Free Alternatives to Roaming Profiles

Question

Hello everyone,

Our organization is currently exploring free alternatives to roaming profiles in our Windows environment. We do not currently use any form of roaming profile and are looking for efficient solutions to maintain consistency for users who switch between different computers.

Here are some methods we've considered so far:

1. Local Profiles with folder redirection: We have encountered issues related to the requirement of large storage space which increases over time, resulting in delayed logon time.
2. User Experience Virtualization (UE-V): This method requires Microsoft 365 E3 or E5 subscription for all users, which is not feasible for us.
3. Fslogix: Unsure regarding the licensing requirement for this tool, whether it requires per-user licensing or if a single Microsoft license can cover all PCs in the domain.

Could you please suggest any reliable suggestions on free alternatives to roaming profiles. We are particularly interested in solutions that are easy to set up and maintain, and that ensure data consistency and reliability.

Thank you in advance for your help

Answer 1

Hello,

Could you please specify the level of consistency you aim to achieve? Are your primary concerns centered around synchronizing application settings, achieving file synchronization, or replicating the entire user profile encompassing settings, files, and personal preferences?

From my understanding, UE-V facilitates the roaming of application settings across multiple devices for users.

Conversely, FSLogix focuses on storing the complete user profile within a virtual disk, which is dynamically attached to the user's session. It is particularly tailored for virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) environments such as Azure Virtual Desktop.

Should the objective be to maintain file synchronization across different devices for users, options like OneDrive for cloud storage or SyncThing could be considered.

But in my opinion, FSLogix Profile Containers stand out as the preferred solution for enhanced manageability and maintenance.

User profile management for Azure Virtual Desktop with FSLogix profile containers | Microsoft Learn

You're eligible to use FSLogix if you have one of the following licenses:Prerequisites for FSLogix - FSLogix | Microsoft Learn

• Microsoft 365 E3/E5
• Microsoft 365 A3/A5/ Student Use Benefits
• Microsoft 365 F1/F3
• Microsoft 365 Business
• Windows 10 Enterprise E3/E5
• Windows 10 Education A3/A5
• Windows 10 VDA per user
• Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Client Access License (CAL)
• Remote Desktop Services (RDS) Subscriber Access License (SAL)
• Azure Virtual Desktop per-user access license

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