Roaming profile problems

[Rich]

It seems like whenever we roll out a new version of 3rd party software, like
Acrobat Reader 9 or Firefox 3.5 as of late, the apps will not work with
non-admin users who have roaming profiles. My guess is because the
installers weren't run as them, so the roaming registry is messed up and
causes issues.
To solve it we delete the existing copy of their roaming profile, replace it
with a copy of a profile we made a couple years ago, our "default" profile
we'll call it, then after they log in they're good to go. Assuming the
necessary registry settings are done when they log in for the first time with
th enew profile, but I don't really know.
Is that how roaming profiles are supposed to work? This is a big headache
and time waster when you have lots of users.

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

Thank you for posting here.

From your post, my understanding on this issue is: any new version of third
party software cannot work with non-admin users who have roaming profiles.
If I'm off base, please feel free to let me know.

Before moving on, in order to troubleshoot the issue efficiently, could you
please help confirm following points?

1. Does the issue occurs in local profiles?
2. Does the issue occurs in roaming profiles with admin?
3. You mentioned new version of third party software cannot run, could you
please let me know detail error message?
4. How you update third party software on these problem computers?
5. Does any error message encounter when sync roaming profile on logoff?

Once I get your reply, I will take a research on it and will contact you as
soon as possible.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

 

[Anteaus]

Don't have a direct answer, but I do know from work on packaging a rollout
that Adobe 9 makes changes to the permissions within the user registry. This
causes problems with rollouts, and may be the cause of your problem.

In principle any app that is run for the first time under an account should
create its own user registry-entries from defaults. It may also create an
'Application Data' subfolder. Since these are in the profile folder, the user
should not need to be an admin. One workaround might be to arrange that a
script imports a known-working set of values at logon.

Roaming profiles shouldn't make any odds provided that only one copy of the
account is ever logged-on, and the client and server clocks are right.

 

[Rich]

Hi Robinson. It's probably just something screwy with my computers here, I
was more just looking to see if anyone else ever had this same problem. I
wouldn't spend too much time looking into this. But the answers to your
questions are.

1) we dont have local non-admin profiles
2) admins dont have roaming profiles
3) I don't have the specifics anymore, I know acrobat reader got a c++
runtime error
4) SMS pushing out MSI's
5) no

Hi,

Thank you for posting here.

From your post, my understanding on this issue is: any new version of third
party software cannot work with non-admin users who have roaming profiles.
If I'm off base, please feel free to let me know.

Before moving on, in order to troubleshoot the issue efficiently, could you
please help confirm following points?

1. Does the issue occurs in local profiles?
2. Does the issue occurs in roaming profiles with admin?
3. You mentioned new version of third party software cannot run, could you
please let me know detail error message?
4. How you update third party software on these problem computers?
5. Does any error message encounter when sync roaming profile on logoff?

Once I get your reply, I will take a research on it and will contact you as
soon as possible.

Thanks.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

From: =?Utf-8?B?UmljaA==?= <[email protected]>
Subject: Roaming profile problems
Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:13:02 -0700
Newsgroups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.configuration_manage,microsoft.public.windowsxp.g
eneral

It seems like whenever we roll out a new version of 3rd party software, like
Acrobat Reader 9 or Firefox 3.5 as of late, the apps will not work with
non-admin users who have roaming profiles. My guess is because the
installers weren't run as them, so the roaming registry is messed up and
causes issues.
To solve it we delete the existing copy of their roaming profile, replace it
with a copy of a profile we made a couple years ago, our "default" profile
we'll call it, then after they log in they're good to go. Assuming the
necessary registry settings are done when they log in for the first time with
th enew profile, but I don't really know.
Is that how roaming profiles are supposed to work? This is a big headache
and time waster when you have lots of users.

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. Given the currently information, we know that the
issue should be not related to sync profile/server settings/Windows
Installer(Windows XP can install the programs properly). Let's focus on
Group Policy/Local setting/potential software conflict.

Does the issue occurs on all Windows XP computer?

If so, I suggest we build a test computer which has local non-admin user
and add a roaming user to local administrator group. And test the issue in
these account separately. Does the issue occur?

If not, let's focus on the problem computer and take a clean boot to check
if it is a software conflict issue.

How to configure Windows XP to start in a "clean boot" state
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/310353

How to perform advanced clean-boot troubleshooting in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/316434

In addition, please do not install Adobe 9 to check if Adobe 9 cause the
problem. If possible, please let us know every detail error message.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

 

[Rich]

Thanks

Don't have a direct answer, but I do know from work on packaging a rollout
that Adobe 9 makes changes to the permissions within the user registry. This
causes problems with rollouts, and may be the cause of your problem.

In principle any app that is run for the first time under an account should
create its own user registry-entries from defaults. It may also create an
'Application Data' subfolder. Since these are in the profile folder, the user
should not need to be an admin. One workaround might be to arrange that a
script imports a known-working set of values at logon.

Roaming profiles shouldn't make any odds provided that only one copy of the
account is ever logged-on, and the client and server clocks are right.

 

[Rich]

It occurs on a large number if not all of my machines, but i think it may be
more due to old software installs, reg hacks, etc not being cleaned up right.

What I'm thinking of doing is "starting over", reloading all my machines
with a good load, but then I have to figure out how to give everyone a new,
fresh, roaming profile.

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. I understand that you want to reload new roaming
profile. And you want to know how to give everyone a new, fresh, roaming
profile.

