turning off roaming profiles (just clearing profile path isnt work

[Laeelin]

Our network is using windows server 2003. There are about 10 of us and only
one actually needs a roaming profile. The last network admin setup everyone
as a roaming profile and I want to move everyone except for one user back to
a local profile. (some profiles are huge.. in the 2g-4g range causing long
log-on times and extra network traffic)

On the server: In Active Directory Users and Computers I selected the
server, clicked the users folder, right clicked on an account and selected
properties. On the profile tab I deleted the profile path (left blank).

On the local computer: I checked in system properties -> advanced -> users,
and the profile is listed and says local.

However, when I log on as the user and make changes to the desktop/whatever
then check the servers profile directory, the new file/changes will be listed
there as well.

Anyone know what would be causing this or how to fix it?

Thanks
-David

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Laeelin <Laeelin@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
> Our network is using windows server 2003. There are about 10 of us
> and only one actually needs a roaming profile. The last network admin
> setup everyone as a roaming profile and I want to move everyone
> except for one user back to a local profile. (some profiles are
> huge.. in the 2g-4g range causing long log-on times and extra network
> traffic)
>
> On the server: In Active Directory Users and Computers I selected the
> server, clicked the users folder, right clicked on an account and
> selected properties. On the profile tab I deleted the profile path
> (left blank).
>
> On the local computer: I checked in system properties -> advanced ->
> users, and the profile is listed and says local.
>
> However, when I log on as the user and make changes to the
> desktop/whatever then check the servers profile directory, the new
> file/changes will be listed there as well.
>
> Anyone know what would be causing this or how to fix it?
>
> Thanks
> -David

Well - briefly veering off topic, you should be able to keep your roaming
profiles and have them work properly, if you set them up right. I personally
like roaming profiles although they can be a pain if you aren't
careful....they need to be kept *tiny*. It's handy to have them if you need
to replace a user's workstation, even if they don't tend to roam from
computer to computer.

Even without using roaming profiles, you really need to implement Folder
Redirection via group policy, because nothing of much importance should
actually *live* in the profile other than some settings. Redirect My
Documents, Desktop, and Application Data to the server....if each user has
his own home directory/user folder, it would end up in
\\myserver\userfolders\username\My Documents, \Desktop, \Application Data. I
don't use offline files (I disable this via group policy as well) as I think
they cause problems galore.

That said, first implement the folder redirection and *then* worry about the
profiles. Check your group policy settings ...it's possible there's
something in your group policy settings that's causing this problem, so you
might run an rsop.msc after cleaning up the profile sizes via redirection,
and look for errors.

Here's my boilerplate on roaming profiles....

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!
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 never 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. Redirect My Documents at the very least usually
best done to the user's home directory on the server - either via
group policy (folder redirection) or manually (far less advisable). 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/...6D-8912-4E18-B570-42470E2F3582&displaylang=en