Re: Problem with roaming profiles
Gorge Lucas <gorge192@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have a customer who has a roaming profile. This is setup excatly
> like all my other customers. What happens is the server goes offline
> for 1-3 seconds for no apparent reason and syncing occurs. When this
> happens, they lose all their icons on the desktop, quicklaunch etc.
> This is a SBS 2003 R2 server.
> There is nothing wrong with the server from what I can see. It's not
> going down at all.
>
> Any ideas?
Does this happen to all users? Meaning, is the server itself actually having
problems?
Make sure the parent folder/share for the profiles does *not* have offline
caching enabled, or you will definitely have problems.
Also note that
roaming profiles really require folder redirection in order to work -and if
you turn on folder redirection by default it turns on offline file syncing
for my documents, etc. I always disable that as I am not a fan.
Note that future SBS questions are best posted in m.p.windows.server.sbs -
it does many things its own way.
My boilerplate on roaming profiles is below...
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General tips:
1. Set up a share on the server. For example - d:\profiles, shared as
profiles$ to make it hidden from browsing. Make sure this share is *not* set
to allow offline files/caching! (that's on by default - disable it)
2. Make sure the share permissions on profiles$ indicate everyone=full
control. Set the NTFS security to administrators, system, and users=full
control.
3. In the users' ADUC properties, specify \\server\profiles$\%username% in
the profiles field
4. Have each user log into the domain once - if this is an existing user
with a profile you wish to keep, have them log in at their usual
workstationand log out. The profile is now roaming.
5. If you want the administrators group to automatically have permissions to
the profiles folders, you'll need to make the appropriate change in group
policy. Look in computer configuration/administrative templates/system/user
profiles - there's an option to add administrators group to the roaming
profiles permissions. Do this *before* the users' roaming profile folders
are created - it isn't retroactive.
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Notes:
Make sure users understand that they should not log into multiple computers
at the same time when they have roaming profiles (unless you make the
profiles mandatory by renaming ntuser.dat to ntuser.man so they can't change
them, which has major disadvantages),. Explain that the 'last one out wins'
when it comes to uploading the final, changed copy of the profile. If you
want to restrict multiple simultaneous network logins, look at LimitLogon
(too much overhead for me), or this:
http://www.jsifaq.com/SF/Tips/Tip.aspx?id=8768
********************
Keep your profiles TINY. Via group policy, you should be redirecting My
Documents (at the very least) - to a subfolder of the user's home directory
or user folder. Also consider redirecting Desktop & Application Data
similarly..... so the user will end up with:
\\server\users\%username%\My Documents,
\\server\users\%username%\Desktop,
\\server\users\%username%\Application Data.
[Alternatively, just manually re-target My Documents to
\\server\users\%username% (this is not optimal, however!)]
You should use folder redirection even without roaming profiles, but it's
especially critical if you *are* using them.
If you aren't going to also redirect the desktop using policies, tell users
that they are not to store any files on the desktop or you will beat them
with a
stick. Big profile=slow login/logout, and possible profile corruption.
********************
Note that user profiles are not compatible between different OS versions,
even between W2k/XP. Keep all your computers. Keep your workstations as
identical as possible - meaning, OS version is the same, SP level is the
same, app load is (as much as possible) the same.
*********************
If you also have Terminal Services users, make sure you set up a different
TS profile path for them in their ADUC properties - e.g.,
\\server\tsprofiles$\%username%
********************
Do not let people store any data locally - all data belongs on the server.
********************
The User Profile Hive Cleanup Utility should be running on all your
computers. You can download it here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en
********************
Roaming profile & folder redirection article -
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/ar...e-Folder-Redirection-Windows-Server-2003.html