Why in Windows 2008R2 hkey_users sub keys does not match user profiles count?

Question

I'm trying to set default proxy setting for all users (including remote desktop users) via the registry ( under HKEY_USERS\<USER_SID>\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Internet Settings\)

On a classical server or workstation each user have a profile and a corresponding registry entry under HKEY_USERS . But in windows 2008R2 I have noticed that users who log in using only remote desktop does not have a subkey under HKEY_USERS :
take a look at the image bellow : 31 profiles found under %systemdrive%\users, but only a few keys are found in HKU

So I wonder where are the internet explorer settings store here ?

@yagmoth555 if mandatory is the opposite of roaming profile : yes — Loïc MICHEL, Sep 22 '15 at 13:42
no, well, mandatory is a userprofile on the server, that all other is based on when a user connect. user setting are flushed at loggoff — yagmoth555, Sep 22 '15 at 13:49
Check there, it explain how to do it; http://www.jasonsamuel.com/2012/12/10/how-to-create-a-windows-7-or-server-2008-r2-mandatory-profile-for-appsense/ It would be local GPO, and a ntuser.dat renamed to 'ntuser.man' in one profile — yagmoth555, Sep 22 '15 at 14:08
Why would you push out a GPO to the HKEY_USERS registry and not via GPO as a user policy to apply on logon ? — CharlesH, Sep 22 '15 at 14:10
@yagmoth555 thanks for the link, not sure if this is what I am after...seems a bit over complicated .... — Loïc MICHEL, Sep 22 '15 at 14:23
@Kayasax I told that point only to answer why you can have 31 folder, while only two in hkey_user :) — yagmoth555, Sep 22 '15 at 15:25
@yagmoth555 in fact this answers my question. Please write an answer so I can accept it — Loïc MICHEL, Sep 23 '15 at 05:27

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited Sep 23 '15 at 12:54

If you use mandatory profile on that server the difference between HKEY_USERS and the numbers of profile on the disk can be explained.

What is a mandatory profile ? this is quote from msdn

A mandatory user profile is a special type of pre-configured roaming user profile that administrators can use to specify settings for users. With mandatory user profiles, a user can modify his or her desktop, but the changes are not saved when the user logs off. The next time the user logs on, the mandatory user profile created by the administrator is downloaded. There are two types of mandatory profiles: normal mandatory profiles and super-mandatory profiles.

See there a simple link that explain how mandatory are done;

Why in Windows 2008R2 hkey_users sub keys does not match user profiles count?

1 Answers1