Roaming profiles

Charliegirl · Mar 4, 1999

We have this strange problem here... 
 
We're using Netware 4.11 (server) and NT 4.0 SP4 (workstations). 
 
We're using the NetWare Client for NT 4.5 and have tried 4.6, as well as 
using the MS Client for NetWare. It's not a client related issue then... 
 
We're setting the roaming profile location (it's on a NetWare server) from 
within User Manager for Domains. 
 
Anyway, here's the problem... I can recreate it every time. 
 
When a user logs into the network, on Machine1, for the first time, a new 
profile is created locally. The user creates file1.txt on the desktop. 
When they log off, the ntuser.dat, all desktop files and Favorites etc are 
copied up normally. This part works as expected. I can view the contents 
of their home directory. File1.txt is there. 
 
The user logs onto Machine2. This is the first time that the user has 
logged into this machine. 
Their ntuser.dat is copied down and implemented correctly and file1.txt 
appears on the desktop. 
The user deletes file1.txt and creates a new file2.txt on their desktop. 
They log off. The ntuser.dat and file2.txt are copied correctly up to the 
server. File1.txt is deleted from their roaming profile. 
 
Up until now, everything is working as expected. Here's where it gets 
weird. 
 
The user logs back onto Machine1. Remember that on the locally stored 
profile, there was a file1.txt on the desktop. This file does not exist in 
the roaming profile, and I expected that file1.txt would be deleted, but 
it's not. It seems to combine the two profiles in terms of desktop files 
and Favorites etc. File1.txt is there (but it is in a different location on 
the desktop) and file2.txt is also there. 
When the user logs off file1 and file2 are copied up to the server and are 
then part of the roaming profile. 
 
If the user logs onto Machine2, both files will appear on the desktop. 
 
What this means is that you want to delete a file off the desktop and keep 
it from reappearing, you need to go around to every machine that you've ever 
logged onto while that file has existed and delete it. Our users couldn't 
handle that. 
 
There is a policy setting to "delete cached copies of roaming profiles" but 
the problem with that is that it is a Default computer setting. We have a 
few laptops in the organization and we rely on the cached profile so they 
can log in. If we were to make exceptions for laptops, we'd have to create 
a policy for each laptop in the organization, because there are no computer 
"groups". 
 
Can ANYONE help?

michaelpotter · Mar 28, 1999

Not sure if this will help.... 
 
PSS ID Number: Q191416 
Article last modified on 08-14-1998 
 
WINDOWS: 
 
WINDOWS 
 
 
====================================================================== 
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
The information in this article applies to: 
 
- Microsoft Windows 98 
--------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
SYMPTOMS 
======== 
 
When you try to use roaming profiles, the profiles may not update 
correctly. 
 
CAUSE 
===== 
 
This issue can occur if you are using different NetWare network clients on 
different Windows 98-based computers. The Novell NetWare Client32 version 
2.2 program stores roaming user profiles in a different location than the 
Microsoft Client for NetWare Networks using the same user account. Because 
these profiles are stored in different locations, these profiles can not 
be correctly updated between two computers that are running different 
clients. 
 
RESOLUTION 
========== 
 
To resolve this issue, use the same client configuration on all of the 
computers you want to use roaming profiles with. For information about how 
to do so, contact your system administrator. 
 
MORE INFORMATION 
================ 
 
The third-party product discussed in this article is manufactured by a 
vendor independent of Microsoft; we make no warranty, implied or 
otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability. 
 
The Novell NetWare Client32 version 2.2 program stores roaming user 
profiles in the USER\<username> folder. The Microsoft Client for NetWare 
Networks stores roaming user profiles in the SYS\Mail folder. Microsoft 
Service for NetWare Directory Services (MSNDS) stores roaming user 
profiles in the Home folder. 
 
Additional query words: 98 
====================================================================== 
Keywords : kb3rdparty kbnetwork 3rdpartynet win98 
Version : WINDOWS: 
Platform : WINDOWS 
Issue type : kbprb 
============================================================================= 
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998. 
 
 
 
---------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
 
 
PSS ID Number: Q154120 
Article last modified on 12-17-1998 
 
WinNT:4.0 
 
winnt 
 
 
====================================================================== 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
The information in this article applies to: 
 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry. 
Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it 
if a problem occurs. For information on how to do this, view the 
"Restoring the Registry" online Help topic in Regedit.exe or the 
"Restoring a Registry Key" online Help topic in Regedt32.exe. 
 
