Roaming Profiles and Multiple Users

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This is a very complex subject, for which we can only offer some beginning pointers at this time. Hopefully, we'll be able to put together more step-by-step information in the near future. Most of the information here also applies to Exchange and Windows Messaging.
 

Roaming profiles | Sharing the same computer | Log on anywhere
Tools | Additional tips | More information

Roaming profiles

When you configure a profile for Outlook with Control Panel | Mail and Fax, those settings are stored in your Windows user profile. If you have Windows NT Server or a NetWare server, you can set up users so that their Windows profile settings follow them, no matter what workstation they log on to. Microsoft has several references on this topic:
  • Guide to Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 Profiles and Policies -- a very detailed 100+ page guide
  • Step by Step Roaming Profiles Configuration
  • Outlook 97 Profiles (Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit)
  • Controlling Where Office Stores Documents and Templates on a Network
  • OL2000 (CW) Roaming Using Different Outlook Versions on Different Computers
  • Under Windows 95, you'll need to use the Network and Password applets in Control Panel to make sure your network settings are set to log onto an NT server and to use different settings for each Windows user. See XCLN: Creating Roving Users on Win95 and WinNT.

    The above information applies to Microsoft Exchange as well as Microsoft Outlook. For Outlook 97, you may want to use the Client Installation Tools included in the Office 97 Resource Kit. Because some Outlook settings are kept in separate files, you should also follow the instructions in the MSKB article OL97: Set Up Outlook for Multiple or Roaming Users. Outlook 8.03, available as part of Exchange Server 5.0 Service Pack 2, includes a fix to allow the .rtf signature file to be part of a roving user's profile. See the MSKB article OL97:Roaming User's AutoSignature Incorrect or Missing; make sure the registry entry path to the signature .rtf files ends in a \ character, and does not use the actual file name.

    The Microsoft Exchange Server Resource Kit includes a Profgen.exe utility that works with Newprof.exe to create profiles. See Log on anywhere and More tools below for other tools. If you are interested in using the Newprof.exe utility to generate profiles automatically, start with XCLN: Creating Default User Profiles, OL97: Contents of the Outlook.prf File and OL97: Contents of the Profile.doc Readme File.

    For Outlook 98, the Outlook 98 Deployment Kit is provided through the Select and MSDN channels at Microsoft and on the Exchange Server 5.5 Service Pack 1 CD. You can also download the IExpress Deployment Kit, which includes a Profile Designer to create .prf files and profile packages, as well as Profgen.exe version 3.0. You may also want to get these additional components and documents:

  • Microsoft Outlook Deployment Kit patch to fix a problem with the version on the April 1, 1998 Select CD
  • Microsoft Outlook Security White Paper
  • XCLN How To Generate A User-Specific Profile using IExpress and ODK
  • OL98 (CW) How to Set Up Outlook for Multiple or Roaming Users
  • Outlook 2000 adds a Profile Wizard that you can use to clone Outlook settings from one user's machine and distribute them to others. This is for user settings, not MAPI profiles. The Office Custom Installation Wizard handles the MAPI profile settings. Both are included in the Office 2000 Resource Kit core tools set. The Office 2000 Resource Kit contains a sample Outlook.prf file (22kb). Also see:

  • Configuring Outlook Profile Settings (Office 2000 Resource Kit)
  • OL2000 The Custom Installation Wizard Deployment Package Does Not Create a New Profile
  • OL2000 (CW) Roaming Using Different Outlook Versions on Different Computers
  • Outlook 2002 changes the way .prf files work, making them easier to load and providing the capability to modify profiles, not just create new ones:

  • Customizing Profiles with an Outlook Profile File
  • HOW TO- Specify Exchange Server Settings for Outlook 2002 User Profiles in the Custom Installation Wizard
  • HOW TO- Create a PRF File for Configuring MAPI Profiles During a Customized Outlook 2002 Installation
  • OL2002 Roaming Using Different Outlook Versions on Different PCs
  • OL2002 Outlook 2002 User Profile Is Set to Roam by Default on Windows Me
  • OL2002 Views in the Internet Message Access Protocol Inbox Are Not Retained
  • Note that the profile generation tools only handle the user's MAPI profile. If you want to force certain other settings -- those normally set in Tools | Options -- you need to use the System Policy Editor to create a policy file with your choices in it. See:

  • Microsoft Office 97 Resource Kit - Client Installation Tools
  • Microsoft Office 2000 Resource Kit - Core Tool Set
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    Sharing the same computer

    What if you don't have Windows NT Server, but several people need to use the same computer? At the very least, each person needs their own Outlook profile, connecting to their own mail account(s) and using with a unique Personal Folders .pst file, probably password-protected. The tools listed below can generate profiles for this situation, too.

    See Sharing Microsoft Outlook Info on One PC for a more detailed discussion.

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    Log on anywhere

    If you need to allow Outlook or Exchange users to log on at any computer to get their mail, but don't have roving profiles implemented, these tools are designed to help: (They can help with roving profiles, too, of course.)
  • Microsoft Outlook Roving Client Utility (RedFox Communications)
  • OProfile
  • Outlook Profiler
  • Profiles.exe
  • ProfileMaker
  • ScriptLogic -- logon script generating tool based on KiXtart
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    Tools

    Mapigen!   Free command-line tool for generating MAPI profiles by providing simply a user display name, mailbox name, and server name.
    Office 2000 Resource Kit core tools set   9mb download including the Custom Installation Wizard and Profile Wizard. See Office Custom Installation Wizard Profile Wizard Improve Office 2000 Maintenance with the New Custom Installation Wizard.
    Office 2000 Setup program   Fixes a few bugs and brings it up to date with Office 2000 Service Release 1.
    Office XP Resource Kit core tool set   Includes Office Custom Installation Wizard and Custom Maintenance Wizard, which now build Outlook .prf files and deploy them. See Outlook 2002 - Deployment.
    Outlook 2000 Modify Profile Utility   A replacement for Newprof.exe, this tool allows you to modify existing profiles automatically to add new services, as well as create new profiles. (Microsoft)
    Outlook TCO Migration Utility   Helps when you want to lock down workstations but users still need access to some Outlook files. (Microsoft)
    Redemption   Beta version of Redemption now available. Supports Outlook 2010 64-bit (and 32-bit versions of Outlook).
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    Additional tips

    If you have people moving around and don't want sample items created in their mailbox each time they use a new profile with Outlook 97, try adding this string value to your registry (if it isn't there already):

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\8.0\Outlook\First-Run

    Set the value to "False" (without the quotes). (Office\8.0 = Outlook 97 and Outlook 98; Outlook 2000 would use Office\9.0)

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    More information

  • Exchange (Outlook Client) Modification with SMS Installer
  • Roaming Profiles - NT 4.0 (techadvice.com)
  • Last modified on Monday, April 12, 2010
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