Changing the default location for user profiles

[Guest]

We have a 2003 server running terminal services. The C: drive has become
full of user profiles in the documents and settings folder. I need to change
the location to the d: drive. I see how to do this for an individual user in
active directory user & computer/ terminal service profiles. This isn't
really practical though. I need to know how to change the profile location
for all users logging into that server? Please help.

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

Use a Group Policy, linked to the OU which contains the Terminal
Server machine account, and configure the setting
Computer Configuration - Administrative templates - Windows
components - Terminal Services
"Set path for TS roaming profiles"

Note that you should not add %username% here, just something like
\\server\TSprofiles

Note that you will *always* see the locally cached copy of the
roaming profiles of all currently connected users on your system
drive, but the setting below makes sure that they don't accumulate
and fill up your system disk on the TS:
Computer Configuration - Administrative templates - System - User
profiles
"Delete cached copies of roaming profiles"

There is no supported method to change the location of the locally
cached copy of the roaming profile, other than during an unattended
setup of the OS:

236621 - Cannot Move or Rename the Documents and Settings Folder
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=236621
_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___

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[Guest]

Please consider logon delays when using roaming profiles - otherwise users
won't like you anymore: Redirect "My Documents", "Application Data" and
"Desktop" via GPO. Also consider redirecting "Favorites" (via registry) and
cookies. Preventing permenant cookies instead is also a good idea, if you are
allowed to...
"Healthy" profiles must not exceed 5 MB and should not contain thousands of
minor files (usually cookies).
Use GPOs to exclude directories from the roaming profile (like temporary
internet files and history) but keep in mind, that excluding directory in
combination with "Delete cached copies of roaming profiles" will simply lead
to losing these directories (which is not always a disadvantage).


When using roaming profiles on W2K3 terminal servers, I experienced that the
option of deleting cached profiles on logoff increases the "applying user
settings" logon phase - even with 2 MB sized profiles - the "Loading
settings" phase is very short, though. The behaviour came up after applying
Windows 2003 SP1.

Has anybody an explanation to that?


--
Oliver Pergler
www.peaknet.at

 

[Vera Noest [MVP]]

There's a hotfix for this delay:

899409 - You may experience a 20-second delay when you try to
access a redirected folder by logging on to a Windows Server 2003
Service Pack 1-based computer or to a Windows XP Service Pack 2-
based computer
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=899409

_________________________________________________________
Vera Noest
MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
TS troubleshooting: http://ts.veranoest.net
___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___