Roaming user profiles in Windows 7 without Windows Server OS

[cardart]

Hello guys,

I have 5 workstations and a server running on windows 7 pro.

The server has 2tb hd and is on all the time to share files and folders.

I want to be able to have user profiles roam between the 5 machines keeping their desktop experience the same (wallpaper, browser favorites, cookies, stored password,etc.)

Is this possible without an active directory OS, ie Windows Server 2012?

Is native windows 7 pro able to do this?

If not, maybe there is an inexpensive solution? I am willing to pay about $200 max.

Please advise?

Thanks!

 

[KillerBee]

you could do it free with a linux Samba Server
http://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Samba_%26_Windows_Profiles#Roaming_profiles

If don't want to build a separate linux machine maybe run this is in a VM on your Win7 server
http://www.turnkeylinux.org/fileserver

 

[Mushkins]

Roaming profiles can't effectively be replicated without some sort of server-based architecture in place. You can manually set a ton of folder redirections and recreate every user on every PC, but that would be a nightmarish waste of time and would break a large number of applications.

I'd find a cheap copy of Server 2008 R2, upgrade your desktop server to a real server OS, and call it a day. I'm running Server 2012 Standard on an i3 rig I built at home, it'll absolutely run without sinking $6k into server hardware.

 

[cardart]

Thanks guys!

I just went ahead and got the 2012 server, let see if i can set it up.

 

[Kaido]

Check out Zentyal sometime:

http://www.zentyal.org/

Drop-in replacement for SBS & Exchange.

 

[Kaido]

you could do it free with a linux Samba Server
http://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Samba_%26_Windows_Profiles#Roaming_profiles

If don't want to build a separate linux machine maybe run this is in a VM on your Win7 server
http://www.turnkeylinux.org/fileserver

Good article here on that:

Folder Redirection using Group Policy - Samba 4 AD DC

 

[XtremepH]

You can use Citrix User Profile Management which is bit more advanced than Microsoft Roaming Profiles and doesn't require you to have it on a Server OS.