Windows 8.1, Microsoft 2003 server, and folder redirection

mrpush

New Member
Messages
8
Hi,

Sys: Windows 8.1 Pro clients attached to MS 2003 server domain. (yes I know its best to have a higher win server version with 8.1, but i do not have that currently)

Ok, so the problem is that roaming profiles and folder redirection work but on only SOME of the windows 8.1 clients!!!!

How can these both work fine on only SOME of my essentially identical workstations?

I realize that I need different Profile types for the different OS's. I have applied the V4 registry edit and created a V4 default profile in my sysvol directory on the DC so that the workstations get a proper V4 starting profile.

All PC's are in same OU container.

My GPO's for roaming profiles and folder redirection have not changed from my XP workstations, Windows server 2003 domain controller.

So I create a new user, and log into one of the win8.1 client machines on my local lan. Wow, profile works, V4 created in the profile share, redirection works perfectly. So I log out. I then remote to an identical PC across my wan. Log in as same user and it works fine, get the redirected desktop, and profile. But now the fun begins. I log out to complete the profile "swap" back to the server. I try to log back in and the disaster starts. (Yes, I have triple checked my permissions on all shares etc.)

I get the "DESKTOP cannot be loaded error". Logs show REDIRECTION SUCCESSFUL for my desktop!!! What the?

I have received the "redirection gpo not applied till next login" log, but it is intermittent. Its like the OS does does not know it nose from its butt! How can my desktop be redirected successfully and I get a message that my DESKTOP IS NOT AVAILABLE?

So I go back to my local lan machine and try logging in as this same user, IT WORKS FINE OVER AND OVER AGAIN!

Does anyone have any clue how I can get my roaming profiles and folder redirection to work normally with my Win8.1 clients on my MS 2003 domain server?

I think I've blow a gasket on this one.

Thanks much,

Mark
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Wind 8.1
I find hot fixes that seem to relate to this problem.

Incompatibility between Windows 8 roaming user profiles and roaming profiles in other versions of Windows

Windows 8.1 V3 Roaming Profiles

Windows 8 and 8.1 now has another version of roaming profiles which are incompatible with the Windows Vista/7 versions (Incompatibility between Windows 8 roaming user profiles and roaming profiles in other versions of Windows). As of the November 2013 Windows 8.1 update there is now a registry key you can set to spawn a .v3 profile to avoid conflicts with older versions of the profile. This registry key is a DWORD Value called “UseProfilePathExtensionVersion” with a value of “1″ and needs to be created under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlset\Services\ProfSvc\Parameters key. This can be then be deployed using the Group Policy Preferences Registry Extension that is targeted to the Windows 8.1 Computers.

Source: How to configure Roaming Profiles and Folder Redirection
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro WMC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built
    CPU
    Q9650 @ 4.05 GHz
    Motherboard
    Gforce 780i SLI FTW
    Memory
    8GB Gskill DDR2 1200Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    GTX-480
    Sound Card
    Asus D2 Xonar
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HannsG
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    Gskill 120GB SSD
    PSU
    Thermal Take 1000watts
    Case
    Thermal Take Xtreme
    Cooling
    9 fans air cooled
    Keyboard
    G15 logitech
    Mouse
    G9 logitech
    Internet Speed
    50mbps
interesting...

Hi chev,

Thanks for the reply.

I have already done that and I get V4 profile extensions ans as i read in a MS article Win 8.1 should have a V4, not a V3 for Win 7.

As stated, I can log in fine and it all works on some PC's, others not. They are identical builds.

thanks,

Mark
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Wind 8.1
Solution found...

Hi,

I found a solution.

My problem was I could log into several local windows 8.1 workstations as user A fine, but when i tried to log in to identical workstations over my wan, i would get errors, this being the most common: "Desktop is unavailable. If the location is on this PC, make sure the device or drive is connected..."

View attachment 42912

The GPO's all said they applied and the event logs said "folder redirection successful" for desktop etc.

The solution is a registry edit found here, the problem is with offline file cache:

Windows 8 Folder Redirection/offline files not working


The instructions for re-initialising the offline file cache on Windows 8 are pretty much the same as they were for Vista / Windows 7:

  1. Right-click in the bottom-left corner, select Run and enter regedit in thebox, and then press ENTER.
  2. Locate the following registry subkey, and then right-click it: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSC
  3. Point to New, and then click Key.
  4. Type Parameters in the box.
  5. Right-click Parameters, point to New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  6. Type FormatDatabase, and then press ENTER.
  7. Right-click FormatDatabase, and then click Modify.
  8. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
  9. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.
Best regards,
Simon.


