Re: User-Specific Settings

Vera,
- Thanks; you've been very helpfull and generous with your time.
- I have lots of homework now, so I'll see what I can find.

"Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:

> OK, let me try to answer what I can, hopefully others will jump in if
> they have more information:
>
> * about ACT2005: I've no experience with it myself, but there's a
> clear statement from the vendor that running ACT! on a Terminal
> Server is *not* supported. That could explain why the preferences are
> not loaded when the user starts ACT
> http://itdomino.act.com/act.nsf/docid/20031010112629
>
> * about the Administrator / Power Users issue: there are usually 2
> types of eleveated permissions that users might need to be able to
> run certain software: file system permissions and registry
> permissions.
>
> In stead of making users Power User, you could download FileMon and
> RegMon from http://www.sysinternals.com/. Run them as administrator
> (when no user is connected) on the server, start a TS session as a
> normal user and run ACT.
> FileMon and RegMon will show you all "access denied" errors that
> occur, so that you can give your users the necessary permissions on a
> file-to file or Registry subkey basis.
> FileMon will also show you if ACT is loading the xml file with the
> user preferences, or if it maybe is looking for this file in a
> different location. I can imagine that ACT is using the preference
> file from the user that initially installed the application, that's
> typically something that a non-TS compatible application can do.
> If so, it would explain why changes in settings are not preserved.
>
> * about the view settings in explorer and Control Panel (that's
> really one and the same problem, I believe): I've seen some reports
> of this before, and I've actually experienced the problem myself on
> my XP client. Check if this helps:
> 813711 - Your view settings or customizations for a folder are lost
> or incorrect
> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=813711
> Try this for one user who has the problem. If it solves the issue,
> then you can export the registy keys to a reg file and import them
> for all users in a logon script (depending on how many users you
> have).
>
> If the above doesn't help, you could work around the problem by
> creating different shortcuts for Explorer, starting with different
> command line switches, as descibed here:
> 152457 - Windows Explorer Command-Line Options
> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=152457
>
> _________________________________________________________
> Vera Noest
> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> http://hem.fyristorg.com/vera/IT
> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
>
> "=?Utf-8?B?RGF2ZQ==?=" <Dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote on
> 12 jun 2005 in microsoft.public.win2000.termserv.apps:
>
> > Vera,
> > - The windows desktop appears to be preserved for each user
> > between sessions, but here are some settings that aren't saved:
> > 1. Windows Explorer - views are not saved (list vs details),
> > although
> > 'remember each folder's view settings' is checked.
> > 2. Act2005 - the columns displayed on different views, the
> > width and order
> > of columns, and email signatures are not saved. Note: according
> > to the manufacturer these preferences are saved in a couple of
> > .xml files in each user's section under Documents & Settings.
> > Although I see that these files are updated when each user makes
> > changes to his settings, it appears that the files are not used
> > to reload the preferences when the user starts Act.
> > 3. Control Panel - views are not saved (list vs tiles)
> > 4. Final biggie that may not be related: Word 2003. Whenever a
> > user first
> > uses Word, and sometimes on subsequent uses, after logging in,
> > the autorecover feature displays two files for recovery. These
> > files both have the same name, but an attempt to recover either
> > results in 'file cannot be found'. I deleted the original file
> > and followed (several times) a procedure I found in one of these
> > discussion groups to remove all remnants of the file, but these
> > ghosts are still there.
> >
> > - Email: we use MS Outlook 2003 connecting to a POP3 server (not
> > ours). Outlook and all of our applications run on our server
> > and are accessed thru terminal services.
> >
> > - User types: Our users are now Admins or Power Users because of
> > some problems with Act2005. We initially tried to run Act2005
> > with our server configured as a domain controller. There are
> > certain folders that require all users to have Full Control;
> > when we were having problems my IT shop said that just granting
> > Full Control in permissions didn't necessarily give rights the
> > same as assigning another user type. Since we didn't want to
> > make everyone an Admin, we changed the server config to a
> > Workgroup, so that the Power User type was available. This has
> > not solved our Act problems, and I will have to see what happens
> > if different users change settings.
> >
> > Thanks again.
> >
> > "Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:
> >
> >> OK, thanks for the info, that makes it a bit easier to know
> >> what can be done.
> >>
> >> Since all users are using local profiles, I would suggest not
> >> to change that, at least not now. It can't be the reason that
> >> settings are not preserved, and I am a strong believer in the
> >> rule not to introduce change B when you have problem A.
