Local Copy of Roaming Profile Corrupt

[sickbay]

We have a problem with our roaming ptofiles.

Mostly everything works fine but there are an increasing number of times that the user cannot log on, they get the message The roaming profile could not be loaded.

The solution is simply to delete the local copy of the profile and then the user can log in again with the server version which is copied back.

Could anyone enlighten me as to why this is happening? It is intermittent and only happens to certain users.

Also, is there any way to force the workstation to always use the network copy?

 

[mobyduck]

One issue could be network availability - I've seen this sort of thing on a section of the network where the switch was failing, and even once on a customer site where there were machines linked together by multiple hubs.

Usually the localmachine will only wait for so long for a reply, then use the local cached copy, which sounds like your problem. Check out the infrastructure.

There isn't an easy way to force the roaming profile usage over the local cached copy if you have this sort of network latency, without deleting the cache with for example a logout script, but I've never found ths very effective.

 

[sickbay]

I dont think that it is a network problem, as we never have a problem if there is no local copy cached on the PC.

The workstations attempt to load the local copy and when this fails, will just use the default user profile.

Annying the hell out of me!

 

[mobyduck]

Hi Sickbay,

Still seems to suggest a network timing problem or infrastructure hardware to me

If there's no local copy of a profile and it can't reach the roaming copy in appropriate time, it will create a 'default'- that's by design.

Have you checked your server logs to see if there are any other clues?

 

[sickbay]

I think you mis-understand.

If there is no local copy, the user logs on fine with their roaming profile from the server.

The problem only happens if a user has logged onto the workstation before and there is a local copy of the profile.

 

[mobyduck]

Sorry Sickbay - I did misunderstand your original posts.

What is the size of the problems users profiles ?? Sometimes they can get massive and bloated with temporary browser files - the worst culprit is applications on desktops rather than shortcuts.

MD

 

[sickbay]

The profile folder for one user it happened to this morning is 11.2Mb in size. Don't think this is exceptionally large.

They cannot save onto the desktop and my documents is redirected to their home drive.

The only slightly odd thing is that the profile folder is inside their home folder on the network. I would rather have a seperate folder for all profiles but this is what I inherited.

 

[markdmac]

I have seen this problem a number of times also. Invariably it has always been due to problems on the local hard disk causing a corruption of the profile. Run a defrag and disk cleanup on the local machine. Make sure your users are set to empty the Temporary Internet Files folder on exit so they don't store that needlessly int he profile and files in there seem to be the most likely to cause problems.

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

 

[mobyduck]

Markdmac beat me to it this time !!

I'd go with his theory although if you have inherited the problem maybe the time has come to wean the problem users away from having their profiles set on the home drives and see if this makes any difference.

MD

 

[sickbay]

I will try moving their profile folders to see if it helps and doing a defrag on the problem machines.

Thanks for the advice.