(1) Information about an individual user. Along with name, address, phone number, etc., the user profile may include personal information, especially if it is part of a social networking site. See
user persona.
(2) The preferences and current desktop configuration of a user's machine. User profiles enable several users to work on the same computer with their own desktop setup. When stored in a server, user profiles enable users to obtain their desktop configuration when working at a different machine. See
system policy.