Tools: VProfile - Profile Generation

Table of Contents

Introduction to VProfile

The purpose of this program is to allow a system administrator to create a profile directory of a user, without requiring that user needing to log on first to create it.

Often it has been an issue for me where I am setting up a computer without the computer's owner present. Until that user logs on there is no profile directory (in 'C:\Users' for Vista+, or 'C:\Documents and Settings' for older versions of Windows). In an environment where domain accounts are used there is usually no simple solution to this problem, outside of infrastructure heavy tools like SSCM or through security violations such as asking for user passwords.

With this (free) program you simply need to know a user's logon user ID and you can generate their profile directory. Once you have generated their folder you can transfer their desktop files, documents, appdata folders, etc. to their user account without their having to log on (and without them being there at all).

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments or suggestions for this program.

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Instructions for General Usage

The program is (hopefully) very simple to use and can be used on local accounts as well as on domain accounts. You only need to know the user's logon ID, which is generally public or easily looked up. Once you have entered the user name into the appropriate field use the 'Look-up' button.

When the program is first started it will show an interface where you will be prompted to enter the 'User Name' of the user. This should be prefixed by the domain information, such as 'globaltech\bigboss'. In the case of no domain use the computer's name as a prefix. You can use the [L] and [D] buttons on the right to switch out the prefix for the local or domain names.

The account will be looked up by its security identifier (SID) and information will be entered into the bottom text fields. Then simply click on the 'Create Account' button to start the profile generation process.

Once the process completes you should find the new profile directory for that user.

If the look-up fails then make sure you entered the user name in the proper computer_name\user_name or domain\user_name syntax, that the user account exists and that it doesn't already have a profile directory. If the account generation fails then please notify me at what point it failed.

In theory you can alter the 'Default Dir' and 'Profile Dir' fields for advanced uses. Unless you know what you are doing do not alter these fields. The default dir is the directory where new profile settings are copied from, but I let you edit that field in case you want to pull a different default from a file server or such. And the profile directory is where the account will be created, which in theory you could point to anywhere. I did not much test these advanced uses though so test it before creating an internal process for using them.

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Automation (Command-line Parameters / Arguments )

Most of my programs I created with command-line arguments but this program is an exception. If you would like me to add command-line functionality then please notify me and let me know how you want to use it so I can implement it.

Version History

2014/03/16: v3.0.2 released

There were a few bugs that I fixed in this release.

2014/02/13: v3.0.1 released

This is the first public release of this program. The program is freeware. If you notice any bugs then please let me know, but I've personally used it hundreds of times.

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Download

Program Name: VProfile: Profile Generation
Download: Vernalex.com or Download.com
Current Version: 3.0.2 (final/release)
Release Date: 2014/03/16
Notes:This program has been tested on Windows XP and Windows 7, but it should work on Windows XP up to Windows 8.1 (and most likely beyond). For resetting file system / registry access control lists (ACLs) the program internally uses SetACL by Helge Klein.

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