Start Menu Redirection

[Techie101]

Hi all

 

I have a problem with start menu redirection. I have setup redirection in the past and it has always worked, however this time I have set it up and it only works intermittently. If students log in they get the default all user start menu, if they log out and back in they get the redirected start menu.

 

It’s very hit and miss, sometimes it works if they log in and out just once and sometimes they have to log in and out up to three times before the redirected start menu appears. However, once it does appear if the students log out and then back in again it defaults back to the all users start menu and the redirected start menu has disappeared again.

 

The workstations are Windows XP and the server is 2000.

 

Any help would be appreciated because it’s driving me up the wall.

[Zoom7000]

Are the students running roaming or mandatory profiles? If they are roaming then there could be a conflict between the redirected Start Menu and the one stored in the user profile.

[Techie101]

We don't use policies, everything is done in AD to tie down the XP workstations and to redirect the start menu and the documents folder, its not a very simple setup.

[FN-GM]

We don't use policies, everything is done in AD to tie down the XP workstations and to redirect the start menu and the documents folder, its not a very simple setup.

 

You must use policies if yout use AD to lock things down, you will be using group policy.

 

What type of profiles do you have? Local ones?

[Techie101]

Sorry my mistake, I meant we dont use profiles, we use group policies to lock everything down and they are local ones. Edited March 26, 2009 by Techie101

[FN-GM]

Ah right

 

so you use local profiles, you shouldnt have a problem as this is our setup.

 

Have you set the policy so the user down't see the all users folder? There is a myth that you need to enable this policy but you don't.

 

How many DC's do you have? check the event log and see if replication is going fine.

 

Z

[Techie101]

no, the users can still see the all users start menu, even though its basically empty, we still use the all users start menu to add programs that are unique to that one workstation.

 

we only have one DC, checked file replication service log in event viewer and its empty.

[Techie101]

I have checked all the settings again and i can only think that its a DNS issue, i have redone the DNS settings and will try this. Will let you know how i get on. Thanks all for your help.

[Techie101]

hi all

 

right i have checked the DNS settings and they are all fine, however start menu redirection is still hit and miss, has anyone got any ideas why this is happening.

 

if this doesnt work i'll give up however is there any other way of having a centeralised start menu, it just makes life easier when adding new shortcuts, you only need to do it on one start menu instead of running around and doing it on every computer, thanks.

[swintle]

Yes! you have probbly got a corrupt local user profile, my guess if if you have imaged the machines then you may have it on all the machines you have imaged. Try using the userhive delete tools for xp clients (it a microsoft freebie). Or try copying a user profile from a machine you know works..

[Techie101]

i've deleted local profiles for a test user and tried to login again, however the problem is still there, i have imaged the machines but they were imaged from two seperate images but the problem is there on both sets of computers.

 

im confused

[ZeroHour]

Nothing is in the event log of the client?

Try a gpresult on the client or using group policy tool to ensure its applying without errors.

Do you have loopback policies enabled also?

[Techie101]

thanks for the advice zerohour, checked event viwer on the client and there was an error regarding Fast Logon Optimization, went on to microsoft and found this -

 

Description of the Windows XP Professional Fast Logon Optimization feature

 

this seems to be the cause of the problem, however when i tried to disable logon optimization in AD "Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\ Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon\" there is no option for Always wait for the network at computer startup and logon

 

anyone have any ideas

 

p.s just found this on the web, my AD structure looks like the second one on this web page, so how can i disable something that isnt there?

 

http://forums.speedguide.net/showthread.php?t=195427

Edited March 27, 2009 by Techie101
adding more info

[Techie101]

i think i've solved the issue, ive disabled fast logon via a registry hack, seems to work now, blooming microsoft wish they made software that worked!!!

[Techie101]

Hi all

 

Ok this problem seems to be back. The teachers are reporting that they have to log in twice every morning for the start menu to appear. Now I disabled fast logon with a registry hack on all the computers in school, the ICT suite has no more problems but the class computers seem to still have this problem, I've tried to contact Microsoft about this but they want something like £45 an hour to even talk to me!!

 

Like I have said before I am pretty sure that the problem is due to fast logon and microsoft dont really seem to have a solution so can anyone help. Thanks

[Techie101]

no one got any ideas at all??

[ZeroHour]

What did gpresult say?

I suspect there is something wrong with the GP's but not sure.

[Michael]

This is how I redirect the Desktop and Start Menu.

 

In addition update your Folder Redirection Start Menu/Desktop paths as follows:

 

\\SERVERNAME\ICONS\Pupils\Start Menu

\\SERVERNAME\ICONS\Pupils\Desktop

 

\\SERVERNAME\ICONS\Staff\Start Menu

\\SERVERNAME\ICONS\Staff\Desktop

 

Within the Start Menu folder, create a folder called Programs and optionally, create a Startup folder within the Programs folder. It's recommended you made the Startup folder hidden by right clicking and choosing 'Properties'.

 

This may/may not solve your problems, but I assure you this method works and works reliably.

[TimH]

no one got any ideas at all??

 

I decided that redirecting the start menu can cause too much slow down (I counted the other day and we have over 400 shortcuts on the start menu) so our machines do a robocopy of a centrally managed start menu at start up. We have XP with classic start menu and shortcuts are organized by subject directly in the start menu folder - so they appear on the top of the start menu when opened (we used to have them in Programs-Subjects-Science-Biology etc. but that got unwieldy to navigate).

 

We have a single (for staff and students) mandatory profile and any staff specific shortcuts go in there with permissions set so that students don't get them.

 

tim

[Techie101]

thanks for the advice.

 

After searching the net i found this, so im gonna try this tomorrow when im at the school and i'll let you know if its worked.

 

FOUND THIS ON THE WEB -

 

Based on my experience, this problem may occur when Windows Explorer starts

before the logon script completes because of Fast Logon feature of Windows.

In such an environment, the system may have not received group policies yet

when users logon to the computer. By default, Windows XP does not wait for

the network to be fully initialized during startup and the logon process.

Existing users are logged on by using cached credentials. This results in

shorter times for the logon process. Group Policy is applied in the

background after the network becomes available.

 

Let us configure the [Computer Configuration\Administrative

Templates\System\Logon\Always wait for the network at computer startup and

logon] group policy to disable fast logon feature to test:

 

1. Click Start, and click Run.

2. Type "gpedit.msc" in the text box, and click OK.

3. Locate the [Computer Configuration\Administrative

Templates\System\Logon\Always wait for the network at computer startup and

logon], and select "Enabled", and click OK.

4. Reboot the computer to test this issue again.