> >>
> >> Let's try to focus on some changed settings that aren't
> >> preserved from one session to the next. Could you give an
> >> example, with some more detail as in your first post?
> >> The screen settings you wrote about, is that inside an
> >> application, or the screen settings of the TS session?
> >> Unfortunately, I know next to nothing about Exchange (if that's
> >> what you use for email). But there are others here who do, so
> >> you could elaborate about the signatures as well (is the server
> >> acting as the mail server, with the mail client running on the
> >> workstations, or are you running the mail client on the
> >> Terminal Server, contacting an external email server?)
> >>
> >> I'm worried about all of the users being Administrators or
> >> Power Users. Even if we forget the security implications for
> >> now, it could well mean that their changes are having a global
> >> effect on the server, not just inside their own session. Could
> >> that explain what you see, user A changes a setting, and next
> >> time user B logs on, he gets the new setting as well?
> >>
> >> _________________________________________________________
> >> Vera Noest
> >> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> >> http://hem.fyristorg.com/vera/IT
> >> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
> >>
> >> "=?Utf-8?B?RGF2ZQ==?=" <Dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote
> >> on 10 jun 2005 in microsoft.public.win2000.termserv.apps:
> >>
> >> > Vera - Thanks again for being so generous with your time.
> >> > FYI, most of my experience is with NT, so I'm not
> >> > exceptionally conversant about active directory.
> >> > - Before I answer your questions I feel that I need to
> >> > explain my configuration:
> >> > - My server is in a datacenter that I can't enter. Unless I
> >> > ask the
> >> > support staff to do something (and even then maybe not), no
> >> > one is logging in to the server locally. There are
> >> > definitely no workstations attached locally to this box.
> >> > - All of our users, including me, use Windows Remote Desktop
> >> > Connection to
> >> > access this server. I understand that there is also a Remote
> >> > Desktop for Administration; I've not used that.
> >> > - My server has Win2003 Std Server as the O/S, and also has
> >> > MS SQL2000
> >> > Server and .Net 1.1 installed. The server roles configured
> >> > are File, Application, Mail, Terminal, and DNS. This box is
> >> > the standalone server in a workgroup. We initially tried to
> >> > configure as a Domain Controller, but killed that while
> >> > trying to get one application (Act 2005 Premium) to work.
> >> >
> >> > - Re: your question - all of the entries are blank on the
> >> > Profile tab for all of our users. 'Local Path' is selected
> >> > under Home Folder, but no path is specified.
> >> >
> >> > - Thanks again!
> >> >
> >> > "Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> OK, let me verify one more thing:
> >> >>
> >> >> you describe how you checked the local user accounts on the
> >> >> server. Can I conclude that you have a single server, which
> >> >> is both the Terminal Server and stores the user accounts?
> >> >> And you do not run Active Directory? Maybe this server is a
> >> >> standalone server in a workgroup?
> >> >>
> >> >> Anyway, profiles can be rather complex, but let me try to
> >> >> explain some basics:
> >> >> * all users always have a profile. It stores their personal
> >> >> settings (desktop colour, network connections, application
> >> >> settings and so on).
> >> >> * if you do *not* define a specific profile path (all
> >> >> entries are blank), then you are implicitly using "local
> >> >> profiles". That means that the profile is created on the
> >> >> computer where you logon (either the workstation or the
> >> >> Terminal Server), and when you log off, it is saved there
> >> >> (in the standard folder \Documents and Settings
> >> >> \<your_username>) * local profiles are usually OK on
> >> >> workstations, but the disadvantage is that your settings
> >> >> will not follow you when you log on to another workstation.
> >> >> You will create a whole new profile there, which will be
> >> >> unrelated to the first one. Now that *can* also be an
> >> >> advantage, if you have very different applications installed
> >> >> on the second workstation, but normally, you want your
> >> >> settings to follow you from one place to another. It's also
> >> >> more difficult to make backups of locally stored profiles. *
> >> >> this is where "roaming profiles" come in: by defining a
> >> >> location on a shared network drive as the profile path, your
> >> >> settings are saved there everytime you log of, and copied
> >> >> from there everytime you log on, which makes that you
> >> >> have the same settings, irrespective of the workstation you
> >> >> log on to. This applies also to Terminal Server profiles: if
> >> >> you have more than one Terminal Server, defining a roaming
> >> >> TS profile means that you can load- balance the servers, and
> >> >> users will always have their personal settings follow them.
> >> >>
> >> >> When you run a Terminal Server, it is important that all
> >> >> users have a different profile on the server than on their
> >> >> workstation, because the settings are not always compatible,
> >> >> and you can loose settings as well.
