User profiles in win2k and Autocad profiles

[ewestphal]

Forgive me if this has already been discussed but I can't find it. My company uses win2k and acad2ki. Our tech guys like to make an image of one machine to make it easier for them to set up new cad stations. The problem we are having is that the AutoCad profiles that we import are somehow stored by win2k only under whichever user is logged into the workstation at the time. I want to know, when I import a profile for autocad, is that stored on the workstation in a folder or registry that I can copy from my win2k profile name to the all users profile so that no matter who is logged into the workstation, autocad will be able to find it's profiles. Thanks in advance

[Anonymous]

I've run into this problem on NT also. the best way around this I've found to add the profile is to export the profile, and save it locally or on a network where the exported .ARG file can be found easily. then import the .ARG file adding the profile to the new users settings.

In theory there should be a way to add the settings to the Default user file under profiles but I havn't been able to find a way to make that work either. Exporting it then adding it under the new station profile is the only way I've been able to make it stick.

[Anonymous]

We save profiles on the server (acad and w2k) as long as acad is pointed to the arg file, add it to the desktop icon to load everytime. it should look like this in the target box of the icon. "...acad.exe" /p profile you will have to do this to every icon pointing to acad (i.e. on he desktop, in the program folder, etc...)

[cws]

While I agree that the /p method does work, IMO it is not very user friendly. i.e. It means that you cannot double click on a .dwg in explorer to start up autocad as it would not load the profile. I very rarely start autocad from any icon, usually just by double clicking on a .dwg

[ewestphal]

We do export our profiles from Autocad and place them in a network folder to import them in later and we also have all the desktop icons set with the /p command line switch, which does work very well. The problem we are having is more of a Windows problem though. For example: I login to the workstation and import the profiles into acad. Everything will work fine. If another user logs in to the same workstation the profiles for Autocad need to be imported again under their login name. I searched everything I can think of but I can't find where Windows stores that type of information for the user. If I could then I'm betting I could copy it to the all users windows profile and be done with it. If anyone has any ideas I'd sure appreciate hearing them. Thanks.

[cws]

On my machine, the profile information is stored in the Registry under the tree ... HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Autodesk\AutoCAD\R15.0\ACAD-1:409\Profiles\<>


As I understand it, the HKEY_CURRENT_USER section of the registry in winnt is actually stored in the users windows profile in a file called "Ntuser.dat". As the NtUser.dat is unique to every user that logs into NT, then setting up a machine with your login will not affect any other logins.

--- Craig Skinner

--- Craig Skinner

[Anonymous]

If autocad was setup for "all users", then the acad icon is in the "default user" profile so the icon will bing up acad the same for everyone. If acad was installed for a specfic user (non adminstrator), that session's icon should be different than any one elses. Have you tried to copy the icon from the "default users or all users" group into a users personal profile, in the desktop folder and use the /p switch?

[ewestphal]

We did install Acad for use by "All users" and we have the /p switch set with the profile name. That's not what's changing as different users log into the machine.

If I log in, I can see the acad icon, /p switch is set, and profiles are loaded in options no problem.

If someone else logs in, they see the acad icon, /p switch is set, but the profiles I loaded under my login name are not there. They have to be re-imported for use by that user.

I guess what I'll have to do when I set up a machine (since I don't have the users passwords) is set it up for me and get everything working, then have them log in and re-import the acad profiles under their login name. It just seems like a waste of time. I really don't thinks it's AutoCad's problem though, it's got more to do with the way Windows 2000 handles different users on the same machine. I just wish Windows kept that info somewhere I could copy it to the default user profile under Windows. Thanks again for everyones help.

[Anonymous]

"ewestphal" wrote:
> If someone else logs in, they see the acad icon, /p switch is set,
> but the profiles I loaded under my login name are not there. They
> have to be re-imported for use by that user.

You can automate this with the use of VisualLISP so that when autocad is
started up that it will find and load and make current the profile that you
tell it to (either hardcoded or prompt the user for the profile). You can
make this only happen the first time that autocad is started by writting a
flag to the registry after it's complete and have the routine check for that
flag each time it's run.

> I just wish Windows kept that info somewhere I could copy it to
> the default user profile under Windows. Thanks again for everyones help.

It does. The ntuser.dat file for the default user. *IF* these are clean
machines (the other users, including yourself) have never logged in. Then
you can login as yourself, setup acad the way you need/want it to be, log
out, log in as an admin (local or domain doesn't matter), and finally copy
the ntuser.dat file from your profile over the ntuser.dat file for the
default user. Caution, this will give *everyone* that logs into that
machine those "default" settings, but from there they can make whatever
changes they are allowed to make as it will then save into their ntuser.dat

hth
kevin

[Anonymous]

You should also note that the copying of the ntuser.dat file over the
default user's ntuser.dat file will not effect users that have logged into
that machine before, just new ones. Also don't copy it over other existing
user's ntuser.dat file as it can really hose them and it will change most of
their windows and application settings to what you have setup in that
ntuser.dat file.

hth
kevin

[ewestphal]

Thanks, Kevin and Craig. Your input was exactly what I was looking for. I'm going to try that on the next batch of workstations we set up and see how it goes. Thanks again.