User has 2 profiles in XP -how to resolve?

[alanterrill]

I've noticed that several users have two profiles in Xp on a network. In documents and settings there is a folder called 'user' and another called 'user.domainname'. I think in all cases these are users who have had their pcs replaced and it seems that when a new acount is created on the pc it adds a .domainname to the end of the profile and uses that instead of the one without the extension. This causes a problem in that I have a logoff script which backs up files from the user folder using a %username% path and it fails to backup those that have an extension on. How do I delete this second profile?

Things I've tried:
In My computer, properties, advanced, profiles the list of user profiles only shows one of these 2 profiles, so I can't delete it there.
I've tried to rename the folder but it refuses.
I've booted into safe mode, deleted the one called user.domainname and then restarted. The folder is recreated with the extension.

 

[SimonDavies]

Have you recently implemented or changed your Domain structure?

First of all, are you creating user accounts on these machines? Are you using roaming profiles? Are the workstations members of the domain as well?

SimonD.

The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.

 

[alanterrill]

No -the domain is a straightforward single domain, Windows 2003 servers, no recent changes.
I'm not using roaming profiles. The workstations are all part of the domain. I have a user account setup on the server. I plug in a new PC, give it an IP address, log in as an existing user eg. "alan", but I get two accounts under docs and settings - one called alan and one called alan.smwh. I want to use the first but it always defaults to the second. This only happens on PCs where another pc exists with the same use account on. ie I'm setting up a new pc while the user still has their old one.

 

[SimonDavies]

you haven't said that one of the processes is joining the pc to the domain, you definitely do that don't you?

I would also look at using roaming profiles as well... but that's just me.

SimonD.

The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.

 

[Internexus]

I believe I know the problem.

Whenever you initially get a new machine you login as administrator for the domain and then add your other user. Well what you did was logged in as that user and then added him to the domain.

If you would've initially done it with the administrator acccount you would have 2 profiles of "administrator" and "administrator.domainname"

The only solution I can think of is to copy the data out of the profile, then delete the users/profiles off that machine and start out with the administrator accounta and add the user as if he were new and it will create a profile for them without the domain name on the end. Hope this helps?
-sean

 

[SimonDavies]

by rights you shouldn't need to add any accounts locally if you're in a Domain infrastructure tho.

SimonD.

The real world is not about exam scores, it's about ability.

 

[alanterrill]

Internexus -yes I believe you're broadlt right there, as i have two administrator folders on each machine, one with an extension and one without. New machines always go throught the routine of asking for a local administrator password and insisting that you put at least one user on the machine before it continues to a point where the pc can be added to the domain. So yes, once the pc is attached to the domain and I login again with the domain admin name I get two admin accounts. Is it possible to skip this auto setup thing of windows?
As to manually deleting the accounts- yes I've just done it on my pc and I've now got a single account without an extension, but it's lost all the dreamweaver settings even though I copied the whole of the application data and local settings folders. Should the ntuser.dat file be copied or would that upset things?
Simon -yes I do join the pc to the domain even though I forgot to mention it. You might be able to help with a different question that has been brought up -although the users are all created on the server in active directory, and hence gets their rights to server files this way, I still have to make a local account for any user that wants more than very basic rights on their pc -eg if I don't create an account through control panel - user accounts and then make them a power user or administrator, then they can log on etc but they can't load any programs or updates themselves. Is there something else I should be doing at the server to let the pc know they have power user rights locally? (and no I don't use roaming profiles because I've never learnt how to use them, and most of our users only ever access the one pc)

 

[Curler]

I have the a similar question BUT these are laptops that are connected to the domain when in the office but not when used out of the office. Is there a way for My Documents to show exactly the same folder when in the office on the domain and when at home standalone? The issue is the two profiles as discussed above.