There are situations where several users are going to be using the same PC, but each needs their own customizable desktop.  Some examples that are easy to understand include:

1. A PC where there will be multiple users who all use some applications and devices like printers, but who each need their own personal files and E-mail.
2. A PC that operates as a network peer-to-peer server and in particular for some users who need remote access.  In this case it's ideal to have a personalized desktop that remote users can access and use to run 'in-office' applications, to access or download files, and to access internal network resources such as printers.

So the objective of 'Copying Windows XP & 2000 Professional User Profiles' is to completely set up a new, or about to be shared, PC with all the software, settings, etc. that  you'd like to establish for each user as a starting place, and which you or they can continue to customize.

Here are the steps we recommend

1. Set-up the PC to be shared as above with an old user name that's cleaned up to your satisfaction, or maybe better a new user name that is freshly configured to meet your 'starting place' criteria.  For the purposes of this guide we'll assume the new user is named 'Main'.  (Ideally this is not the user named 'Administrator' which is a built-in user.)
   
   

   When creating this standard user we try to think of Applications, how 'My Computer' and 'Explorer' windows will open and display, what printers should be available, needed mappings of shard network drives, standard or shared favorites, screen saver and power settings, etc.

   NOTE: It's important, particularly for a PC to be shared for remote access, that the power settings be revised to insure that the PC will NOT be turned off automatically.  In this case we normally set the power to 'Always On' with the possible exception of the monitor.  If the PC is not also a used as an in-the-office workstation we routinely log off (e.g. leave it ready to log on) and power off the monitor.
   

2. Adjust the login procedure on a Windows XP Professional PC [Start]-->[Settings]-->[Control Panel]-->[User Accounts]--> then select from the task list 'Change the way users log on or off' and remove the check marks from both options 'Use the Welcome screen' and 'User Fast User Switching' so that users are prompted for a user name and password and so that you can access the 'built-in' administrative user.  (You can change this setting back later, if fast user switching is desired.  This is the default setting for Windows 2000 Professional where there is NO fast user switching feature.)
   
   
3. Adjust the presentation of files so that hidden files and extensions are displayed.  Open a 'My Computer' window and select [Tools]-->[Folder Options]--> the click on the 'View' tab.  scroll down the list and change the radio button to 'Show hidden files and folders' and then remove the check mark by the entry titled: 'Hide extensions for known file types'.  [Our preference is to check every other item except the one at the bottom titled 'Use simple file sharing (Recommended).]
   
   
4. Power off and then start the PC and at the login screen use the 'Administrator' user.  Typically there is no password for the Administrator user, but if you've set one, use it.  (This insures that the PC is logged on with NO files being accessed by the system.)
   
   
5. Open a 'My Computer' or 'Explorer' window and navigate by clicking twice on the 'C:' drive and the 'Documents and Settings' folder.  You should see entries here including 'All Users', 'Default', and others for each user that has already been set up on the PC.  Using our example, another such user would be 'Main'.   (These are file folders that hold the settings which are unique to each user.  As such its likely, but not required, that the folder names match the user names set-up on the PC.)
   
   
6. Create a new directory entry named 'Original Default'.
   
   
7. Cut and paste, or move, all the files in 'Default User' into the new folder 'Original Default'.
   
   
8. Cut and paste, or move, all the files in the new user you set up (e.g. 'Main') into the folder named "Default User'.  (This makes your desired 'standard user' the one that's used as the default to create new user profiles.)
   
   
9. Set up new users as needed by selecting [Start]-->[Settings]-->[Control Panel]-->[User Accounts]-->then select from the task list 'Create a new account'.  Continue to use this tool to set passwords and account types for each user.
   
   NOTE:  Older software routinely requires that each user have the account type 'Administrator'.  To avoid problems we suggest you set all remote access and shared users to the 'Administrator' type and then experimentally change one to 'Limited' as a test to see if that works 'OK'.
   
   
10. Choose [Start]-->[Shut Down]-->'Log off Administrator'
    
    
11. Login into each of the new user names, one-by-one, to verify that they are working 'OK' and to customize each new desktop to meet the needs of the intended user (e.g. links to folders, desktop application icons that this user will need, etc.)

This is a rather tedious and detail intensive process, but much easier than creating each new user and customizing then from scratch.  As the number of users gets larger it also helps to make the case for upgrading to actual server software like Windows 2000, 2003, 2007, etc. server where many of these features are more automated and certainly easier to manage.

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