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Tools & Profile Types

Joe Workman edited this page Jun 26, 2024 · 3 revisions

Windows ADK - Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit

Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit (ADK) for Windows provides new and improved deployment tools for automating large-scale deployments of Windows.

USMT - User State Migration Tool

Microsoft User State Migration Tool (USMT) is a bundled utility in the Windows ADK.

ADMU - Active Directory Migration Utility

The JumpCloud tool that utilizes USMT to convert domain bound systems and accounts to JumpCloud.

Windows Profile Types

What Is In A Windows Profile

  • A registry hive. The registry hive is the file NTuser.dat. The hive is loaded by the system at user logon, and it is mapped to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER registry key. The user's registry hive maintains the user's registry-based preferences and configuration.

  • A set of profile folders stored in the file system. User-profile files are stored in the Profiles directory, on a folder per-user basis. The user-profile folder is a container for applications and other system components to populate with sub-folders, and per-user data such as documents and configuration files. Windows Explorer uses the user-profile folders extensively for such items as the user's Desktop, Start menu and Documents folder.

  • App data folder contains data and settings related to applications. Each windows user/profile has its own broken down into roaming and local. If a system is domain joined certain settings can roam across the domain vs local will only be specific to that user on that system.

Windows Profile Types

Reference: Microsoft Windows User Profiles

Local user profile

  • Created upon first logon
  • Stored on local hard disk
  • Changes to profile are stored on computer and user specific

Roaming user profile

  • Downloaded upon first logon & requires connection to server
  • Stored and redirects to file share
  • Syncs changes to file share when accessible
  • Merged with local profile to allow offline ‘cached version’
  • Dissociated/unusable when system is unbound from domain