- What is an Windows NT/2000/XP profile?
- How much Profile Quota do we have and who assigns it?
- What are the benefits of a small profle?
- Where do I find my Profile?
- Can I store my old or current assignments on my desktop?
- Where can I keep my files if I can't keep them on my profile?
- How do I change Internet Explorer to save its cache files somewhere
Q: What is a Windows NT/2000/XP profile?
A Microsoft Windows NT/2000/XP User Profile describes the configuration for a specific user, including the user's environment and preference settings. For example, those settings and configuration options specific to the user-such as installed applications, desktop icons, color options, and so forth-are contained in a User Profile. A profile also stores things like your email settings, shortcuts and/or files on your desktop, files cached by MS Internet Explorer, custom screen backgrounds that you use, some application settings, the location of your network home directory, and so forth.Q: How much Profile Quota do we have and who assigns it?
Quota is currently set to 30 megabytes. By no means should you feel compelled to use all of this space. Except in special conditions your profile should grow no larger than 10 megabytes. Students with large profiles will be asked to trim.Profile quota is assigned by Windows Support as we see need. Undergraduate students no longer have roaming profiles.
Q: What are the benefits of a small profle?
There are several reasons for keeping a small profile. The profile is not a reliable storage method for crucial data. Frequently students lose work that they have saved on the desktop or in a personal folder in the profile. This happens espcecially when Gohan's (the profile server disk) disks become full because users are storing large amounts of personal information in their profile.Additionally, a larger profile will take a longer time to download or upload increasing your own login/logoff times as well as impacting network efficiency for your peers. When you login your profile is copied to the local workstation from the server, when you logout your profile is copied from the local workstation back to the server. If your profile is at the maximum limit of 30 megabytes, it can take up to 10 minutes to download from the server.
Q: Where do I find my Profile?
You can find your profile on the Windows Workstation you are currently logged into from Windows NT 4.0 in the directory "c:\winnt\profiles" OR from Windows 2000/XP in "c:\Documents and Settings". Right click on the folder that has your username and choose properties from the menu to determine the current size of your profile. Inside the folder with your username you will find several folders which represent your desktop and start menus among other personal settings. Most commonly the largest files will appear in either your Desktop or Personal folders.
Q: Can I store my old or current assignments on my desktop?
It is not advisable that you store your old or current assignments on your desktop. User profiles frequently disappear or become corrupted. It is much less dangerous to store your important files in your UNIX account.Q: Where can I keep my files if I can't keep them on my profile?
You can store files in your UNIX account, on floppy or on a zip or jazz disk. For instructions on storing files in your UNIX account, please click here for instructions on Windows 2000/XP.To use the Jazz or Zip drive, move the information to your UNIX account temporarily. For a Zip drive, you will need to logout and login to the workstations that are at the end of the rows in the downstairs labs or along the wall in CS-364. For a Jazz drive, logout and login to the lab assistant's workstation in CS-192. Insert your Jazz or Zip disk and drag and drop the files from your H: drive or UNIX account to the Zip or Jazz drive.
Q: How do I change Internet Explorer to save its cache files somewhere outside of my directory?
Sometimes if you use Internet Explorer it will leave its cache files in "your profile"\Temporary Internet Files". Empty this by running IE and choosing "Internet Options" from the "Tools" menu. On the window that pops up click on the "Delete Files" button in the "Temporary Internet files" section.Once you have opened the "Internet Options" window, you can change the location of the cache folder by clicking on the "Settings" button in the Temporary Internet files section. In the "Settings" window that opens choose "Move Folder" to bring up another windows. Choose the C:\Temp folder and click "OK". Performing this option will cause the computer to log you off in order to finish the task. .
