Loss of personalised settings on reboot of Citrix server

[rreimers]

We have a Win2k server with Citrix 1.8, latest version with all patches. The server gets rebooted every night to ensure the updates of NAV and some in-house programs. The next day, when I log in my personalized desktop has all the icons on the left, "My Documents" is back, and the window "Windows 2000 Configure Your Server" is back (mshta.exe is running). I have deleted my profile several times, I have Administrator rights, and this only happens after a server reboot. When I shut down my session and then restart it later(same day), the desktop is the same as when I logged off (as it should be).
I log out properly, also tried to disconnect - same result.
Further - loaded default profile hive in regedt32, checked it thoroughly - doesn't get started there. Checked "All Users" and default profiles - not here either. I'm getting extremely baffled by what should be a simple solution. This is not only happening to me - I administer the server, and notice this more because I move my icons to where I like them.

 

[CitrixEngineer]

This does look odd - first place I'd suspect is the profiles - especially the Default User.

Policies are the next place to look - especially computer policies. Policies should only be applied to groups - to apply them to individual users in this environment is pointless, and to apply them to the computer affects all users - including the admin.

Maybe the admin is a member of a group that has a policy applied?

 

[rreimers]

Thanks for the reply, but as far as I can tell, what little we have in the policies has nothing to do with this. Neither does it explain - all same day logins by any desktop user, whether logged out properly or 'killed', gets back their desktop with any changes made, including placement of icons. Once the SERVER reboots, ALL desktops are reset to a default - they still have any extra icons that were added to their desktop, plus 'My Documents' is back (was deleted), admin group has the 'Configure Server...' back even tho it was closed properly before. It seems that after a server reboot, that the server thinks everyone that is now logging in is logging in for the FIRST time ever, and resets desktops to a 'new' default. The only reason we don't get icons for 'Outlook Express' is because it was removed from the registry. Hope this helps, and that someone has an idea that I can try

 

[chifu]

How are your profiles set up? Where are they stored? Are they roaming or mandatory?

Are new copies of the profiles being created after the reboot ie. you start getting administrator.000 etc in your profiles directories. This ususally means that on the next log in the old profile could not be read and a new one was created. These new profiles will be clean ones. If this is the case find why the old profiles could not be read.

 

[4MULA1]

I once created a script to deleted files which included any profiles stored locally on the Citrix server. I prefer the users profiles to be stored in their home directories on a Novell File server. If these files are stored locally, are they being deleted after a fresh restart? Just a guess.

Good Luck

 

[rreimers]

My profile is stored on the local Citrix server drive at C:\Profiles\IS\RReimers, the profile is not mandatory, could be roaming? but is not stored on any other server. This is where in 'User Manager", the 'Terminal Server Profile Path' says my profile is to be.
chifu - I don't get any extra temporary profiles in 'C:\Documents and Settings' with the .000 or anything similar.
4MULA1 - there is no script that clears out profiles on a reboot of the server, I built or modified the present scripts.
Thanks for the feedback, but.... still searching. Randy

 

[CitrixEngineer]

I'm wondering if that profile is actually updated - or updateable. Have you set the profile folder to be shared with read/write permissions to everyone?

You can always lock down the permissions again later, but I'd suggest trying this first. You could use Filemon from

http://www.sysinternals.com

to track down any access permissions issues; run it at the console, and watch the file accesses as the administrator logs into a session.

I hope this helps.

 

[rreimers]

CitrixEngineer - the profile must be updated - any changes I make to the desktop and other personal areas are saved, if I sign in and out, changes are kept, if I watch the temporary profile as another user, it disappears on logout, reappears on login as it is supposed to, changes as far as adds and subtracts to icons show up in my permanent profile when I log out. I have WIPED my profile, rebuilt it several times, and this problem continues. This seems to also be happening to others, most don't realize it. The problem is - everytime the server is rebooted, it thinks that every user is logging in for the FIRST time, and recreates 'My documents' folder on desktop, starts 'Configure Server...' for the Admin equivalents, and also looses icon placing on the desktop. I am at a loss - I can't find anything in the registry, I know it is not a script, and ?no clue? as to where to go. I will try Filemon - used it before, don't have much hope for that.
Again - thanks for trying to help me, it's not a life-or-death thing, just EXTREMELY puzzling and an anoyance.
Thanks - Randy

 

[4MULA1]

As you stated the profile is locally. Therefore the profile should be stored in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE somewhere? I noticed a profile list under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Profile. Not using W2K yet but it appears to be a registry problem due to the reboot.

