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Is there a simple W2K setup procedure?

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3 replies

by atar

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Since Windows 2000 creates unique
profiles for each user and stores
certain application information in the
ntuser.dat for the specific user, it is
a nightmare to setup a PC in one
environment and then to deploy the PC to
a user in a different enviornment and
have the applications work. A user
logged onto the PC has a different
profile than the same user logged onto a
server (using the same PC)running MS
W2k/NT etc. Even if one was to get the
initial setup done, maintaining the
environment over time can be a
significant problem. Is there some magic
tool that will update/transfer
application/services data between user
profiles? Copying the "administrator's"
ntuser.dat file the 1st time may work,
but what happens if the enduser
installs several applications over time?

3 replies

by lordinfidel

First answer to your question.... Yes this can be done....

However, it requires the use of domains.

AD handles this nicely in a pure 2k enviroment.

NT4 domains also does this but not as nicely on the application side as 2K.

This is all done using roaming profiles.

With a pure 2K enviroment and AD, You can assign certain users with certain software apps, so no matter where they are they will have the same apps installed.

Also, you can easily redirect all of their personal folders (my docs) to a server.

Get your self some books on 2K and read up on roaming profiles.

The caveat is you need to be in a domain setting. If you have an NT4 domain, this still can be done using Roaming Profiles, but without the installed apps.

by atar

I'm aware of roaming profiles, but my
specific problem is not that. This problem
exists even on stand alone PCs. If you
install certain applications on a Win2K PC
logged on as ADMINISTRATOR, a user, logged
onto that PC as USERX may not be able to run
that application due to the fact that it was
installed under a different user
(ADMINISTRATOR). Each user logging onto a
WIN2K PC has a unique ntuser.dat file that
contains user specific registry info.

by shadowcat

On an NT4 Domain you can use Roaming profiles with Apps set to a mapped network drive location. Meaning Set every machine to have a mapped drive similar to F: = \\aserver\sharepoint

Then set the registry to point to the programs files location being f:\program files. This should automagically set the %programfiles% paramater to the F:\program files location. The major drawback to this is network bandwidth gets really high in this type of setting but you will be one step closer to the .NETframwork that M$ is pushing us all to.

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