A user profile is a file that is created upon your first login to a networked computer. It contains default settings for your specific profile on that specific computer. Those settings might include: the computer's default printer, other available printers, screen colors, screen resolution, icons on the desktop, screen savers, Word default and backup directories, etc.

You can customize the settings to suit your preferences, but remember that they are machine specific and affect only your account. They will not influence any other networked computer except the one you are using at the time.

Warning: Do not save files to your desktop on a public lab computer! When you save a file to your desktop, it is stored in your user profile. On public lab computers, when you log off the network, your user profile is deleted, and any files you've saved to your desktop are also deleted.