contain the file you want to open, select another from the list provided.


Network button

 Choose the Network button to open a connection to the shared network directory that contains the user profile you want to open.

For information on the Connect Network Drive dialog box that appears, choose the Help button or press F1 in the dialog box.


Save To Current Profile

Saves changes to the profile of the account where you are working.


Save As User Default

Saves the current user profile as the user default.


Save As System Default

Saves the current user profile as the system default.


Save As File

Saves the current user profile as a file, which can then be assigned to one or more users.

For information on the Save As dialog box that appears, choose one of the following topics:

 File Name

 Save File As Type

 Directories

 Drives

 Network


File Name

 Enter the filename under which you want to save the user profile.

Mandatory user profiles must have the file extension .MAN; personal user profiles must have the file extension .USR.


Directories

 If the directory path shown is not where you want to save the user profile, select a different one in the box immediately below.


Save File As Type

Specifies the default file extension given to the filename of the user profile when you save it.

 Select Per-User Profile ( file extension .USR), or Mandatory Profile (.MAN).


Drives

 If the disk drive shown is not where you want to save the user profile, select another from the list provided.


Network button

 Choose the Network button to open a connection to the shared network directory where you want to save the user profile.

For information on the Connect Network Drive dialog box that appears, choose the Help button or press F1 in the dialog box.


Exit Command
Exit

Quits User Profile Editor.


Contents Command
Contents

Lists User Profile Editor help topics.


Search for Help On Command
Search for Help On

Presents an index of keywords from User Profile Editor help. You can list, select, and open help topics associated with individual keywords.


How to Use Help Command
How to Use Help

Provides introductory information on the Windows NT help system.


About User Profile Editor Command
About User Profile Editor

Provides version number, serial number, copyright, licensing, and other information about User Profile Editor. Also shows the amount of physical memory on your Windows NT computer.


Connect Network Drive

Use the Connect Network Drive dialog box to connect to shared directories available on the network.

For information on the individual elements of this dialog box, choose one of the following topics:

 Drive

 Path

 Connect As

 Reconnect at Logon

 Expand Logon Domain at Startup

 Shared Directories


Drive

The drive that will be used for the network connection. Displays the lowest drive letter available.

To specify a different drive letter, select the Drive box and type the drive letter you want, or select the drive letter from the list in the Drive box.


Path

Shows the path of the share in the form \\computername\sharename.

To specify a path, select one from the list in the Path box, select a new network path from a computer in the Shared Directories list, or type the path in the Path box.


Connect As

Displays the username you are logged on as.

To connect to the share under a different username, select the Connect As box and type that username.


Reconnect at Logon

 To connect to the shared directory at each logon, select the Reconnect At Logon check box.

To connect to the shared directory only during this Windows NT session, clear the Reconnect At Logon check box.


Expand Logon Domain at Startup

When cleared, shows only the highest-level view in the Shared Directories list whenever the Connect Network Drive dialog box appears.

When selected, lists your logon domain first and shows each computer of that domain whenever the Connect Network Drive dialog box appears.


Shared Directories

Shows networks, domains, and computers. Can be expanded to show shared directories for a computer.

Double-click an item (network, domain, or server) to expand the list. Select a shared directory to place it in the Path box.


User Browser

Use the User Browser dialog box to make the current user profile available to an individual user or a local or global group.

Choose one of the following buttons for information about the dialog box:

 List Names From

 Names

 Add Button

 Show Users Button

 Members Button

 Search Button

 Add Name


List Names From

Displays the name of the domain or computer whose groups are shown in the Names box.

To display groups and users in another domain or on another computer, select another domain or computer.


Names

Displays the groups or users belonging to the current domain or computer.

To add groups or users to the permissions list, select them in the Names box and choose the Add button.


Add Button

To add a group or user to the permissions list, select the appropriate name in the Names box and choose the Add button.


Show Users Button

To display the names of users belonging to the current domain or computer, choose the Show Users button.

The names are added to the Names box.


Members Button

To list a group's members, select the group in the Names box, and then choose the Members button.


Search Button

To add a group or user, you must know the domain that contains the account for the group or user.

To find the domain to which a group or user belongs, choose the Search button.


Add Name

Displays the name of the group or user with permission to use the current user profile.

To add a groups or user to the Add Name box, select the appropriate name in the Names box, and then choose the Add button.

Or type the name directly in the Add Name box. If the account of the group or user is not located on the computer or domain shown by the List Names From box, specify the location. Type the computer or domain name followed by the group or user name and separate the names using a backslash, for instance, domainname\username.


Find Account

Use the Find Account dialog box to locate the domain of an account on a Windows NT Server network.

Choose one of the following buttons for information about the dialog box:

 Find User or Group

 Search All

 Search Only In

 Search Button

 Add Button


Find User or Group

In the Find User Or Group box, type the name of the group or user whose account you want to find.


Search All

To search for the account in all the listed domains, select the Search All button.


Search Only In

To search for the account in one or more domains, select them in the Search Only In box.


Search Button

After specifying a group or user and the domains to search, choose the Search button to start the search.


Add Button

To add the user or group to the Add Names box in the User Browser dialog box, select the user or group in the Search Results box and then choose the Add button.


Local Group Membership

Displays the members of the local group selected in the User Browser dialog box.

To include the group in the Add Name box in the User Browser dialog box, choose the Add button.

To include one of the listed members in the Add Names box in the User Browser dialog box, select the name you want, and then choose the Add button.

On a Windows NT Server network, global groups that are members of a local group appear in the list.

To see a global group's members, select the group and choose the Members button.


Global Group Membership

Displays the members of the global group selected in the User Browser dialog box.

To include the group in the Add Name box in the User Browser dialog box, choose the Add button.

To include one of the listed members in the Add Names box in the User Browser dialog box, select the name you want, and then choose the Add button.