SUMMARY 
======= 
 
The checked version of Userenv.dll, in conjunction with a registry entry, 
creates a log file useful in troubleshooting and debugging problems with 
roaming profiles and system policies on Microsoft Windows NT version 4.0 
clients. 
 
MORE INFORMATION 
================ 
 
To enable the log file: 
 
1. Rename the Userenv.dll file in the %Windir%\System32 directory to 
Usernv.orig or the unique name of your choice. 
 
2. Copy the checked version of Userenv.dll to the %Windir%\System32 
directory of the client computer that you want to debug. The checked 
version of the Userenv file must match the version of the operating 
system being used. 
 
WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that 
may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot 
guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry 
Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk. 
 
For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys 
And Values" online Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add 
and Delete Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" online 
Help topics in Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry 
before you edit it. 
 
3. Start Regedt32 and locate the following path: 
 
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion 
\Winlogon 
 
NOTE: The above registry key is one path; it has been wrapped for 
readability. 
 
4. Create a new value called UserEnvDebugLevel as a reg_dword. Assign 
the value 10002 in hexadecimal format. 
 
5. Restart the computer with the .dll and registry changes 
in place. 
 
Log information will be recorded in the root directory of drive C as 
Userenv.log and can be viewed with Notepad, WordPad, or the text editor of 
your choice. 
 
Information displayed in the log includes: profile path, profile type, 
system policy path (useful to determine which server the Ntconfig.pol file 
was pulled from), whether the profile was successfully loaded and unloaded 
at the client, and if the remote profile is newer than the local profile. 
 
A sample Userenv.log based on the following information is shown below. 
 
Username = profile 
Profile path defined in User Manager = 
PDCServerName\Profiles\%username% 
Domain Controller = PDCServerName 
System Policy Path: PDCServerName\Netlogon 
 
NOTE: The response to the seventeenth line 
 
Profile is not reachable, error = 2 
 
is normal as a check is made for the existence of a mandatory profile path 
being defined in User Manager for Domains 
(Servername\Sharename\%Username%.man). Mandatory profiles were not used in 
this example, so the test fails. 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
LoadUserProfile: Entering, hToken = <0xa8>, lpProfileInfo = 0x12f4e8 
LoadUserProfile: lpProfileInfo->dwFlags = <0x2> 
LoadUserProfile: lpProfileInfo->lpUserName = <profile> 
LoadUserProfile: lpProfileInfo->lpProfilePath = 
<\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile> 
LoadUserProfile: lpProfileInfo->lpDefaultPath = 
<\\PDCServerName\netlogon\Default User> 
LoadUserProfile: lpProfileInfo->lpServerName = <\\PDCServerName> 
LoadUserProfile: lpProfileInfo->lpPolicyPath = 
<\\PDCServerName\netlogon\ntconfig.pol> 
ParseProfilePath: Entering, lpProfilePath = 
<\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile> 
ParseProfilePath: Tick Count = 60 
ParseProfilePath: FindFirstFile found something with attributes <0x10> 
ParseProfilePath: Found a directory 
LoadUserProfile: ParseProfilePath returned a directory of 
<\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile> 
RestoreUserProfile: Entering 
RestoreUserProfile: Profile path = <\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile> 
RestoreUserProfile: User is a Admin 
IsCentralProfileReachable: Entering 
IsCentralProfileReachable: Testing 
<\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile\ntuser.man> 
IsCentralProfileReachable: Profile is not reachable, error = 2 
IsCentralProfileReachable: Testing 
<\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile\ntuser.dat> 
IsCentralProfileReachable: Found a user profile. 
RestoreUserProfile: Central Profile is reachable 
RestoreUserProfile: Central Profile is floating 
GetLocalProfileImage: Found entry in profile list for existing local 
profile 
GetLocalProfileImage: Local profile image filename = 
<%SystemRoot%\Profiles\profile> 
GetLocalProfileImage: Expanded local profile image filename = 
<C:\WINNT\Profiles\profile> 
GetLocalProfileImage: Found local profile image file ok 
<C:\WINNT\Profiles\profile\ntuser.dat> 
Local profile is reachable 
Local profile name is <C:\WINNT\Profiles\profile> 
RestoreUserProfile: About to call UpdateToLatestProfile 
UpdateToLatestProfile: Entering. Central = 
<\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile> 
Local = <C:\WINNT\Profiles\profile> 
UpdateToLatestProfile: Central and local profile times match. 
RestoreUserProfile: About to Leave. Final Information follows: 
Profile was successfully loaded. 
lpProfile->szCentralProfile = <\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile> 
lpProfile->szLocalProfile = <C:\WINNT\Profiles\profile> 
lpProfile->dwInternalFlags = 0x112 
RestoreUserProfile: Leaving. 
UpgradeProfile: Entering 
UpgradeProfile: Build numbers match 
UpgradeProfile: Leaving Successfully 
ApplyPolicy: Entering 
ApplyPolicy: PolicyPath is: <\\PDCServerName\netlogon\ntconfig.pol>. 
ReconcileFile: \\PDCServerName\netlogon\ntconfig.pol ==> 
C:\WINNT\Profiles\Policy\ntconfig.pol [OK] 
ApplyPolicy: Local PolicyPath is: 
<C:\WINNT\Profiles\Policy\ntconfig.pol>. 
ApplyPolicy: Leaving succesfully. 
LoadUserProfile: Leaving with a value of 1. hProfile = <0x90> 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
Below is a successful logoff and update by the client of the server- 
based roaming profile. 
 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
UnloadUserProfile: Entering, hProfile = <0xe0> 
UnloadUserProfile: Succesfully unloaded profile 
UnloadUserProfile: Copying profile back to 
\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile 
CopyProfileDirectory: Entering, lpSourceDir = <C:\WINNT\Profiles\profile>, 
lpDestinationDir = <\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile>, dwFlags = 0x32 
ReconcileFile: C:\WINNT\Profiles\profile\NTUSER.DAT ==> 
\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile\NTUSER.DAT [OK] 
ReconcileFile: C:\WINNT\Profiles\profile\ntuser.dat.LOG ==> 
\\PDCServerName\profiles\profile\ntuser.dat.LOG [OK] 
CopyProfileDirectory: Leaving with a return value of 1 
UnloadUserProfile: Leaving with a return value of 1 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
 
