We run roaming profiles for our 26 W2kSP2 MFXPeFR1 servers under Active Directory but use local Group Policies. Everything works fine for Group Policy settings for roaming profiles but something is causing duplicates of the NTUSER.dat file to be created as a prf#.tmp file and left in the root of the user's profile. This tmp file is a copy of the NTUSER.dat and is getting carried with the roaming profile when the user logs off. In successive logons additional tmp files are created with different #'s so the profile grows in size. It requires a purge of all prf*.tmp files in the roaming profile share at least once a week. The MS Knowledge Base has nothing in it and our MS/Citrix consultant hasn't seen it before either. This only started when we implemented MS AD some months ago. Nothing has worked so far. Has anyone seen this or know how to trouble- shoot it?
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prf*.tmp in user profiles
- Thread starter Strongone
- Start date
Well, I have some experience with those *#!#* files. I just hate them. Based on what I was able to find out, those files are used to keep your profiles in sync. If in your situation one is being created everytime the user logs on, it almost sounds like that the user may not have sufficient security permissions on the directory where the profiles are stored so that the changes can't be saved.
So, this is just an educational guess, I would verify permission on their profiles, make sure that they can read/write.
My situation was/is a little different. When a user would log off / disconnect, for some reason (not all the time) that file pr**.tmp would not be release. So, next time he tries to log on the user would receive a message stating that because of a file that is being used, his normal profile can't be used, so, they are signed on using a temporary profile. This causes a problem since their email settings would need to be setup. What a pain!
I think it happens mostly when the user forcefully disconnects, versus properly loggin off, but I haven't confirmed it. In addition, that tmp file isn't always in the same directory, sometimes is in the Local Settings\Microsoft\Excel or Word directories.
If anyone can provide any additional knowledge on these **#@#$# files I'm sure Stronggone will be equally appreciative as I.
So, this is just an educational guess, I would verify permission on their profiles, make sure that they can read/write.
My situation was/is a little different. When a user would log off / disconnect, for some reason (not all the time) that file pr**.tmp would not be release. So, next time he tries to log on the user would receive a message stating that because of a file that is being used, his normal profile can't be used, so, they are signed on using a temporary profile. This causes a problem since their email settings would need to be setup. What a pain!
I think it happens mostly when the user forcefully disconnects, versus properly loggin off, but I haven't confirmed it. In addition, that tmp file isn't always in the same directory, sometimes is in the Local Settings\Microsoft\Excel or Word directories.
If anyone can provide any additional knowledge on these **#@#$# files I'm sure Stronggone will be equally appreciative as I.
Basically, assuming the following is the cause of your issues, then I'm afraid it's by design. There are work arounds though.
Your roaming profile may accumulate extra files named Prf*.tmp, and the following error message may be logged in the Application event log:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Userenv
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: date
Time: time of day
User: S-1-5-21-#########-##########-##########-####
Computer: Computername
Description:
Windows cannot copy file \\servername\share\...\Prf???.tmp to location R:\Documents and Settings\...\Prf???.tmp. Contact your network administrator.
DETAIL - Cannot create a file when that file already exists.
CAUSE
This problem may occur if the Indexing service or some other process (such as an open file agent) has opened the indicated temporary file during profile synchronization. If so, the temporary file is not deleted. It is uploaded with the roaming profile when you log off and reconciled to the local profile when you log on again.
Although antivirus software may also cause this problem, the impact is likely to be minimal because there are fewer file operations for such processes than for Indexing and open file agents.
RESOLUTION
To work around this problem, use either of the following methods:
Turn off the software or the service that is in conflict with the profile engine.
-or-
Exclude profile folders from the conflicting operational scan or monitor functionality.
Microsoft recommends that you examine any files before you delete them to make sure that they do not contain useful data. The profile engine specifically does not delete littered Prf*.tmp files to prevent potential data loss.
STATUS
This behavior is by design. Profile reconciliation is specifically intended to error against data loss by retaining temporary files.
____________________________________
Cheers
Your roaming profile may accumulate extra files named Prf*.tmp, and the following error message may be logged in the Application event log:
Event Type: Error
Event Source: Userenv
Event Category: None
Event ID: 1000
Date: date
Time: time of day
User: S-1-5-21-#########-##########-##########-####
Computer: Computername
Description:
Windows cannot copy file \\servername\share\...\Prf???.tmp to location R:\Documents and Settings\...\Prf???.tmp. Contact your network administrator.
