[Samba] Roaming Profile & Folder Redirection Problems

[Rich Edelman]

Replies inline :)

On Monday 11 October 2004 11:56 am, Richard Michael wrote:
> Hi Rich,
>
> I have also built my XP clients w/ RP+FolderRedir.
>
> I haven't seen all the problems you've described, but am having my own
> share of difficulties.  I'd be interested if you encounter them, see my
> earlier post (a few days back) if you're curious.
>
> > 1) After a Windows XP user logs out for the first time, upon next
> > login they get an error message saying "Windows cannot log you in
> > because your profile cannot be loaded." Deleting the NTUSER.DAT file
> > for that user allows that user to log in again.
>
> I haven't seen this, but have read notes about the accumulation of .tmp
> in the profile (Windows creates them) files possibly causing this
> problem.  Are you seeing .tmp files if you look at the profile, during
> or after logoff (but prior to the next logon)?

There is no accumulation of .tmp files in the profile at all. I do think the 
profile is getting corrupted, though. After configuring the logging you 
mentioned below, I noticed that upon second login, Windows tries to merge the 
mandatory profile it copied over from the default profile with a user 
profile, which for some reason fails, and does not allow me to log on. Are 
there supposed to be both ntuser.dat and ntuser.man files in a profile? I'm 
really not much of a windows guy, heh.

> > 2) It doesn't appear like the default user profile (located in
> > /var/lib/samba/netlogon/Default User/) is getting used for anything,
> > as when I log in for the first time and view the registry any changes
> > that I made for the default user are not there!
>
> What profile is used for the new user?  For example, is XP copying the
> C:\Documents and Settings\Default User profile?  Perhaps it's not
> finding your [netlogon] share?  You've verified all permissions on the
> Unix side and in the smb.conf file?  Can you see the profile being
> copied if you sniff smb or read the logs?

Okay, it is copying the profile from the [netlogon] share. I was confused 
because apparently Windows changes the registry keys after you are logged in 
back to '%USERPROFILE%/blah' instead of keeping 
'%LOGONSERVER%/profiles/%USERNAME%/blah' like I have in the default profile.

> Also, you can turn on quite a bit of logging in XP by setting this reg
> key:
> HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon
>   = [REG_DWORD] UserEnvDebugLevel = 0x30002
>
> The log file is in C:\Windows\Debug\UserMode .. (if memory serves..)

Wow, lots of logs!

> I can compare perms and settings with you if it helps, my [netlogon]
> profile is used properly.
>
> Also, are you doing anything with Group Policy items on the XP side that
> would altered your expected Default User environment?  (The logging
> above will show you this..)

The only group policy I have set is I have disabled offline files entirely, I 
have altered the exclusion lists to include redirected folders, and I have 
turned off the ownership check for the profile. All (with the exception of 
the offline files) are as outlined in Chapter 6 of Samba-3 By Example.
FWIW, I have also experimented with keeping offline files enabled and turning 
off the 'synchronize files before logon' and 'synchronize files after logout' 
options. That last option did away with the synchronization window I was 
getting.  I wonder if this has anything to do with the fact that I am not 
redirecting all the folders in the profile.

> Evidently, XP wants client side caching on the profile location
> disabled (I saw complaints in the Event Log).  Perhaps this is causing
> problems?  To do so, add to the [profiles] section of smb.conf:
>
>   csc policy = disabled
>
> I don't think Terpstra's book mentions this but it's in the smb.conf man
> page.

I added the 'csc policy = disabled' line to the [profiles] section of my 
smb.conf file, but the event viewer still has complaints from WinXP about the 
profiles share being configured for automatic caching.

> > 3) This one will probably be solved by #2 above, but whenever a user
> > logs out, there is that stupid 'synchronizing' window, even though all
> > profile folders have been redirected to a network drive. Why?
>
> Isn't this Offline Files on the XP side?  I have disabled this at the
> system level, because I didn't want user's dealing with any sync
> problems.  Have you disabled Offline File Caching for at least the
> folders you have redirected?  Try disabling it altogether; set this GP:
>
>   Computer configuration
>     Admin templates
>       Network
>         Offline files
>           Allow or disallow use of offline files = Disabled
As I said above, I have experimented with that setting, as well as some 
others. I did forget to mention that I also enabled this GP:
   User configuration
      Admin Templates
         Network
            Offline Files
               Do not automatically make redirected folders available offline.

That's the only way I could figure out to disable offline file caching for the 
redirected folders. Is there another (better?) way?

> Let me know if any of this helps.  We compare configs more closely if it
> will help.
Would you mind sending me your smb.conf file and possibly detailed directory 
listings of your netlogon share? (Something along the lines of ls -ltrR 
perhaps?)

If it would help, I can make my smb.conf file, detailed directory listings, 
and the logfiles I have (log.smb and the logfiles windows xp generates) all 
available on the web.

Thanks,
Rich