Roaming user profiles in Windows operating systems allows a user with a computer joined to a Windows Server domain to log on to any computer on the same network and access their documents. The idea is for a user to have a consistent desktop experience.
Can you share 32-bit and 64-bit Roaming User Profiles in Windows?
Windows uses an entirely different profile structure. A user who switches between 2 operating systems cannot have personal data transferred automatically, but instead, two distinct server-side profiles are created for this person.
Windows operates on multiple processor architectures, most notably x86 and x64. User data and configuration settings are stored in a user profile. This user profile includes COM registration, file, and registry virtualization information, application settings, and well-known folder locations which may differ from 32-bt and 64-bit versions of Windows. The differences can create unknown behaviors when attempting to roam user profiles between 32-bit and 64-bit operating systems.
KB2384951 lists the following things you may want to consider when attempting to roam user profiles between 32 and 64-bit Windows:
- The location of the various programs are stored in the registry as static paths C:\Program Files or C:\Program Files (x86)
- COM registration between 32 and a 64-bit computers. A 64-bit COM component will not work on the 32-bit version of Windows
- Wow64 and registry and file virtualization data
- Other user and application data that contain different settings and locations (on the file system or the registry) based on processor architecture.
Sharing roaming user profiles between 32 and 64-bit is not recommended
This scenario has too many variables to test the interoperability adequately. Therefore, sharing roaming user profiles between 32 and 64-bit Windows is not supported.
What are the disadvantages of Roaming profiles?
The disadvantages of roaming profiles include slow login and logoff times, primarily due to large roaming profiles taking a long time to download. This delay can lead to users waiting more than a minute, especially when dealing with sizable profiles, impacting overall productivity and user experience.
What is the difference between Mandatory profile and Roaming profile?
The main difference between a mandatory user profile and a roaming profile is that a mandatory profile does not save any changes made by the user after logging off, ensuring settings are uniform. In contrast, a roaming profile saves user changes across sessions, providing a personalized but consistent experience on different devices.