Weird thing with profiles in 2005

why do i have the AutoCAD files for my user login in two places?


C:\Documents and Settings\The Real JD\Local Settings\Application
Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD 2005\R16.1\enu

&

C:\Documents and Settings\The Real JD\Application Data\Autodesk\AutoCAD
2005\R16.1\enu

The first one has all the templates & textures, the second has my support &
plotters? Why are they seperate?

 

The way autodesk has colluded with microsoft does these things. I still bristle
with this and load ALL my software in separate directories in the root
directory - including autocad. However, this doesn't stop autocad from loading
things in the folder you mentioned - making everything a hassle.

 

It's the only way AutoDesk could get the Microsoft stamp of approval. IOW to
be in compliances with MS standards. Even if AutoDesk knows it's a pain for
some people and overkill they had to set it up that way. I'm sure there are
some folks out there that are ISO 9000 cert. and don't agree with every
little trivial bit to be certified but go along with just to get that ISO
9000 stamp of approval.

Murph

 

ClintonG? Is that you?

 

Ouch.......

Murph

 

So what does "ClintonG" mean?

 

See Clinton Gallagher's posts in the CAD Manager group.

 

Frank, It's like Beetlejuice don't his name
3 times....;-)

 

As others have stated, it's Autodesk's particular interpretation of Microsoft's
design guidelines for XP compliance which tries to dictate the differences
between machine assets and user assets.

Which is, as you've found out, pretty badly done.

In general, the differences under Application Data and Local Settings are mostly
related to Roaming Profiles. RPs part of a user's Domain account and are used in
many networks, where the user's profile data (everything under \Documents and
Settings\UserName) is copied back to a server upon logout and downloaded to the
login machine, effectively enabling users to move to another computer and have
their personal settings follow them.

(The fact that the target machine may not have some or any of the applications
installed on it has thus far escaped Microsoft's thinking on the matter)

In particular, Application Data is the folder used for application data files
(e.g., Outlook PSTs), but Local Settings is a folder used for data that is part
of the user's profile but does NOT roam with the user on login/logout.

The most common use for Local Settings are the \Temp and \Temporary Internet
Files folders, where you don't want these copied to servers or other machines.
It's interesting to note that the Local Settings folders used to roam with the
profile (under NT 4.0), until IT managers complained to MS that copying 500MB of
TEMP and IE cookies was pretty dopey.

The Local Settings\Application Data folder is usually used (outside of Autodesk
apps, that is) for caches or other files not deemed necessary (or too large) for
replication.

However, Autodesk is the only company I've seen which puts many mission-critical
files under this folder tree by default. Since I moved most of these files to my
server (e.g., plotters, plot styles) the folder remains pretty small.

Matt