[Samba] Roaming profile : taking forever to login /log off

[Lorenzo Cerini]

Well, it's possible to store all the profile on the server like happens, e.g.,  in nfs.

On your clients you have the gpedit.msc utility. So run->gpedit.msc->user_config->administrative_templates

->user_profiles

here you can exclude some folder of your roaming to be copied up and down (something like 'exclude directory 

from roaming profile', my winxp is in italian). You can write 'Documents; Personal; Desktop....etc'

In this way these folders will be threated as local, and could be different on every client. But you can map

all these ones to a network volume on your samba server.

Just prepare a small logon.bat with time server sync (it's important), and net use ... ... to import a network volume

(say U:) on your clients.

Now run->regedit->HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders 

Here you can change the displacemant of your profile, and change 
&USERPROFILE&\Desktop -> U:\user_name\Desktop, or better 
you can map U: with a logon.bat.%U script and give a different U: to every user.

Unlucky you need to use gpedit.msc on every client.
For regedit you can take advatage by using a netlogon\Default User share.

One caveat: do not use your logon drive, or your profile drive form U:, take another one and put correct
permission.
Another one: On windows you can open explorer->Tools->Folder Options->'off-line files' and you can disable
off-line files, in this way, if the client is well-connected to the lan will use the natwork files, if not 
won't. If you enable off-line files, win will sync everything at login/off loosing a lot of time. 
I have clients with 1gb or more for documents folder, and this config helps a lot.

 L.Cerini




FM wrote:

> Hello,
> Thank you for your help :-)
> Yes some users have > 200 MB profile
>
> Lorenzo Cerini wrote:
>
>> Hi,
>> i had a lot of similar problems inthe past now solved,
>> just i didn't understand if the roaming profile of your client are 
>> actually about 200mb or not.
>> In one case is possible to manage not to copy all the profile at 
>> every logon/off, instead if the trouble is not
>> concerning the bigness of roaming profiles i need to know something 
>> more about your lan ( how many clients,
>> how many people, etc..)
>> L.Cerini
>
>
>