I have a simple network (2 machines) that may grow slightly with both
machines using Windows XP Pro. There are three users: one user with full
admin rights, and two with user rights. I want to configure the network so
that by logging onto either machine, any of the users will be working with a
single desktop and personal folders.

Is it possible to install Active Directory, set one machine as the domain,
which effectively has local profiles and folders, and the other (and any
additions) with roaming profiles and folders, using XP Pro only? If I need
to install using services from 2000 Server, or some other additional source,
what sort of licensing should I know about?

If not, when I try to set the profile path and home folder on the secondary
machine using the network path to the primary machine, I get one of two
outcomes:

Firstly, with the folder not shared, the secondary computer finds nothing,
and creates a temporary local profile which is deleted upon logoff.

Secondly, with the folder *fully* shared, the secondary computer doesn't
claim to not find it, I get no error messages, and then it effectively
creates a default user desktop (not sure about user folders).

What am I missing here?

If I only set the home folder (and leave the profile path blank), the
primary computer creates the directory, but doesn't save any of the My
Documents files or anything else in it. The secondary computer doesn't
automatically save anything there either, but it does show a mapped drive to
the folder on the primary computer, and can read and write to it normally
(full access sharing). In theory, it should (I want it to) save to what the
computer thinks is the My Documents folders for the logged in user, but save
all that information into a single place where all the users' information is
stored on the primary computer, so that the workstation doesn't matter, and
access to and backup of files is easy.

Thank you in advance,

Chris

"Christopher D Clarke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:t3UDc.17809$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a simple network (2 machines) that may grow slightly with both
> machines using Windows XP Pro. There are three users: one user with full
> admin rights, and two with user rights. I want to configure the network
so
> that by logging onto either machine, any of the users will be working with
a
> single desktop and personal folders.
>
> Is it possible to install Active Directory, set one machine as the domain,
> which effectively has local profiles and folders, and the other (and any
> additions) with roaming profiles and folders, using XP Pro only? If I
need
> to install using services from 2000 Server, or some other additional
source,
> what sort of licensing should I know about?
>

If you wish to host a Domain you will need to purchase a copy of a Server
operating system, such as Windows Server 2003 (Standard Edition). You will
also need to ensure you have sufficient client access licenses for each user
or PC accessing your Domain.
This server must be installed on a PC (so you will ether have to sacrifice
one of your machines or buy another system)
see
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsserver2003/default.mspx

--

Regards,

Mike
--
Mike Brannigan [Microsoft]

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights

Please note I cannot respond to e-mailed questions, please use these
newsgroups

"Christopher D Clarke" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:t3UDc.17809$(E-Mail Removed)...
> I have a simple network (2 machines) that may grow slightly with both
> machines using Windows XP Pro. There are three users: one user with full
> admin rights, and two with user rights. I want to configure the network
so
> that by logging onto either machine, any of the users will be working with
a
> single desktop and personal folders.
>
> Is it possible to install Active Directory, set one machine as the domain,
> which effectively has local profiles and folders, and the other (and any
> additions) with roaming profiles and folders, using XP Pro only? If I
need
> to install using services from 2000 Server, or some other additional
source,
> what sort of licensing should I know about?
>
> If not, when I try to set the profile path and home folder on the
secondary
> machine using the network path to the primary machine, I get one of two
> outcomes:
>
> Firstly, with the folder not shared, the secondary computer finds nothing,
> and creates a temporary local profile which is deleted upon logoff.
>
> Secondly, with the folder *fully* shared, the secondary computer doesn't
> claim to not find it, I get no error messages, and then it effectively
> creates a default user desktop (not sure about user folders).
>
> What am I missing here?
>
> If I only set the home folder (and leave the profile path blank), the
> primary computer creates the directory, but doesn't save any of the My
> Documents files or anything else in it. The secondary computer doesn't
> automatically save anything there either, but it does show a mapped drive
to
> the folder on the primary computer, and can read and write to it normally
> (full access sharing). In theory, it should (I want it to) save to what
the
> computer thinks is the My Documents folders for the logged in user, but
save
> all that information into a single place where all the users' information
is
> stored on the primary computer, so that the workstation doesn't matter,
and
> access to and backup of files is easy.
>
> Thank you in advance,
>
> Chris
>
>

Christopher D Clarke wrote:
> I have a simple network (2 machines) that may grow slightly with both
> machines using Windows XP Pro. There are three users: one user with
> full admin rights, and two with user rights. I want to configure the
> network so that by logging onto either machine, any of the users will
> be working with a single desktop and personal folders.
>
> Is it possible to install Active Directory, set one machine as the
> domain, which effectively has local profiles and folders, and the
> other (and any additions) with roaming profiles and folders, using XP
> Pro only?

No - you need a server OS to have a domain, and you need a domain to use
roaming profiles.

> If I need to install using services from 2000 Server, or
> some other additional source, what sort of licensing should I know
> about?

Might want to look into SBS if you have a small shop. Just make sure you buy
server-class hardware for it - no sense in putting in a server without doing
it right the first time.


>
> If not, when I try to set the profile path and home folder on the
> secondary machine using the network path to the primary machine, I
> get one of two outcomes:
>
> Firstly, with the folder not shared, the secondary computer finds
> nothing, and creates a temporary local profile which is deleted upon
> logoff.
>
> Secondly, with the folder *fully* shared, the secondary computer
> doesn't claim to not find it, I get no error messages, and then it
> effectively creates a default user desktop (not sure about user
> folders).
>
> What am I missing here?

You can't do what you wish without a server OS and a domain.
>
> If I only set the home folder (and leave the profile path blank), the
> primary computer creates the directory, but doesn't save any of the My
> Documents files or anything else in it. The secondary computer
> doesn't automatically save anything there either, but it does show a
> mapped drive to the folder on the primary computer, and can read and
> write to it normally (full access sharing). In theory, it should (I
> want it to) save to what the computer thinks is the My Documents
> folders for the logged in user, but save all that information into a
> single place where all the users' information is stored on the
> primary computer, so that the workstation doesn't matter, and access
> to and backup of files is easy.

You can still redirect My Documents to a mapped drive/UNC path on another
machine. It just won't do anything for your profiles.
>
> Thank you in advance,
>
> Chris