[Samba] MAJOR XP profile issue - mandrake rpms - 2.2.7a

[Anthony Hardy]

problem:

migrating from one server to another .  . .physical and software migration.
copied all profiles and am in the process of adding a new automated system
for domain management (mysql backend, blah balh) so the uid's changed for
each user.

this is what how i THOUGHT things would work:

1. everyone logs out
2. shutdown samba on old server
3. add new users to new server
4. transfer ALL data to new server, including profiles, setup permissions on
files to correspond with new uids
5. finish config of smb.conf on new server, adding the proper shares, etc .
basically a mirror of the old box.
6. start up new server . . .login 9x machines for testing.
7. rejoin all XP machines to the domain, and i should have been good to go.

the problem lies in that once i rejoin an XP machine (testing with a couple
right now) is that the profiles don't load properly.  the user logs in,
everything "seems" to be ok . in that the desktop icons are present, custom
apps seem to work . .but pieces are broken.

for example . . .OE or outlook . broken.  it's like the ntuser.dat file
doesn't get pulled .. .

i noticed that under documents and settings on the local machines HD the
owner wasn't correct for the correct profile directory (normally, just the
user name) and upon logging in . there was a new profile directory created,
username.domain.  That "should" have been fine i thought . .as long as  the
profile was copied from the network . but it's NOT being copied .   . . .so
i tried different machines . and various tests . from rejoining the domain
and changing permission BEFORE logging in as the user to  . .well .
everything i can think of.

so . my question is two fold . .is there any reason an XP machine that DID
copy profiles from the network BEFORE the change wouldn't copy them now?
logon path and logon home variables are the SAME and my 9x machines WORK
fine . .i've got about 100 XP machines out there tho .  .and i NEED this to
work . .or i'm going to attempt to go back to the old server.

last question . what is the "proper" profile directory . . username or
username.domain and what is the presence of these two directories telling me
. if anything?

any help is appreciated GREATLY.

Anthony Hardy
Director of MIS
Jefferson Davis Community College
AIM: trist1066
Yahoo: trist1066
MSN: soma at fragfest.net
icq 1221725