Roaming Profiles in Terminal Services: OOPS!~

  • Thread starter Thread starter Tyndall Nectarbonnet
  • Start date Start date
T

Tyndall Nectarbonnet

When I first set up our Terminal Services configuration, I did not know to
NOT use roaming profiles for the users.

Our network is a Windows 2000 Native Mode Domain with Windows 2000 Pro
workstations. We also have Microsoft Exchange 2000 on site and each user has
an Exchange mailbox. I have applied all the appropriate service packs that
are available to date.

Here's the situation:

User connects via VPN connection and establishes a Terminal Services
session. Instead of terminating the session, the user (apparently) just
terminated the VPN connection.

The following morning, I had to re-boot the servers, and upon seeing the
user's session via Terminal Services Manager, I reset it.

NOW THE PROBLEMS BEGIN...

Every time the user logs in to her workstation, a Microsoft Installer window
appears with the message "Preparing to Install...". this is followed by a
Microsoft Office 2000 SR-1 Professional window that states "Please wait
while Windows configures Microsoft Office 2000 SR-1 Professional".

If the user double clicks on Microsoft Word shortcuts on her desktop, she
gets an error message that states 'Cannot find the file \\<UNC path to Word
document>' (or one of its components). Make sure the path and filename are
correct and that all required libraries are available." When she clicks the
OK button, Word opens, but no document is available. If she opens the file
via the File->Open method (using the very same path to traverse the file
folder structure) the file opens without a hitch.

Additionally, if she establishes a Terminal Services session and double
clicks one of the word shortcuts on her desktop, the file opens without a
hitch.

I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling Microsoft Office 2000 Professional
both as the user and as the Administrator, to no avail.

This scenario is affecting three (3) different users in exactly the same
way. Each of these users has connected via VPN and Terminal Services. It
occurs on any workstation that the users log into. Strangely enough, I, too
connect the same way, but I'm not having the problems.

Obviously, the user's profile has been corrupted in some manner, but I can't
find any reference describing how to fix the corruption.

Deleting the USERID is a last resort.

Anyone?... Bueler?
 
Have you tried to just delete the user's profile, or
better yet, to just delete the ntuser.dat file of the
particular user and see if that helps?

-M
 
I have NOT deleted the affected user's profiles, as they have stored
passwords and customized program settings in them. This is the last resort
that I'll attempt.

Is there a method to diagnose a corrupted profile to determine which
registry hive is faulty? How about a method to compare two profiles and see
the differences?

Thank you for responding so promptly.

Tyndall sends.....
 
You may want to have a look a regmon from
www.sysinternals.com. It'll show you all the registry
entries that are being accessed by the system...this might
help you to diagnose the problem.

-M
 
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