Question : Roaming Profile on a Workgroup?

I have a client who has 10 employees on an XP workgroup.  They all access files on a robust Vista-based file serving PC (eg, no domain).  Files are not stored locally except for Outlook's PST file.  

One of the employees needs to logon to three different PCs in the workgroup, requiring the same logon profile on all of them.  The employee would not be logged on to all three PCs at the same time (eg, only one at a time).

In addition, that person wants to access their Outlook PST file from any of the three PCs.

Am I correct in assuming I can tell Outlook to access the PST file over their network (using the data management config routine in Outlook) AND allowing this user an identical desktop even tho there is no domain server managing the 'roaming' profile?    

If the latter can be accomplished with minimal hassle, what is the suggestion for accomplishing this feat?  Oddly enough, I've worked with Windows for nearly 20 years and have never had to create a roaming profile of any sort!  Thus, I'm quite ignorant of the subtleties of this procedure.

Thanks!

Answer : Roaming Profile on a Workgroup?

Storing the PST on the network in a workgroup or domain is NOT RECOMMENDED and NOT SUPPORTED by Microsoft.  You risk loosing the mail in a corrupted file.  Further, the user will start getting multiple copies of the same e-mail.

Profiles are based on SIDs - with no common domain to unite the users, there is no way to create a roaming profile.  You may be able to rig something with registry or local policy edits, but I would consider that VERY UNWISE.  Microsoft Foundation server costs $300 (though it is only available with new servers) and supports 15 users in a domain configuration.  You may need to upgrade your clients from home versions (if that's what any of them use), but really, I've got clients who have ASKED me for a domain with JUST 2 workstations... and there's no way I recommend a Workgroup with 10 machines - indeed, you are on the upper limit of shares - add an 11th and you'll start getting conflicts because on Vista and XP, you cannot have more than 10 simultaneous connections (with the business class products; 5 connections with the home products)