More questions about roaming profiles

[deik313]

First, I was wondering if I could get opinions from those of you who have worked with Win2K server for a while...

Do you recommend using roaming profiles? I have implemented them for my network, but am having so many problems with them, that I don't know if they are worth it. Perhaps it is better to just map a drive to the user to store files on and keep the profile local. The problem is, our users move from machine to machine all day long (students).

Next, I'm finding that if a user logs into a machine using a profile with a shortcut on the desktop to an application that isn't installed on the machine, the application is being deleted from the machine! How is this possible? Is this supposed to happen?

Also, if a user logs into a machine and deletes an icon from their desktop, it is removed for everyone else that logs into that machine. Is this supposed to happen?

Thanks for ANY answers!
Dei

 

[ashpp]

Hi Dei,

>Do you recommend using roaming profiles? I have >implemented them for my network, but am having so many >problems with them, that I don't know if they are worth >it.

Not for a school no - use mandotary profiles with My Documents, Start Menu & Desktop redirection. Do this per user-group (per class etc) instead of per user.

>Next, I'm finding that if a user logs into a machine using >a profile with a shortcut on the desktop to an application >that isn't installed on the machine, the application is >being deleted from the machine! How is this possible? Is >this supposed to happen?

How are you installing the software? Consider using GPOs.

>Also, if a user logs into a machine and deletes an icon >from their desktop, it is removed for everyone else that >logs into that machine. Is this supposed to happen?

Depends if the shortcut belongs in the All users or the users profile. (But a normal user shouldn't have permission to delete it from all users)

Dei you have a major permission problem on your network....

1- I would consider killing all those clients and if licensing permits recreate the workstations as native NTFS Windows Pro 2000 with a standard set of programs.
Ghost/Imaging & Sysprep should be considered for making these machines. MSIs & group policies should be considered for rolling out other apps.

Ash.