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Let's say when a user log in to a domain to the desktop, they can save file temporarily to the local hard disk. For example they might download some file to the Downloads folder. However when they reboot and log in to the domain with the same account, the file inside Downloads folder will be empty.

I am not sure the technology behind this phenomenon. These are the few that I have come up with.

1. Roaming profile 2. Folder redirection

I have investigated the above methods and it doesn't seem to fit the bill.

So I was wondering if there are group policies that can be used to accomplish it.

I also imagine that the computer might be configured to always boot from a backup image stored at the local drive or a remote server. What I would like to know is which software or solution can achieve it. Acronis Backup & Recovery? Hyper-V? VMWare ESX?

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I think I understand what you're asking for, and it sounds like you're looking for mandatory user profiles.

http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb776895(v=vs.85).aspx

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.

Edit: Also, for a more involved solution, there is a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure / Virtual Desktop Pool:

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/rds/archive/2010/01/04/virtual-desktop-pool.aspx

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  • I have taken a look a bit but it seems mandatory user profiles only "reset" settings like wallpaper changes etc. but doesn't prevent users from saving file to their local hard drive. Apr 28, 2013 at 18:14
  • You use file system permissions to determine who has permission to save what to where. You could also use a logon/logoff script that deletes the contents of certain directories as the user logs on or off.
    – Ryan Ries
    Apr 28, 2013 at 18:16
  • It seems that files and settings are not erased after you logout and login back with a Win 7 Guest account. So I guess there's also no such feature in group policy. superuser.com/questions/244849/… Apr 28, 2013 at 19:09
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    I have found the software that does the job. SteadyState for XP. DeepFreeze and Clean State for Win7+ Apr 28, 2013 at 19:53

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