Good Luck

 

[rreimers]

I'm reasonably sure it is a goofy registry setting someplace that resets each time the server reboots. I just wish I could find it! 4MULA1, I looked in the registry where you pointed, that is just all people who seem to be logged into the server as of now. The profile is not stored in the registry, but is found at the place USRMGR says to look as a hive.
Thanks for trying, tho. Randy

 

[enigma99]

Heya Rreimers!
I have a similar problem with our users. I map out their tse profiles in usrmgr whenever we setup new citrix users.
The profile mappings save and the user logs in and customizes their desktop. Couple of days later or even weeks..the profile mappings disappear and they have to load the default profile. It's a pain to fix...I have to remap their profiles within usrmgr and delete any "local" profiles on the server. As you can see..we don't use "local", we use "roaming" profiles.

I haven't been able to figure it out yet..it's kicking my but =(

hopefully some of our bright minds in this forum will come up with some suggestions or maybe solutions =)))

Look forward to seeing replies..thx all!

 

[CitrixEngineer]

OK, I've thought a little more on this one;

You say the settings are lost when you reboot?

Check that the "roaming" part of the profile (as specified in UMD) is updating and/or updateable. I'm sticking to this theory, because I think that what is being updated is the local cached copy in %systemroot%\profiles. When you log off and on, you pick up this copy. When you reboot, the cache is cleared, and you get the default again.

This is just my theory, I think that Filemon will give you the full picture.

Have a look at my FAQ on profiles - and send me feedback if you think I should make it clearer on any point. This document is a WIP

I hope this helps

 

[rreimers]

As far as I can tell - "roaming" seems to be updated, the cached copy at 'C:\Documents and Settings\RReimers' is updated as is the copy at 'C:\Profiles\IS\RReimers' every time I log out. I have Admin rights, verified on both profile areas as far as proper file rights are concerned. I can't find anything under %systemroot%\profiles - is that at C:\Documents and Settings\ ?
Again - thanks!

 

[CitrixEngineer]

Ah. Yes. I'm so used to folks using NT4 TSE that I put %systemroot%\profiles out of habit. In W2k it's in Documents and Settings as you rightly point out!

When you say that the roaming part is updated "every time" you log out, does that include the times that the profile loses its settings?

CE

 

[rreimers]

Thank you CitrixEngineer - I thought you were talking NT4, no problem. As far as updating the profile - the temporary profile gets updated as I change things. Every time I log out, the roaming (permanent?) profile is updated - everytime. An odd thing - Friday, as I was updating my local PC, and using Citrix, all my settings were stored properly whether I logged out or killed my Citrix connection. Icons showed up where I placed them, as expected. What was odd, on Monday, after the Citrix server had rebooted 3 times (at 4am every day), when I logged into the Citrix server, my icons were in the correct places, no extra junk on my desktop, and no 'Configure Server...' running! Go figure - Tuesday morning, once again reset - icons all back on left side lined up by alpha, extra junk on desktop, 'Configure Server...' was running. Guess I got a gremlin in the works.

 

[rlcos]

I also am having this problem. Users are getting rather frustrated.

In my case, using Win2K wit MetaFrame XPa in a 2-server farm. One server seems to be OK, but the other one gives me this issue with user profiles being reset. I have *roaming* profiles set up also, with TS/Citrix user profiles saved on a separate NT4 box.

 

[hannan]

I have only scanned throught this post, but we have experienced the same issue. It normally occurs when the server has crashed, and the user profiles which are temporarily stores in location c:\wtsrv\profiles\ are not removed, they stay cached and as a result the user will pickup this instead of their permament profile which is rightly stored in their user location. The only way is to get all users of the server, reboot, delete all cahced profiles and you will find that when the user next logs in , their true profile has been replicated.

Sorry if ive missed the point of this post.