Domain Roaming User Profiles ARE NOT written back to server during log-off

[pbolduc]

Domain Environment: Microsoft Server 2003/Server 2003 R2 SP2
Affected Operating Systems: Windows XP SP1/SP2/SP3

Solution:

I have found that the NVIDIA drivers can break roaming profiles functionality. Un-install the video drivers through add/remove programs. Reboot the workstation and see if the profile is written back to the server at logoff.

Re-install NVIDIA drivers & before re-starting the computer:

Go to

1) Start Menu>Run> type “services.msc”
Scroll down the list of services to: "NVIDIA Display Driver Service" Stop this service from running and also Disable the service from starting again.

2) Go to Start Menu>Run> type “msconfig” uncheck nwiz.exe, Nvcpl & RunDll32.exe NvMCTray.dll,NvTaskbarInit under startup tab. Then press apply & okay buttons. Do not restart the computer when prompted.

3) Go to Command Prompt:

Start Menu>Run> type “cmd” press okay
Browse to C:\windows\system32 folder
Cd\ <press enter>
Cd windows\system32 <press enter>
Manually rename the following files after installation and before rebooting:
ren nvcpl.dll nvcpl.dlx <press enter>
ren nvcplui.exe nvcplui.exx <press enter>

4) Reboot Computer & Confirm Profile writes back to server at logoff.

This took 2 days of trouble shooting through the process or elimination for me to narrow it down to the display drivers. This is specific to the Nvidia dsiplay drivers. Hope this articles finds others who find it useful.

[NooNoo]

Thanks for the tip pbolduc, I am sure someone will be tearing their hair out till they find this

[slgrieb]

Interesting, but is this behavior specific to a single version of the drivers, or a generic issue?

[Gabriel]

10x for the heads up pbolducv -
On a side note those Pesky Nvidia drivers are responsible for many bugs in the XP OS (Vista in particular - read http://www.engadget.com/2008/03/27/n...crashes-in-20/ - old but I would prefer to avoid NVIDIA drivers altogether)
I have been using ATI GPU for quite sometime - never did trouble (though they are a little less performance - but I always prefer less headache than eye-candy)

Cheers,
Gabriel