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Roaming User Names and Password using Credential Roaming

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Summary

Roaming user names and passwords that are stored in the Credential Manager was a feature of Credential Roaming (CR) introduced in Windows Vista, but this feature is removed in Windows 7. In addition roaming user names and passwords can be achieved using Roaming User Profiles (RUP). Windows Vista also introduced a new user profile format which is not compatible with Windows XP. This means stored user names and passwords can roam from Windows XP to later versions of Windows via RUP, but cannot roam to Windows XP from Windows Vista or Windows 7.

It means that, depending of the Windows version and status (enabled or disabled) of CR and RUP the users will experience different behaviors when roaming user names and passwords.

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More Information

Roaming user names and passwords that are stored in the Credential Manager was a feature of Credential Roaming (CR) introducedin Windows Vista.The feature was then removed inWindows 7.When CR is enabled, only the user’s Windows Vista machines will roam user names and passwords stored in their Credential Manager with each other. 

It is possible to roam user names and passwords on Windows 7 using Roaming User Profiles (RUP) and turning off CR. When RUP and CR are both enabled on Windows 7 usernames and passwords are not roamed by RUP.

Windows Vista also introduced a new user profile format which is not compatible with Windows XP. This means stored user names and passwords can roam from Windows XP to later versions of Windows via RUP, but cannot roam to Windows XP from Windows Vista or Windows 7.

The table below summarizes the interaction of Roaming User Profiles and Credential Roaming for user name and password roaming between different versions of Windows.


OS
Both CR +RUP disabledCR enabled + RUP disabledCR enabled + RUP enabledCR disabled + RUP enabled

XP – XP
Does not roamDoes not roamRoams via RUPRoams via RUP

Vista – Vista
Does not roamRoams via CRRoams via CRRoams via RUP

Win7 – Win7
Does not roamDoes not roamDoes not roamRoams via RUP
XP – VistaDoes not roamDoes not roamDoes not roam
Roams via RUP
(XP to Vista only)
XP – Win7Does not roamDoes not roamDoes not roam
Roams via RUP
(XP to Win7 only)
Vista – Win7Does not roamDoes not roamDoes not roam
Roams via RUP

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Article Info
Article ID : 2607862
Revision : 1
Created on : 1/7/2017
Published on : 8/22/2012
Exists online : False
Views : 206