Desktop items on Roaming profiles

[Guest Jim in Cleveland]

Can someone please explain how roaming profiles work regarding items that are

put on the desktop? Here is my scenario: We use roaming profiles in our

2003 domain enviroment. Client machines are XP. User logs on to computer A,

creates a Word doc and saves it to her desktop then logs off. Late, she logs

onto computer B. Since this is the first time she logs onto computer B, it

pulls her profile from the server. Word document is there so she edits the

Word document, saves it and logs off. Next day, she logs onto computer A.

Word document is there but the changes that she made when she was on computer

B are not! Now if she were to log onto computer C for the first time, the

word document would be there with changes that were made when she was working

on computer B!!! I understand that a cached profile is stored on the

computers when you log on but why isn't the updates being propagated? Man I

hope this makes sense!!! Can someone explain why this is (or is not)

happening?!

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: Desktop items on Roaming profiles

 

Jim in Cleveland <JiminCleveland@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Can someone please explain how roaming profiles work regarding items

> that are put on the desktop?

 

They get copied up and down. The profile will invariably choke & get

corrupted after the size gets too large. Use folder redirection for My

Documents, Desktop, and Application Data (in fact, you ought to do this even

if you don't use roaming profiles....

 

-----

General roaming profile 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 from their usual workstation

(where their existing profile lives) and 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.

 

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). Explain that the

last one out wins,

when it comes to uploading the final, changed copy of the profile.

 

* Keep your profiles TINY. Via group policy, redirect 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 have:

 

\\server\home$\%username%\My Documents,

\\server\home$\%username%\Desktop,

\\server\home$\%username%\Application Data.

 

Alternatively, just manually re-target My Documents to

\\server\home$\%username% (this is not optimal, however!)

 

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.

 

* 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/details.aspx?familyid=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en

 

 

Roaming profile & folder redirection article -

http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Profile-Folder-Redirection-Windows-Server-2003.html

 

 

 

> Here is my scenario: We use roaming

> profiles in our 2003 domain enviroment. Client machines are XP.

> User logs on to computer A, creates a Word doc and saves it to her

> desktop then logs off. Late, she logs onto computer B. Since this

> is the first time she logs onto computer B, it pulls her profile from

> the server. Word document is there so she edits the Word document,

> saves it and logs off. Next day, she logs onto computer A. Word

> document is there but the changes that she made when she was on

> computer B are not! Now if she were to log onto computer C for the

> first time, the word document would be there with changes that were

> made when she was working on computer B!!! I understand that a

> cached profile is stored on the computers when you log on but why

> isn't the updates being propagated? Man I hope this makes sense!!!

> Can someone explain why this is (or is not) happening?!

[Guest Jim in Cleveland]

Re: Desktop items on Roaming profiles

 

Thanks for the reply. Regarding documents, can't the same thing be

accomplished by using a home folder on the server and just saving the items

to the home folder? Seems like that would be less work than setting up

redirection. Your thoughts!

 

Jim

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

> Jim in Cleveland <JiminCleveland@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> > Can someone please explain how roaming profiles work regarding items

> > that are put on the desktop?

>

> They get copied up and down. The profile will invariably choke & get

> corrupted after the size gets too large. Use folder redirection for My

> Documents, Desktop, and Application Data (in fact, you ought to do this even

> if you don't use roaming profiles....

>

> -----

> General roaming profile 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 from their usual workstation

> (where their existing profile lives) and 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.

>

> 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). Explain that the

> last one out wins,

> when it comes to uploading the final, changed copy of the profile.

>

> * Keep your profiles TINY. Via group policy, redirect 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 have:

>

> \\server\home$\%username%\My Documents,

> \\server\home$\%username%\Desktop,

> \\server\home$\%username%\Application Data.

>

> Alternatively, just manually re-target My Documents to

> \\server\home$\%username% (this is not optimal, however!)

>

> 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.

>

> * 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/details.aspx?familyid=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en

>

>

> Roaming profile & folder redirection article -

> http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Profile-Folder-Redirection-Windows-Server-2003.html

>

>

>

>

> > Here is my scenario: We use roaming

> > profiles in our 2003 domain enviroment. Client machines are XP.

> > User logs on to computer A, creates a Word doc and saves it to her

> > desktop then logs off. Late, she logs onto computer B. Since this

> > is the first time she logs onto computer B, it pulls her profile from

> > the server. Word document is there so she edits the Word document,

> > saves it and logs off. Next day, she logs onto computer A. Word

> > document is there but the changes that she made when she was on

> > computer B are not! Now if she were to log onto computer C for the

> > first time, the word document would be there with changes that were

> > made when she was working on computer B!!! I understand that a

> > cached profile is stored on the computers when you log on but why

> > isn't the updates being propagated? Man I hope this makes sense!!!

> > Can someone explain why this is (or is not) happening?!

>

>

>

>

[Guest Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Re: Desktop items on Roaming profiles

 

Jim in Cleveland <JiminCleveland@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

> Thanks for the reply. Regarding documents, can't the same thing be

> accomplished by using a home folder on the server and just saving the

> items to the home folder? Seems like that would be less work than

> setting up redirection. Your thoughts!

 

No, I don't think it's less work, because

 

a) My Documents will by default point at the local profile path

b) Users will hit Open or Save and expect to be working in the right

location

c) They'll have to go out of their way to change the path

 

Doing redirection removes this decision from their hands entirely.

>

> Jim

> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

>

>> Jim in Cleveland <JiminCleveland@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>>> Can someone please explain how roaming profiles work regarding items

>>> that are put on the desktop?

>>

>> They get copied up and down. The profile will invariably choke & get

>> corrupted after the size gets too large. Use folder redirection for

>> My Documents, Desktop, and Application Data (in fact, you ought to

>> do this even if you don't use roaming profiles....

>>

>> -----

>> General roaming profile 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 from their usual

>> workstation (where their existing profile lives) and 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.

>>

>> 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). Explain that the

>> last one out wins,

>> when it comes to uploading the final, changed copy of the profile.

>>

>> * Keep your profiles TINY. Via group policy, redirect 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 have:

>>

>> \\server\home$\%username%\My Documents,

>> \\server\home$\%username%\Desktop,

>> \\server\home$\%username%\Application Data.

>>

>> Alternatively, just manually re-target My Documents to

>> \\server\home$\%username% (this is not optimal, however!)

>>

>> 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.

>>

>> * 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/details.aspx?familyid=1B286E6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en

>>

>>

>> Roaming profile & folder redirection article -

>> http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Profile-Folder-Redirection-Windows-Server-2003.html

>>

>>

>>

>>

>>> Here is my scenario: We use roaming

>>> profiles in our 2003 domain enviroment. Client machines are XP.

>>> User logs on to computer A, creates a Word doc and saves it to her

>>> desktop then logs off. Late, she logs onto computer B. Since this

>>> is the first time she logs onto computer B, it pulls her profile

>>> from the server. Word document is there so she edits the Word

>>> document, saves it and logs off. Next day, she logs onto computer

>>> A. Word document is there but the changes that she made when she

>>> was on computer B are not! Now if she were to log onto computer C

>>> for the first time, the word document would be there with changes

>>> that were made when she was working on computer B!!! I understand

>>> that a cached profile is stored on the computers when you log on

>>> but why isn't the updates being propagated? Man I hope this makes

>>> sense!!! Can someone explain why this is (or is not) happening?!