Given the current situation, I suggest you use a tool named User State
Migration Tool, which can help you create a new roaming profile and migrate
users¡¯ data to new roaming profile.

For more information, please refer to the following links:

User State Migration in Windows XP
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457090.aspx

Description of the User State Migration Tool for Windows XP Professional
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321197

If you have any questions or concerns with the suggestions I provided,
please don't hesitate to let me know.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

:

 

[Rich]

Is there also a tool just to make a default profile we can give someone,
based off a standard load of a computer? that way once they log in with the
new default profile, they can customize brand new on their fresh profile.

Hi,

Thank you for your reply. I understand that you want to reload new roaming
profile. And you want to know how to give everyone a new, fresh, roaming
profile.

Given the current situation, I suggest you use a tool named User State
Migration Tool, which can help you create a new roaming profile and migrate
users¡¯ data to new roaming profile.

For more information, please refer to the following links:

User State Migration in Windows XP
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb457090.aspx

Description of the User State Migration Tool for Windows XP Professional
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/321197

If you have any questions or concerns with the suggestions I provided,
please don't hesitate to let me know.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

:

It occurs on a large number if not all of my machines, but i think it may be
more due to old software installs, reg hacks, etc not being cleaned up right.

What I'm thinking of doing is "starting over", reloading all my machines
with a good load, but then I have to figure out how to give everyone a new,
fresh, roaming profile.

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

Based on my know, we do not have such a tool currently. If you want to
create a new default roaming profile, hope the following links can help
you.

Customize the Default User Profile in Windows XP
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/customprofile.htm

How to customize the default local user profile when you prepare an image
of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/959753/en-us

If you have any concerns with the information I provided, please feel free
to let me know.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

:

 

[Rich]

Your help is greatly appreciated. Does these article apply to even roaming
profiles? I use roaming profiles here.

Hi,

Based on my know, we do not have such a tool currently. If you want to
create a new default roaming profile, hope the following links can help
you.

Customize the Default User Profile in Windows XP
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/customprofile.htm

How to customize the default local user profile when you prepare an image
of Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/959753/en-us

If you have any concerns with the information I provided, please feel free
to let me know.

Hope it helps.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

:

Is there also a tool just to make a default profile we can give someone,
based off a standard load of a computer? that way once they log in with the
new default profile, they can customize brand new on their fresh profile.

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

You can manually create roaming profile or using a script.

Hope following two links can help you.

Configuring Roaming User Profiles
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc738596(WS.10).aspx

How to Create and Copy Roaming User Profiles in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314478

Thanks.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

 

[Rich]

Once I get a "good" profile setup, according to those article it says I need
to use the User Profiles tab to do this
To create the default user profile for the domain, type the path to
NETLOGON\Default User on the domain controller.

I'm just a part of a very large domain so i can't do that. Could I just
manually copy the folder from Documents and Settings on the local machine to
my profiles server share, then use it to replace each users profile folder by
copying and pasting the "good" profile, then appropriately renaming each copy?

Hi,

You can manually create roaming profile or using a script.

Hope following two links can help you.

Configuring Roaming User Profiles
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc738596(WS.10).aspx

How to Create and Copy Roaming User Profiles in Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314478

Thanks.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

Your help is greatly appreciated. Does these article apply to even roaming
profiles? I use roaming profiles here.

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

The answer is Yes, you can do it.

Also, you can try to use Folder Redirection to redirect following folders:

My Documents
Application Data
Desktop
Start Menu

Using Folder Redirection, we do not need to replace each users profile one
by one. For more information:

Folder Redirection Overview
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc778976(WS.10).aspx

Thanks.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

I'm just a part of a very large domain so i can't do that. Could I just
manually copy the folder from Documents and Settings on the local machine to
my profiles server share, then use it to replace each users profile folder by
copying and pasting the "good" profile, then appropriately renaming each

copy?

 

[Rich]

OK, thanks. I will just manually copy it like I said.

I already redirect those 4 additional folders, and by giving them a new
"good" profile, that will give them an untainted registry also. Thanks
Robinson!

Hi,

The answer is Yes, you can do it.

Also, you can try to use Folder Redirection to redirect following folders:

My Documents
Application Data
Desktop
Start Menu

Using Folder Redirection, we do not need to replace each users profile one
by one. For more information:

Folder Redirection Overview
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc778976(WS.10).aspx

Thanks.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

I'm just a part of a very large domain so i can't do that. Could I just
manually copy the folder from Documents and Settings on the local machine to
my profiles server share, then use it to replace each users profile folder by
copying and pasting the "good" profile, then appropriately renaming each

copy?

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

Appreciate your update and response. I am glad to hear your questions have
been answered. If you have any other questions or concerns, please do not
hesitate to contact us. It is always our pleasure to be of assistance.

Have a nice day!

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

 

[Rich]

I thought of one more question. When I'm making my good "default" profile to
copy to my server to use to replace all my roaming profiles, while all my
users are part of an AD domain, should the account I use to create this
profile be part of AD or should they be a local user to the machine I'm
using? Or does it not matter?

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

It doesn't matter.

But there is a offline user profile caching on client computer. You can use
the following command-line tool to clear caching if it is necessary.

Features and functions in version 1.1 of the Client-Side Caching
Command-Line Options command-line tool
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;884739

Thanks.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support

 

[Robinson Zhang [MSFT]]

Hi,

I have not received any responses from you lately, and I am just wondering
if you require further assistance. Please let me know if there is anything
that I can do for you. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Best regards,

Robinson Zhang
Microsoft Online Support