Issues-W2K pc on NT domain

[jay015]

With any w2k workstation (clean install with sp3) I connect to a particular NT domain containing a PDC and 2 BDC's. When logged in as administrator, I can copy any shortcut or file in "c:\documents and settings\all users\desktop" but the shortcuts do not appear on the actual desktop whether logged in as administrator or any other user for that matter. Also, whatever programs that are in "c:\documents and settings\all users\start menu\programs" do not appear when I go to "Start - Programs". I do not use login scripts and I am not using roaming profiles. I verified the policies on the domain servers and cannot find anything which might cause this issue. Any help will be greatly appreciated!

[CeeBee]

Do they show in explorer if you browse to those locations so that you can confirm the copy was done? Or if you navigate in a command prompt and do a "dir" ???
A policy that might screw things is folder redirection - maybe the real locations of the desktop is somewhere else - check that too.
In a command prompt type "set" and see where ALLUSERSPROFILE points to.

[Ya_know]

Are you sure that you aren't putting them into "default users" by mistake, instead of "all users"?

[jay015]

If I go through explorer, I do see the shortcuts in c:\documents and settings\all users\desktop. They are not in default user. I did the set command and allusersprofile points to "c:\documents and settings\all users" The mystery continues!

[CeeBee]

Now that's weird.. unless the shortcut is hidden or there is some weird security setting on it. What happenes if you create a text document on the local machine and then move it to all users? Can you see it?

[jay015]

There is no particular security setting. I create a text file, move it to "all users\desktop" and it does not appear on the desktop. Thanks for the replies so far!

[CeeBee]

I would try another thing... make a shortcut on the desktop and then try to find it's location on the drive.
Or, right-click on the Start button> "Explore all users" and see the location in explorer.
And a shot in the dark... do you have roaming profiles by any chance???

[jay015]

I did the right-click on "start-explore all users" and it brings me to my profile (or any other profile that logs in) instead of all users group. Interesting!!!!! So for some reason it is taking the user profile as the location instead of all users, but why??? The profiles should not be roaming but local but I am now having doubts on the profile type. More investigating to be done!!!

[CeeBee]

I would also check the group policies, under User Configuration > Windows Settings > Folder redirection there might be something set...
And maybe some logon scripts set through some group policy...

[gazzak]

Try this,

For one of the users you are having problems with, make their account a member of the local administrators. If suddenly everything is working fine for that user then you know it's a permissions thing.

Remeber to remove them again after the test!

[CrazyArian]

If you log into a workstation with a domain account and you go to Start, Programs and nothing shows up, it is a Domain Policy that needs to be changed. If you log into a workstation with a local account and you go to Start, Programs and nothing shows up, you need to give the local user Administrator rights or change the Local Policy on the workstation. I would suggest in that case to add the local user to the Administrators Group from the workstation.

[jay015]

It's not a permission issue as I log in with admin account and have the same issue. It is not a local policy on workstation as I have tested on different pc's and have installed a clean W2K from scratch with same results. I also am certain that it is one or several domain policies but I went through them multiple times and the ones I thought were causing the issue (default computer - NT shell - custom shared folders) I unchecked them but didn't fix it. By the way Ceebee, on the NT server, I cannot find the folder redirection you mention. I am pretty sure this policy is only available on windows 2000.

[CeeBee]

By the way Ceebee, on the NT server, I cannot find the folder redirection you mention. I am pretty sure this policy is only available on windows 2000.

True, NT4 does not support group policy.. thought you had a 2k DC.

[CrazyArian]

Do you log in as a Domain Admin account or the Local Admin account?

[Ya_know]

There's something really wrong here...this problem just doesn't make any sense...at all???