DETAIL - Cannot create a file when that file already exists.
CAUSE
This problem may occur if the Indexing service or some other process (such as an open file agent) has opened the indicated temporary file during profile synchronization. If so, the temporary file is not deleted. It is uploaded with the roaming profile when you log off and reconciled to the local profile when you log on again.
Although antivirus software may also cause this problem, the impact is likely to be minimal because there are fewer file operations for such processes than for Indexing and open file agents.
RESOLUTION
To work around this problem, use either of the following methods:
Turn off the software or the service that is in conflict with the profile engine.
-or-
Exclude profile folders from the conflicting operational scan or monitor functionality.
Microsoft recommends that you examine any files before you delete them to make sure that they do not contain useful data. The profile engine specifically does not delete littered Prf*.tmp files to prevent potential data loss.
STATUS
This behavior is by design. Profile reconciliation is specifically intended to error against data loss by retaining temporary files.
____________________________________
Cheers
I'm having this issue as well and I've seen this article but the thing that I'm trying to figure out is what is actually conflicting with the profile engine.
It says to turn off the software or service that is causing the issue but the only thing that I have running that they have mentioned is AVS. We use TrendMicro for incoming files so I guess I can try that out.
Anyone have anyother suggestions or might know what kind of services might be causing this issue?
Thanks.
It says to turn off the software or service that is causing the issue but the only thing that I have running that they have mentioned is AVS. We use TrendMicro for incoming files so I guess I can try that out.
Anyone have anyother suggestions or might know what kind of services might be causing this issue?
Thanks.
We've also been getting the same on two of our systems with completely different HW in each location. The only commonalities are that they are both in the same AD, and they are running Trend AV, but we've disabled this and still appear to be getting the problem. We've had the problem since day 1 of our implementation and have since gone through 2 service packs and about 50-odd other hotfixes but to no avail.
There seems to be some process just hanging onto the user profiles as they are logging off, but we just can't trace it. We have other "utilty" software (Appsense, etc) but have turned all of these off in turn and still no joy.
Maybe it is AD related??
It's not a "major" problem - it may affect 5 out of 1200 users a day, but the upshot is that the user cannot log on again until we have cleared the problem, so in their eyes it's a major problem!
If anyone can help, I'll buy you a drink!
Cheers,
Mijs
There seems to be some process just hanging onto the user profiles as they are logging off, but we just can't trace it. We have other "utilty" software (Appsense, etc) but have turned all of these off in turn and still no joy.
Maybe it is AD related??
It's not a "major" problem - it may affect 5 out of 1200 users a day, but the upshot is that the user cannot log on again until we have cleared the problem, so in their eyes it's a major problem!
If anyone can help, I'll buy you a drink!
Cheers,
Mijs
Ahh yes..tried that one but it didn't work all of the time.
Additionally, we've put so much clutter on our system so far to try and stop this....what I'd like ideally is to find out what is causing the problem and stop it at the core as opposed to curing the symptoms...
Thanks for the imput though...did you have the same problem on your system?
Cheers,
MIJS
p.s. I had a drink anyway thanks!
Additionally, we've put so much clutter on our system so far to try and stop this....what I'd like ideally is to find out what is causing the problem and stop it at the core as opposed to curing the symptoms...
Thanks for the imput though...did you have the same problem on your system?
Cheers,
MIJS
p.s. I had a drink anyway
thanks!
RichieClarke
Technical User
Just a thought but it might be worth checking to see if you are cacheing profiles in AD, you can disable them using Goup Policy or Local Policy on the Citrix server. There may be some kind of a problem when the server is trying to cache the profile whilst the user wants to log off.
Cheers.
Cheers.
Richie,
This sounds logical! I've had a quick trawl through our AD but can't find any setting dealing with this. (Mind you, our AD is a 'bit' complex, but don't get me started on THAT one! )
Any clues where to start looking?
Cheers,
MIJS
This sounds logical! I've had a quick trawl through our AD but can't find any setting dealing with this. (Mind you, our AD is a 'bit' complex, but don't get me started on THAT one!
)Any clues where to start looking?
Cheers,
MIJS
I DO NOT have this problem and I was not aware of this issue until now. My Citrix farm has been on-line for almost a year. All my accounts are set to use roaming profiles. I did a search and only found (3) files in the roaming profiles share. I DO enable some policies which restrict changes from being saved/copied locally. There may be another item or two which I have enabled but I can't think of them off the top of my head.
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