Switch between a roaming and local user profile

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To switch between a roaming and local user profile

  1. Open System in Control Panel.

  2. On the Advanced tab, under User Profiles, click Settings.

  3. Under Profiles stored on this computer, click the user profile you want to change, and then click Change Type.

  4. Select Roaming profile or Local profile.

Notes

  • Performing this task does not require you to have administrative credentials. Therefore, as a security best practice, consider performing this task as a user without administrative credentials.

  • To open System, click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.

  • To open System from a command line as an administrator, type:

    runas /user:computername\Administrator "rundll32.exe shell32.dll,Control_RunDLL sysdm.cpl"

  • If Roaming profile is unavailable, the profile is a local user profile. For more information about how to create roaming user profiles, see Related Topics.

  • If you use a roaming user profile on more than one computer simultaneously, the profile preserves the registry settings from the computer you log off from last.

Information about functional differences

  • Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.

See Also

Concepts

Copy a user profile
Delete a user profile
System Properties Overview - Control Panel
User profiles overview
Create a roaming user profile