User profiles problem (.doman.001 etc)

[z_matt]

Hi All,

We predominantly use Windows XP on our network. However we have started to issue Windows 7 laptops to some staff and have come across an issue with user profiles.

Users report a problem that they lose their settings (Desktop background etc) and upon investigation I find under Docs and Settings/Users that new profiles have been created, e.g. user.domain.001, user.domain.002.

I found this thread: Odd problem with local profiles which pretty much shows the same issue.

After researching I have come across the general response that the users profile has not logged off properly.

Wondered if anyone else had come across this issue and knew of a fix?

All help will be greatly appreciated, as we are not keen to start rolling out Windows 7 further in the near future if the issue is going to continue. So far it has happened with multiple users.

Matt Hayward
Warblington School

[Mcshammer_dj]

have you got the user hive profile cleanup tool running

[SYNACK]

delprof2 running as a machine startup script should fix this nicely, just don't use it on laptops with roaming cached profiles .

[z_matt]

have you got the user hive profile cleanup tool running

We do not currently use this tool, just done a quick search on it and from first viewing it looks like it may do the job. Do you have any more info on it yourself from a personal point of view? Have you encountered this error before yourself?

delprof2 running as a machine startup script should fix this nicely, just don't use it on laptops with roaming cached profiles .

Unfortunately all staff laptops use roaming profiles. They also use a local profile for each laptop (for home use) which cannot be deleted.

[Mcshammer_dj]

simply downloaded from the MS website we use it on all our domains and yes it can stop the problem with profiles you are having.

Apply to the machine GPO

[SYNACK]

We use delprof2 on all the local stations, doesn't UPH Clean only run on XP.

You can set delprof2 to ignore certain accounts and ignore local ones but you would need to do any fixing on the laptops manually.

[Mcshammer_dj]

We use delprof2 on all the local stations, doesn't UPH Clean only run on XP.

You can set delprof2 to ignore certain accounts and ignore local ones but you would need to do any fixing on the laptops manually.

yeah good point, UPH is built into the windows 7 OS but can be editied from a WIndows 7 GPO.

[SYNACK]

but can be editied from a WIndows 7 GPO.

What can you edit?

[Mcshammer_dj]

Age of the profiles you wanrt to clean

Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - System - User Profiles, on the right pane, "Delete user profiles than a specified number of days on system restart"

[SYNACK]

Age of the profiles you wanrt to clean

Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - System - User Profiles, on the right pane, "Delete user profiles than a specified number of days on system restart"

Hadn't realised that was new and related to that tool

[z_matt]

From initial reading then, these 2 solutions delete old unused profiles?

The problem we have is the staff member logs in first time, under 'user.domain' and registers their settings.

Then for example they log in 2 days later and Windows 7 creates a new profile 'user.domain.001' and they lose all their customised settings and are back to default.

This isnt so bad on roaming profiles as each staff members desktop is redirected on the network and they each have a personal network drive.

This becomes a big issue when the staff member takes their laptop home and logs into the local account and saves files to that account. As soon as Windows 7 creates 'localuser.001' the staff member then loses all of their saved work.

So surely deleting old profiles will not solve the issue? Or have I read things totally wrong? (Most likely)

Thanks for all of your comments so far, Matt

[SYNACK]

All of these answers are aimed at the use of roaming profiles. If the roaming profile is not fully downloaded or there is a problem the user will get a temp profile and the .domain.00x issue. Delprof2 kills the local copies so that the remote copy is downloaded each time meaning that this does not happen. UPH attempts to prevent it happening by holding the session open to allow the registry to finish writing but that is not the only cause and so is of limited use.

I have no idea why it would be happening with local user profiles though, we don't use them here and just use domain ones with profile caching and offline files handling the redirected documents folders. Saves lots of problems as it is all just one logon. If your domain username and local username are the same this could also be complicating things.

[z_matt]

All of these answers are aimed at the use of roaming profiles. If the roaming profile is not fully downloaded or there is a problem the user will get a temp profile and the .domain.00x issue. Delprof2 kills the local copies so that the remote copy is downloaded each time meaning that this does not happen. UPH attempts to prevent it happening by holding the session open to allow the registry to finish writing but that is not the only cause and so is of limited use.

I have no idea why it would be happening with local user profiles though, we don't use them here and just use domain ones with profile caching and offline files handling the redirected documents folders. Saves lots of problems as it is all just one logon. If your domain username and local username are the same this could also be complicating things.

Ok thank you for explaining in more detail what each method does. I am relatively new to the IT scene (Since Oct 2010) so I really appreciate your help and take in every bit of info that I can.

I will give UPH a shot first I think, and go from there. I also do not understand the local profiles doing the same, also a couple of other W7 laptops do not have the issue at all, and they are exactly the same spec and have the exact same image loaded.

I agree regarding profile caching and offline files, I have recently become aware that this was possible and hopefully we can put it into place in the near future (the local user accounts were just the norm from since I started and beyond).

[z_matt]

Tried these solutions and neither has worked, a user has reported once again that they are losing settings because .001, .002 profiles are being created.

This is really bugging me, I could understand if it was just domain profiles doing it, but the fact the local profile 'user1' does it too is very strange.

Anyone else got anymore ideas?