This did the trick for me, well, after I did a million other things. I hope there is no "combination" that finally fixed it. I will test on another machine and if so will report back.


Thanks,

Mark
 

Attachments

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Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Wind 8.1
Hi,

I found a solution.

My problem was I could log into several local windows 8.1 workstations as user A fine, but when i tried to log in to identical workstations over my wan, i would get errors, this being the most common: "Desktop is unavailable. If the location is on this PC, make sure the device or drive is connected..."

View attachment 42912

The GPO's all said they applied and the event logs said "folder redirection successful" for desktop etc.

The solution is a registry edit found here, the problem is with offline file cache:

Windows 8 Folder Redirection/offline files not working


The instructions for re-initialising the offline file cache on Windows 8 are pretty much the same as they were for Vista / Windows 7:

  1. Right-click in the bottom-left corner, select Run and enter regedit in thebox, and then press ENTER.
  2. Locate the following registry subkey, and then right-click it: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSC
  3. Point to New, and then click Key.
  4. Type Parameters in the box.
  5. Right-click Parameters, point to New, and then click DWORD (32-bit) Value.
  6. Type FormatDatabase, and then press ENTER.
  7. Right-click FormatDatabase, and then click Modify.
  8. In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.
  9. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.
Best regards,
Simon.


This did the trick for me, well, after I did a million other things. I hope there is no "combination" that finally fixed it. I will test on another machine and if so will report back.


Thanks,

Mark

Good find. Thanks for reporting back in.

It looks like there is an issue that requires you to Re-initialize the offline file cache. Seems to happen on mostly HP's or Dell's.

One guy said > Rebooting after doing the registry change did not work for me. I had to go into sync center -> manage offline files, and disable offline files, reboot, then re-enable & reboot.

I wonder how long it will take them to add the fix to Windows updates...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro WMC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built
    CPU
    Q9650 @ 4.05 GHz
    Motherboard
    Gforce 780i SLI FTW
    Memory
    8GB Gskill DDR2 1200Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    GTX-480
    Sound Card
    Asus D2 Xonar
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HannsG
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    Gskill 120GB SSD
    PSU
    Thermal Take 1000watts
    Case
    Thermal Take Xtreme
    Cooling
    9 fans air cooled
    Keyboard
    G15 logitech
    Mouse
    G9 logitech
    Internet Speed
    50mbps
Update:

Hi,

Well, the problem persist. The fix above works, but ONLY one time and only if I remove those users from the Domain group policy. If they are part of the group policy, they can log in ok after the reset, but then in a day or so, they are right back to square one.

Something in my GPO is causing a problem. But only for machine over the WAN! Identical Machines local to me DO NOT have the same issues! So maybe something is timing out or something? When I check the client GPO results, it says that all redirection applied fine (when they do not). I think I'm wasting my time. I guess I will just update my domain to a 2008 or better and cross my fingers that these issues go away!

I often wonder if this type of stuff is by design, to get folks to move on.

Thanks,

MP
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Wind 8.1
I believe I found someone with the same problem. The solution was to replace the server as the problem is not fixable on Server 03.

This guy also said it worked the first time to join the Domain but after that no dice. They weren't messing with folder redirection in this case but the rejoining of the domain issue sounds the same.

Problems joining Windows 8 to Server 2003 Domain
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 8.1 Pro WMC
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    System Manufacturer/Model
    Home built
    CPU
    Q9650 @ 4.05 GHz
    Motherboard
    Gforce 780i SLI FTW
    Memory
    8GB Gskill DDR2 1200Mhz
    Graphics Card(s)
    GTX-480
    Sound Card
    Asus D2 Xonar
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HannsG
    Screen Resolution
    1680x1050
    Hard Drives
    Gskill 120GB SSD
    PSU
    Thermal Take 1000watts
    Case
    Thermal Take Xtreme
    Cooling
    9 fans air cooled
    Keyboard
    G15 logitech
    Mouse
    G9 logitech
    Internet Speed
    50mbps
Chev, thanks for the help. What I want to know is how I have 20 other machines in the same setup WITHOUT issues! The problem only exist over our WAN at 1 location! Oh boy, and they HATE me there by now.....lol......

Thanks,

MP
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Wind 8.1
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