Microsoft KB Archive/147352

= XCLN: Creating Default User Profiles =

Article ID: 147352

Article Last Modified on 10/28/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Exchange Client 5.5
 * Microsoft Exchange Client 5.0
 * Microsoft Exchange Client 4.0
 * Microsoft Exchange Client 5.0

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This article was previously published under Q147352



SUMMARY
There are three ways user profiles can be automatically generated. The first and easiest way is for the administrator to create a single default profile to be used when a Microsoft Exchange client for Windows is installed. The second way is for the administrator to create several default profiles and tell the user which one to load after they install the Microsoft Exchange client for Windows. The third method is to manually edit a DEFAULT.PRF file for each user and have this file present in the WINDOWS directory or in the users home directory before installing the Microsoft Exchange Client.



MORE INFORMATION
Using the Microsoft Exchange Setup Editor, the administrator can create a customized default profile, DEFAULT.PRF, in the client installation point. The Setup Editor can be used to customize both user options and Setup program options. The user options include choices ranging from the home server name to playing a sound when new items arrive. The Setup program options include choices like the client installation directory, the Microsoft Exchange components to install, and the Microsoft Exchange services to install.

If a DEFAULT.PRF file exists in the installation point when the user installs the Microsoft Exchange client, it will be used to create the user profile. This means that the user might not have to enter any additional information when the Microsoft Exchange client is started for the first time. This is the easiest way for a user to install Microsoft Exchange.

If the administrator wants to offer several different customized default profiles, they will need to run the Setup Editor to modify and save multiple DEFAULT.PRF files. Because the Setup Editor does not have to ability to use any other file name, the administrator will have to rename that file from the File Manager or a command prompt each time they save it. The administrator will need to keep the .PRF extension when renaming this file and they should not leave a DEFAULT.PRF or it will be used when the user performs the installation.

If multiple customized profiles are offered, when the user has finished installing their Microsoft Exchange client, they can run NEWPROF.EXE. NEWPROF.EXE is the Automatic Profile Generator program and is installed in the directory in which the Microsoft Exchange client is installed. It can be run from the File Manager by clicking on NEWPROF.EXE and adding "-s <path\ " to the command line. This specifies the custom profile that the administrator created above. The administrator will need to inform the user of that file's name and location since it will not be copied to the directory in which the user installed the Microsoft Exchange client.

Once NEWPROF.EXE is running, the user will need to click the Browse button and locate the same file that was specified on the command line. Once they have done this and clicked OK, they will need to click on the Execute button to create the profile.

If a DEFAULT.PRF file was created for each user, the user actually need to nothing but run setup. This process has no user intervention except for starting the install process. For this to work, the DEFAULT.PRF should be present in the Microsoft Windows directory and the Microsoft Exchange Server Name should have been indicated using the Microsoft Exchange Setup Editor. The administrator or the user can follow the steps below to specify the user's Microsoft Exchange account name in the DEFAULT.PRF file:
 * 1) Edit the DEFAULT.PRF file using a text editor, like Notepad.
 * 2) In the section titled [General] modify the following entry: ProfileName=
 * 3) Save changes and exit the editor program.
 * 4) Ensure that this file is located in the users Microsoft Windows directory, or their home directory if running in a shared Microsoft Windows environment.

More information about NEWPROF.EXE command-line options can be found in 145905.

Keywords: kbsetup KB147352

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