> >> >> This can either be local profiles on both the workstation
> >> >> and the TS, or roaming profiles to 2 different network
> >> >> shares, or a combination of a local profile on the
> >> >> workstation and a roaming profile on the server.
> >> >> But not: the same roaming profile on both, and not: a
> >> >> roaming profile as the normal profile, and nothing defined
> >> >> as the TS profile, because then the normal roaming profile
> >> >> is also used as the TS profile.
> >> >> To understand what this can cause, imagine the following:
> >> >> you log on to your workstation and load your desktop roaming
> >> >> profile. From there, you log on to the terminal server. If
> >> >> you use the same profile, you load again the same settings.
> >> >> Now you make a change to a setting. You log off from the
> >> >> Terminal Server, and the roaming profile is saved back to
> >> >> its central location on the network share, including the new
> >> >> setting. You are now back at you workstation, but there you
> >> >> have the profile *without* the new setting. If you now log
> >> >> off from the workstation, your current profile is saved
> >> >> again to the network location, thereby overwriting the
> >> >> version with the new setting.
> >> >>
> >> >> So I've one more question about your profiles:
> >> >> what is the setting for the normal user profile (not on the
> >> >> TS Profile tab, but on the Profile tab)? Is it also blank?
> >> >>
> >> >> If the normal profile entry is also blank, then you are
> >> >> using local profiles, both on the workstations and the
> >> >> Terminal Server, and it should not give you any problems
> >> >> with overwritten profiles.
> >> >>
> >> >> But if there *is* an entry for the normal profile, and the
> >> >> TS profile path is blank, then by default the normal roaming
> >> >> profile is also used as the TS profile. That's not good, as
> >> >> described above.
> >> >>
> >> >> Can you check this before we go into the details of how to
> >> >> create roaming profiles? It you are running with local
> >> >> profiles in all situations, then there's no real need to
> >> >> change it, because it is not what is causing your current
> >> >> problems.
> >> >>
> >> >> _________________________________________________________
> >> >> Vera Noest
> >> >> MCSE, CCEA, Microsoft MVP - Terminal Server
> >> >> http://hem.fyristorg.com/vera/IT
> >> >> ___ please respond in newsgroup, NOT by private email ___
> >> >>
> >> >> "=?Utf-8?B?RGF2ZQ==?=" <Dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
> >> >> wrote on 10 jun 2005 in
> >> >> microsoft.public.win2000.termserv.apps:
> >> >>
> >> >> > Vera - thanks for being direct, and I aplogize for my lack
> >> >> > of knowledge on this issue. I've had a hard time finding
> >> >> > a reliable IT shop...that's why I'm in this mess. I also
> >> >> > appreciate you staying with me while I'm crawling my way
> >> >> > along. - That said, I believe that we don't have TS user
> >> >> > profiles configured. I looked at each of our users
> >> >> > (Computer Management\Local Users and Groups\Users and
> >> >> > displayed properties for each user). On the Terminal
> >> >> > Services Profile tab, each user has
> >> >> > 1. A blank entry under Profile Path
> >> >> > 2. Under Terminal Service Home Folder, Local Path is
> >> >> > selected but the
> >> >> > adjacent field is blank
> >> >> > 3. Allow logon to Terminal Server is checked.
> >> >> > - On the Member Of tab, every user is a member of the
> >> >> > following groups: Users, Remote Desktop Users, then either
> >> >> > Administrators or Power Users. (and I have some other
> >> >> > groups assigned to control access to shared folders)
> >> >> >
> >> >> > - I looked at policies (through Local Security Policy) and
> >> >> > found some settings that allowed certain groups to logon
> >> >> > to terminal services, but didn't find anything that
> >> >> > assigned profiles.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > - So, am I correct in assuming that I should define a path
> >> >> > to a profile on the Terminal Services Profile tab? Can
> >> >> > you tell me if there is a specific folder that these
> >> >> > profiles are normally stored in?
> >> >> >
> >> >> > Thanks.
> >> >> >
> >> >> > "Vera Noest [MVP]" wrote:
> >> >> >
> >> >> >> Dave, I don't want to sound rude, but if you don't know
> >> >> >> where to find which type of profile your users have, you
> >> >> >> should not have an Administrative account, especially not
> >> >> >> on a Terminal Server. There's too much that you could do
> >> >> >> wrong, without knowing it. That's *not* a funny thing to
> >> >> >> find out, afterwards, so it's in your own interest not to
> >> >> >> have more permissions than you have knowledge.
> >> >> >>
.

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