Windows Profile Size: Tips and Tricks on maintaining a manageable profile

Windows Profile Size: Tips and Tricks on maintaining a manageable profile.

When working on the Windows workstations throughout campus, you will notice that no matter what computer you log on to, the environment, background, settings, and preferences are the same; this is the work of a windows roaming profile. Profile size when using a windows machine, can affect greatly the amount of time that you spend in front of a computer logging in and logging out. The following are a few tips that will keep your profile small, and and therefore streamline your workflow.

One of the best practices to keep your roaming windows profile small and manageable is to confine temporary and cache files outside the profile. These temporary, disposable cache files are used by programs to manage changes and additions to your projects when open in the application.  They help make possible features like multiple levels of "Undo" and quick and fluid viewing of video.  These temporary cache files are re-creatable and are not needed once you have saved your current work inside the application.  

However, sometimes applications do a poor job of cleaning up after themselves and getting rid of these temporary cache files.  The application assumes you may want to use these cached files and therefore keeps them around.  If kept inside your roaming windows profile, these files are copied to the local workstation each time you login and back to your homespace at each logout.  The better option is to use the local D:\ Scratch drive on the local workstation for these temporary fil

Below are instructions on how to manage temporary and cache file settings for many of the heavily used software packages in our campus computer laboratory environment.

  • Adobe Photoshop
    • Go to Edit > Preferences > Performance
    • Under the Scratch Disks section, make sure C:\ is unchecked and instead there is a check mark next to  D:\
    • Restart program
  • Adobe Premiere
    • Go to Edit > Preferences > Media
    • Under the Media Cache Files and Media Cache Database:
      • Browse to D:\ and select the "temp" folder (create the folder is necessary)
      • In Media Cache Database, if it asks to move or delete existing database, it is ok to delete, you wont be needing these files
    • After closing the program, navigate to "C:\Users\{your_username}\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Common\"
      • Delete everything in the Media Cache and Media Cache Files, you won't be needing these files
  • Adobe Bridge
    • Go to Edit > Preferences > Cache
      • Under the Location section, click Choose and select D:\temp (create the folder if necessary)
      • Under the Manage section, click Purge
      • Restart program 
  • Adobe Illustrator
    • Go to Edit > Preferences > Plug-ins and Scratch Disks
    • Under the Scratch Disks section, select D:\
    • Restart program 
  • Adobe Audition
    • Go to Edit > Preferences > Media & Disk Cache
    • Under the Disk Cache section Browse and select D:\temp (create the folder is necessary)
    • After closing the program, navigate to "C:\Users\[your_username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Common\"
      • Delete everything in the Media Cache and Media Cache Files, you won't be needing these files
  • SSH temporary data
    • Navigate to C:\Users\{your_username}\Application Data\SSH\temp
      • Clear up any files in this folder.

As we are always striving to help the students in everything we can, we have made a few changes to how the profile works that will make things easier.

Previously, there were several folders that would be included in the profile that we have changed to be stored directly in your homespace. That way every time you log in, you don't carry around all that information with you, whil still being accessible with no apparent change from your point of view.

With this new change, the following folders: Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Favorites, Links, Music, Pictures, Saved Games, and Videos, have been redirected to z:\Windows\ into folders with their respective names(NOTE: IF YOU ARE MISSING THESE FOLDERS, THIS FEATURE WILL NOT BE IN PLACE. CONTACT US FOR ASSISTANCE IN THIS MATTER). This change however doesn't affect how navigating to those libraries worked beforehand. However, in the case that you are experiencing high profile sizes, it is recommended you contact us or come to IT for us to take a look at how your profile is behaving.

Another way to keep track of your profile size is to enable the Ringling gadget in your desktop by right-clicking the desktop, going to Gadgets, and choosing NetAccountInfo. Apart from providing useful information about your homespace and print credit, the size of your profile will be there as well. Follow the above instructions to keep your profile manageable and, as mentioned before, contact us for any issues you encounter.

IT Support Hours

  • Monday - Friday: 8:30am - 4:30pm


phone: (941)359-7633

fax: (941)359-7615

online support requests (for current students, faculty, and staff): support@ringling.edu