How to Automatically Delete Locally Cached Profiles (173870)

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you log on to Windows NT, you may receive either of the following prompts:

Your locally stored profile is newer than the one stored on the server. Do you want to use your locally stored profile?
Your locally stored profile is newer than your roaming profile stored on the server. Do you want to use your locally stored profile?

CAUSE

This dialog box indicates that there is a locally stored profile that is newer than the server-based profile.

NOTE: Both profiles do not have to belong to the same user.

RESOLUTION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To resolve this issue, add a REG_DWORD value named DeleteRoamingCache to the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\DeleteRoamingCache

Set the value data to 1.

MORE INFORMATION

Adding the DeleteRoamingCache value and setting the value data to 1 forces locally cached profiles to be deleted when users with domain profiles log off. When the value data is set to 0, locally cached profiles are saved to disk. By default, locally cached profiles are saved to disk. The value data of 1 is designed to conserve disk space.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

196284 Controlling Default Behavior for Roaming User Profiles

REFERENCES

For more information about configuring the registry in Windows NT, see the Rgentry.hlp file included with the latest Resource Kit for Windows NT Server 4.0.