Discoveries in NT 4 User Profiles by Clark Anderson My adventures into Windows NT4 profiles came when I belatedly tried following the admonition: Do not do your everyday work logged on as Administrator! It was easy to startup another logon of my own, BUT, when I started up, my nice new and private custom desktop was devoid of all of the Icons, toolbar and other tools I had become dependent on. Quoting from the Microsoft Windows NT workstation Resource Kit ISBN 1-57231-343-9: `The user profile contains all user-definable settings for the work environment of a computer running Windows NT, including display settings and network connections. All user-specific settings are automatically saved into the Profiles folder within the system root folder (typically C:\winnt\profiles). ` There are 3 standard User Profiles: `Administrator`, `All Users` and `Default Users`. Here is what I believe to be a typical directory structure: C:\WINNT\PROFILES\Administrator (The following are in this directory) .\Application Data .\Desktop .\Desktop\My Briefcase .\Favorites .\NetHood .\Personal .\PrintHood .\Recent .\SendTo .\Start Menu .\Start Menu\Programs .\Start Menu\Programs\3Com NIC Utilities (my Netwk card) .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Games .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Hyperterminal .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Multimedia .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\System Tools .\Start Menu\Programs\DIAMOND (my Video card) .\Start Menu\Programs\Startup .\Templates C:\WINNT\PROFILES\All Users (The following are in this directory) .\Desktop .\Start Menu .\Start Menu\Programs .\Start Menu\Programs\3Com NIC Utilities (my Netwk card) .\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools (Common) .\Start Menu\Programs\Backup Exec (my Backup tape) .\Start Menu\Programs\Backup Exec\HELP .\Start Menu\Programs\Backup Exec\OLR .\Start Menu\Programs\Backup Exec\reports .\Start Menu\Programs\Backup Exec\System .\Start Menu\Programs\Backup Exec\System\catalogs .\Start Menu\Programs\Backup Exec\System\catalogs\primary .\Start Menu\Programs\DIAMOND (my Video card) .\Start Menu\Programs\Startup C:\WINNT\PROFILES\Default User (The following are in this directory) .\Application Data .\Desktop .\Favorites .\NetHood .\Personal .\PrintHood .\Recent .\SendTo .\Start Menu .\Start Menu\Programs .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Games .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Hyperterminal .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Multimedia .\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\System Tools .\Start Menu\Programs\Startup .\Templates As you can see, the `Administrator` and `Default User` profiles have the same structure, while `All Users` has only the `Desktop` and `Start Menu` branches of the directory tree. You will see Ntuser.dat files in each of the directories: Administrator, Default User and All Users. This is registry information that I do not, at this time, know how to modify. I will describe, what I believe to be typical, file contents for most profile directories. I learned this from looking at an NT directory structure at work and from `successfully` reconstructing mine at home. A profile directory is created the first time a new user logs on. Profiles seem to consist primarily of directories (folders) and shortcuts. Shortcuts are little files that point to the target programs that really do the work. Shortcut properties resemble the properties of the icons that were used within the groups of Windows 3.x. Shortcut Icons resemble their target Icon a tiny square in their lower left corner containing an arrow pointing up and right. The Administrator\Desktop contains `My Briefcase`, Shortcuts to: Command Prompt, Dial-Up Networking, MyISP.ht and Windows NT Explorer. Administrator\Recent or `current user`\Recent probably contains a collection of Shortcuts to: recently opened documents that can be seen by clicking Start/Documents. Administrator\SendTo contains Shortcuts to: each floppy drive (e.g.: 3½ Floppy (A)), Mail Recipient Using Microsoft Outlook, Mail Recipient and My Briefcase. The Administrator\Start Menu\Programs directory contains Shortcuts to: Command Prompt, Windows Messaging and Windows NT Explorer. Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories contains Shortcuts to: Calculator, Character Map, Chat, Clipboard Viewer, Clock, Dial-Up Networking, Imaging, Notepad, Object Packager, Paint, Phone Dialer, Telnet and WordPad. Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Games contains Shortcuts to games (the basic ones are Freecell, Minesweeper, Pinball and Solitaire). Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Hyperterminal contains a shortcut to the Hyperterminal program and files for connecting to some national mail services. Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Multimedia contains Shortcuts to: CD Player, Media Player, Sound Recorder and Volume Control. Administrator\Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\System Tools contains a Shortcut to: Inbox Repair Tool. Default User\SendTo contains Shortcuts to: each floppy drive (e.g.: 3½ Floppy (A)), Mail Recipient Using Microsoft Outlook and Mail Recipient. The Default User \Start Menu\Programs directory contains Shortcuts to: Command Prompt, Windows Messaging and Windows NT Explorer. This defines the top section of the Start/Programs menu. Default User \Start Menu\Programs\Accessories contains Shortcuts to: Calculator, Character Map, Chat, Clipboard Viewer, Clock, Dial-Up Networking, Imaging, Notepad, Object Packager, Paint, Phone Dialer, Telnet and WordPad. Default User \Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Games contains Shortcuts to the basic games (Freecell, Minesweeper, Pinball and Solitaire). Default User \Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Hyperterminal contains a shortcut to the Hyperterminal program and files for connecting to some national mail services. Default User \Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\Multimedia contains Shortcuts to: CD Player, Media Player, Sound Recorder and Volume Control. Default User \Start Menu\Programs\Accessories\System Tools contains a Shortcut to: Inbox Repair Tool. The All Users\Desktop may contain shortcuts that have been placed on the desktop. The All Users\Start Menu directory may contain shortcuts to: New Office Document and Open Office Document. The All Users\Start Menu\Programs directory contains shortcuts to all programs that are listed in the lower section of the Start/Programs menu and also on the Microsoft Office "Programs" toolbar. The All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools (Common) contains Shortcuts to: Backup, Disk Administrator, Event Viewer, Performance Monitor, Remote Access Admin, User Manager and Windows NT Diagnostics. The All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Startup directory may contain Shortcuts to: Fax Monitor, Microsoft Find Fast, Office Startup and Microsoft Office Shortcut Bar. This may resemble the Windows 3.1 StartUp Group. I am forgetting a lot of details about the old stuff. As I write this description, I am gaining more understanding! When a new user logs on, a profile is created with their logon name that begins as a copy of the Default User Profile. I believe this is "a snapshot in time" and would not be altered by any later changes in the Default User Profile. The Start Menu that is displayed when you click the Start button is based on the combined contents of the \WINNT\PROFILES\All Users\Start Menu directories and the \WINNT\PROFILES\Default User\Start Menu directories. The \WINNT\PROFILES\All Users\Desktop contains the various Shortcut Icons that have been placed on the Desktop. Profile directories that you have logon permissions to access can be modified within Windows NT Explorer. It seems best to make Shortcuts to all programs of general interest in the All Users Profile directories and special interest applications in that individual user’s profile directory structure. In the process of making my `repairs` I copied and moved many shortcuts within the different profile directories. Of course, I needed to be logged on as Administrator, to perform these manipulations. I hope this will help some one `Do it right the first time`!