Where Are Mandatory and Temporary Profiles Stored?
Mandatory and temporary profiles reset from fixed template paths, discarding changes at logoff.
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Mandatory profiles load a read-only hive that discards every change at logoff, while temporary profiles are the fallback Windows issues when the real one fails to load. Both live as ordinary profile folders with a renamed hive.
That mechanics explains lab and kiosk behavior completely. Users can change anything and lose it all on logout, which is the point. A sudden TEMP profile means the real one failed, usually permissions or disk space, and the event log names the cause.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
Mandatory profile hive (NTUSER.MAN)
Read-only template hive discarding changes at logoff. Deploy by renaming a prepared NTUSER.DAT; test thoroughly since users cannot save anything.
Frequently asked questions
How do I force identical desktops for lab machines?
Rename the profile hive to NTUSER.MAN in a template account, then point the user object at it. Changes during sessions discard at logoff by design, so test before deploying.
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