Additional query words: ntfaqdom 
====================================================================== 
Keywords : nthowto NTSrv 
Version : WinNT:4.0 
Platform : winnt 
Issue type : kbhowto 
============================================================================= 
Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1998.

vamp · Apr 12, 1999

Really you shouldn't have anything except shortcuts on your desktop because it takes excess amount of time to download from your profile to the client. Especially if the person is long distance .

CJ · Apr 14, 1999

I'm not sure I entirely trust the Microsoft answer for Novell questions. For one thing, the profiles are placed by Client32 in the SYS:MAIL directory, not USERS.... at least on our server. I have no troubles with the profiles on our Netware servers, but those which go to our NT box are showing similar troubles, but no Novell clients are involved!

TheOne · Apr 26, 1999

I've worked extensively with profiles and policies, and I've found that if you are using roaming profiles, the best way to keep them up to date is to use Poledit.exe on the client, go into the System setting, I think, and tell the workstation to "Delete Local Copies of Profiles". If you run Poledit.exe, then select OPen, Local Registry, then click on Local Computer, it will be one of the last settings you can change. That way, whenever a user logs onto the computer, they are forced to get the most recent up to date profile from your profile server. 
 
 
Later

rstevens · May 22, 1999

This is not a MAC your using. Don't put stuff on the desktop and you won't have this problem. I have seen many people use the desktop as a workspace, extracting zips to it, opening up new documents, etc... This is not what it was designed for! If your real desktop (the formica one) looked like a mess it would be a mark against your character. Use a network folder for your work and you'll be able to delete things from anywhere w/o having to repeat the process at each PC you have visited. Let's look at this another way... 
Ow!! each time I put my finger in this light socket, I get a shock! Maybe I should not put my finger in lightsockets. The shock is not a malfunction. The socket was simply intended for other uses. Now, you could paint the socket w/ rubber paint and stop the shock, but... I give up, you'll figure it out eventually!

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Roaming profiles

Charliegirl

MIS

michaelpotter

MIS

vamp

MIS

CJ

MIS

TheOne

MIS

rstevens

MIS

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