Microsoft KB Archive/170027

Changes To User Profiles Are Not Saved Last reviewed: September 29, 1997 Article ID: Q170027

The information in this article applies to: Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0 Microsoft Windows NT Server versions 3.5, 3.51, and 4.0 SYMPTOMS All user-made changes to the user profile have been lost after logging off then logging on to the computer again. No error messages are generated. If the user is made an Administrator of the local workstation, then all changes to the user profile are retained properly. Also, the user may notice that when logged off, the local profile %SystemRoot%\Profiles\%Username% will disappear, and the server-based roaming profile has not been updated but still exists. CAUSE If a user is not a member of the local workstation Users group, the user is considered a Guest when Windows NT determines how to manipulate that user's profile. Because the user is essentially a Guest in this condition, profiles for this user are treated as mandatory. Mandatory profiles cannot be saved. The result is the server-based profile being treated as read only and any changes that the user makes to the user profile are discarded when they log off the computer. Thus, the local profile disappears and the server-based profile is not updated. The user does not have to be a member of the Guests group for their profile to be treated as mandatory. Simply not being a member of the Users group will also cause this behavior. When you add a user to the Administrators group and not the Users group, Windows NT looks at the two groups and uses the properties of Administrator to determine whether the user can save changes in their profile. Administrators are always allowed to save the user profile. RESOLUTION Add the user to the local workstation Users group to prevent the profile from being treated as mandatory.

Additional query words: roaming settings can't preserve lost prodnt Keywords : ntdomain NTSrvWkst kbenv Version : WinNT:3.5,3.51,4.0 Platform : winnt Hardware : x86 Issue type : kbprb Solution Type : kbpatch THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY. Last reviewed: September 29, 1997 © 1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Terms of Use.