Auto Defrag & Reducing User Profiles

[shane-meh]

Hi All

 

I have been asked to look into the following....

 

 

• Ways to carry out disk error checking and defragging with minimal impact on users (e.g. at shutdown). We need to have an easy to manage and configure solution

 

• User Profiles – investigate ways of reducing the size of user profiles including possible ways to compact a user’s registry

 

I have tried a quick google but nothing amazing as yet.

 

Does anyone have any ideas???

 

We have about 7000 users and Clients are Windows XP on a Windows 2000/03 network.

[plexer]

How can you defrag at shutdown?

 

No point in defragging a client machine anyway.

 

Ben

[shane-meh]

How can you defrag at shutdown?

 

No point in defragging a client machine anyway.

 

Ben

 

 

As in before the computer shuts down it will run a defrag but hidden.

 

We would like to keep our client PC's clean and trust me, We need to do this.

 

Thanks

[mattx]

Hi All

 

I have been asked to look into the following....

 

 

• Ways to carry out disk error checking and defragging with minimal impact on users (e.g. at shutdown). We need to have an easy to manage and configure solution

 

• User Profiles – investigate ways of reducing the size of user profiles including possible ways to compact a user’s registry

 

I have tried a quick google but nothing amazing as yet.

 

Does anyone have any ideas???

 

We have about 7000 users and Clients are Windows XP on a Windows 2000/03 network.

 

In regards to the error checking and defragging with minimal impact then O&O offer a solution in regards to defragging with the option of capping the CPU at a level you set. Expensive yes, but it can be done - I have setup the O&O Defrag Pro on our network and it works well.

In regards to reducing profile sizes, you don't state what type you are currently using, I have set ours to local with folder re-direction - reduces the profile size quite a bit and puts quite a bit of the profile on the PC they logon to which of course speeds up logon times etc. This is one of the reasons I went with the O&O defrag route as the HDs were massively fraggmented because of the local profile settings. A 'steath' defrag set on these PCs twice a week again really help.

There are other managed defrag tools out there, so investigate. If you don't want to spend money then you could get the PCs to defrag with a simple batch file either timed [ scripted ] or set in a logoff script......

[shane-meh]

Thanks for the info,

 

Our profiles are roaming profiles which cannot really be changed as we are a very big establishment and lecturers and staff would not agree to this. I do completely understand that Local profiles are the much better option but it's not down to me to implement changes

[srochford]

Thanks for the info,

 

Our profiles are roaming profiles which cannot really be changed as we are a very big establishment and lecturers and staff would not agree to this. I do completely understand that Local profiles are the much better option but it's not down to me to implement changes

 

Local profiles are only the better option for users who don't roam - ie have their own PC (some staff?) but can be a pain if you want to have settings which move with the users.

 

They can be changed with basically only beneficial impact on users - look up "folder redirection" and make sure that "my documents", "application data" and "desktop" are redirected. if you do this, profile size will drop dramatically because only a few folders now roam.

 

If you do go for folder redirection, you might look at setting up mandatory profiles to go with this. this allows some settings to roam with the user (basically anything in app data, any files on the desktop etc) but not stuff stored in the registry (so desktop colour settings etc won't roam)

 

Whatever you do, however, don't turn on folder redirection for all users on the same day - every set of folders will have to be copied from the C: drive to the server folder and this could have a severe impact!

[mattx]

Local profiles are only the better option for users who don't roam - ie have their own PC (some staff?) but can be a pain if you want to have settings which move with the users.

 

Never had a problem with local profiles, & I have them set on our network for both students and staff. I think as long as you get it right with folder re-direction you should be ok.

[shane-meh]

I think we will keep with the current set up we have at the moment as just saves work load. Are there any other ways to reduce the profile size/compact registry?

[AyatollahPies]

Give JKdefrag a try. You can set it up to run as the screensaver if you want, thus running when the workstation is on, but not in use. (Best of all it's free)

 

On some older workstations, you'd be surprised at how a good disc cleanup and defrag can make a difference.

[ZeroHour]

I spotted this thread when searching and thought I would pass on one tip. Clear cookies older then 2 weeks from profiles (aka not updated cookies) as many small files can drastically increase log on times.

I made a script here:

http://www.edugeek.net/forums/scripts/26049-clear-old-cookies-log-off-log.html

[grahamd22]

Get the PC to load up at night via the bios and then use a batch file with:

 

echo off

C:\WINDOWS\system32\defrag.exe C:

 

C:\WINDOWS\system32\shutdown.exe -s -f -t 05 -m \\%COMPUTERNAME%

 

And then link it to a scheduled task.

 

To remove the profiles you need Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools

 

And install this on the server running delprof.exe, another glorified batch file from microsoft with a line like this:

 

ECHO A |"c:\Program Files\windows resource kits\tools\delprof" /p /c:\\computername

 

Hope it helps !