What laptop & desktop user/network configuration?

[Guest]

Hi,

I have a desktop computer running Windows XP Home connected to a wireless
router which is connected to a broadband cable modem. I've set up the desktop
with separate user accounts for members of my family.

I have recently purchased a laptop computer running Windows XP Professional
which is connected to the network wirelessly. It's already configured onto
the same domain with shared folders but with no user logons other than the
default one I created on first startup.

I want the laptop to use the same user accounts that I have configured on
the desktop but can't find the combination of settings to make this happen.
Although I don't have a server, I would run the desktop as a server. Neither
the laptop nor desktop will allow me to select "roaming profile" which I
assume is what I need.

If you can give me some pointers I can probably investigate further and
configure myself but so far searching Microsoft and Google has failed.

Thanks

Kenny

 

[Yves Leclerc]

I believe that the "roaming" profiles are main part of Professional and not
Home.

The quickest way is the create the same user accounts on the laptop
manually.

 

[Guest]

Yes, but the laptop doing the roaming does have Professional on it.

 

[Chris Priede]

I have a desktop computer running Windows XP Home...
I have recently purchased a laptop computer running
Windows XP Professional... It's already configured onto
the same domain with shared folders...

Don't use the word "domain" to refer to this, unless you want to confuse
people. What you have isn't one, it is a workgroup.

I want the laptop to use the same user accounts that I have
configured on the desktop but can't find the combination of settings
to make this happen. Although I don't have a server, I would run the
desktop as a server. Neither the laptop nor desktop will allow me to
select "roaming profile" which I assume is what I need.

It does sound like the functionality of a domain is what you want, but alas,
you don't have one. Having one would require 1)domain controller running a
Windows Server OS; 2)upgrading your XP Home machine to XP Professional.
It's probably not an option.

You are going to have to settle for creating accounts with the same names on
the laptop. If you wish to duplicate the settings from the desktop once,
with understanding that future changes will not be communicated back and
forth, you can use the Files & Settings Transfer Wizard. Another thing you
might be interested in would be Briefcase.

Here are some links:

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/prodtechnol/winxppro/deploy/mgrtfset.mspx

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;307885

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;307853

 

[Guest]

Chris,

Thanks for the response. My problem isn't the settings per se, it's having
access to things like email in one place, currently my desktop PC. In theory
I should be able to use remote desktop from my laptop to my desktop and
operate on my laptop as if I was on my desktop ... would that work? I assume
this prevents anyone else using the desktop at the same time?

Kenny

 

[S. Taylor]

Your question is out of my league, but i would like to say ...
Why use connection sharing? that would let you access your email server on
you laptop, directly.

 

[Chris Priede]

Hi,

Thanks for the response. My problem isn't the settings per se,
it's having access to things like email in one place, currently
my desktop PC.

For the email problem, there are several solutions:

1) The most common one is to set up your email application to leave messages
on the server for n days. As long as you check email on each computer at
least once in n days, you get all of it on both computers. The only
downside to this solution is you will have to keep up with what you've
already read, and you won't have access to your own sent items on the other
machine.

2) If your provider supports IMAP, you can set up your email software to use
that and work with you email directly on server.

3) Web mail?

In theory I should be able to use remote desktop from my
laptop to my desktop and operate on my laptop as if I was
on my desktop ... would that work?
Yes.

I assume this prevents anyone else using the desktop
at the same time?

Yes. The other problem is that if you are ever going to take the laptop out
of the house, you may want it to be self-sufficient.

Perhaps instead of specific technical issues, we should discuss why you
acquired the laptop and how you want to use it. There probably are ways to
achieve whatever you need to get done in the bigger picture.