Patent ID: 7958543

Claim:
One or more computer storage media having computer-executable instructions stored thereon in a first computer, said instructions configured to perform a method comprising the steps of: (a) joining the first computer to an unmanaged secured workgroup by coordinating with one or more members of the unmanaged secured workgroup to acquire membership in the unmanaged secured workgroup, wherein the unmanaged secured workgroup comprises a plurality of computers in communication with one another, wherein each of the plurality of computers has account information comprising (1) one or more user accounts, each user account comprising a user name, a password, and an account version and (2) a user profile associated with each user account, the user profile comprising at least one of settings, configurations, and files, and wherein each of the plurality of computers has stored therein a copy of the account information of at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup; (b) providing first account information that is associated with the first computer to at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup for storage; (c) obtaining associated account information from at least two other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup; (d) storing the associated account information of the at least two other computers; and (e) upon determining that a change in the first account information has occurred, providing the change to other computers in the unmanaged secured workgroup that were previously provided the first account information of the first computer by: (e)(1) advertising the change to said other computers; (e)(2) receiving a first request from a second computer in the unmanaged secured workgroup, the first request for a list of user accounts stored on the first computer, the list including an account version for each user account; (e)(3) in response to (e)(2), sending the list of user accounts to the second computer; (e)(4) receiving a second request from the second computer, the second request for one or more specific user accounts and associated user profiles that the second computer has identified as updated or new based on the account version of each of the specific user accounts; and (e)(5) in response to (e)(4), sending the specific user accounts and associated user profiles to the second computer.