Comments on: Windows Vista and Windows XP roaming user profiles interoperability: folder redirection is the only way

By: Joseph Cook

Joseph Cook — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:11:59 +0000

Interesting. Would you know of a way to redirect the bulk of Application Data and Local Settings to a location on the hard drive?

In our school district running 2003 Server & WinXP SP3, we utilize a mandatory roaming profile. However, some apps choose to install ton of files into these 2 folders in the user profile. The resulting profile size is around 100MB.

We need a way to redirect these common files to the local drive, but keep the roaming .man profile in a central location. Sounds easy except that the install for the apps have no options to change the target location of installation. The only way to “fool” is to edit hundreds of file locations to All Users, then copy those folders over to the All Users profile on the local drive.

If the login session could hit a policy, or .arg file or similar, we could keep our roaming profile from bloating.

Thanks for your comments.

Joseph Cook, Technology
Lee’s Summit School R7 District

By: Larry R.

Larry R. — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:35:17 +0000

What about when a user FIRST logs into a Vista/Server08 machine without any roaming profile (fresh login), then they later login to an XP/Server03 system. What’s happening with me is that the redirected folders get wiped out when the users logs off of the XP/Server03 system since the “Profile” folder doesn’t have the correct ntuser.dat or system files. Am I missing a policy or setting somewhere?

By: Killer B

Killer B — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:08:01 +0000

Rodrigo:

I’ve worked with a mixed 2K/XP enviroment before–for the most part, the roaming profiles work fine.

In a mixed XP/Vista environment (which I’ve had the pleasure of dealing with last Wednesday), a second profile is created with .V2 at the end just like Michael’s article says.

Are you not seeing .V2 profiles on your Win2K box?

By: Rodrigo

Rodrigo — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 04:33:54 +0000

Ok, I have a different scenario… I work in a company with a win2k server still operational and several winxp computers… all of them working with roaming profiles…

Recently we acquired a few laptops with vista… and the problems began due to the roaming profile incompatibilities…

It seems to me the problem solution’s posted on this article are based on a the use of a windows 2003 server.

is there a win2k option?

By: Derek

Derek — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 20:47:20 +0000

For those that want Roaming Profiles to work on Vista only and DO NOT NEED interoperability between Vista and WinXP, please check out this link. I’m the IT/IS Manager at a school and all my staff are using Vista Business Edition. I found here that all you have to do is add “.v2″ to the end of the Share Name (on the Win2003 Server) to make Vista’s Roaming Profile work with that folder. Uver easy (now that I know, lol)!!!
Here’s the link (I commented there too): http://www.amsterdam-ict.eu/?p=14

By: Jack Doyle

Jack Doyle — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 22:05:01 +0000

Frank,

You are correct. Desktop Authority is the product that you are referring to and one of the pain points that the product is designed to address is the desire to eliminate the need for roaming profiles. Using a combination of features, including Folder Redirection, Desktop Authority is able to achieve this task.

However, the wording “cope with profile corruption” is inaccurate. Having to cope with something would imply that you are still living with it, but are able to get by a little easier. Desktop Authority will allow you to eliminate the need to use the Roaming Profiles at all.

You can take a look at Desktop Authority at http://www.scriptlogic.com/da

Hope this helps. Thanks for the kind words.

Jack Doyle, Systems Engineer
ScriptLogic Corporation

By: Frank Ritz

Frank Ritz — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 11:12:25 +0000

Thank you for the info. Interesting and helpful. Especially that section about Supermandatory profiles. There are also some rumors on troubles with loading profiles on MS TechNet forums here and there. There's also a nice article on TechNet discussing migration process: Migrating to Windows Vista Through the User State Migration Tool. By the way, I've heard, there are utilities that can change the profiles right on the client without roaming them with some propriatory tricks. Rumors say Scriptlogic's Desktop Authority (www.scriptlogic.com) can do that and help to cope with profile corruption.