Windows XP/Vista/7 Profile Compatibility

[jim]

I'm trying to find some information about running Windows 7 clients on Server 2003, where everything is setup specifically for XP clients.

I'm aware that an XP profile is no use for 7, so a specific duplicate profile is created with .v2 at the end, but I don't know whether they will work together or not - if people log in repetitively on XP, then 7, then XP etc is that likely to cause problems?

Also, I'm aware that folder redirection has been altered a bit for 7, but I haven't sussed out yet how you're meant to configure that properly in 2003.

Any recommended reading? Everything I've seen so far has been utterly useless, usually some daft forum posts.

[jim]

Actually, I think I might've found the answer here - it's called Managing Roaming User Data Deployment Guide, written for Vista but seems to cover all the main issues.

I'll report back :/

[jim]

Okay still struggling here

Everything is working okay at the moment, except for two things on the 7 machine:

Firstly, the start menu is not redirecting properly - it's just completely unpopulated as things stand. And the desktop background only appears during logoff - while logged on it's just black.

Bit confused at the moment as to why those two aren't working, because otherwise everything seems fine.

[Paul Adams]

For the desktop wallpaper issue, check if the following registry value exists, and if it doesn't just create a dummy one:
Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Name: Wallpaper
Type: REG_SZ


How have you redirected the Start menu?
(Group policy setting, and what it points to - should be a UNC path I think?)
Are all users redirecting to the same location?
Does it work for the XP clients, with the same users logging on?

[jim]

For the desktop wallpaper issue, check if the following registry value exists, and if it doesn't just create a dummy one:
Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
Name: Wallpaper
Type: REG_SZ


How have you redirected the Start menu?
(Group policy setting, and what it points to - should be a UNC path I think?)
Are all users redirecting to the same location?
Does it work for the XP clients, with the same users logging on?

Thanks for the first one, I'll give it a crack.

The start menu is directed to the same UNC path for all members with that particular GP setting applied to them.

It's worked in XP for years, same users yes.

[Paul Adams]

I just tested setting a GPO for folder redirection for the Start Menu, then logged onto a Windows 7 client in the domain and it was there, no problem... it's not the top-level any more, you have to click the "All Programs" button to see the Start Menu in Win7...

DC named "w2k8", I created a folder C:\Common Start Menu and shared it (Everyone: RO) as common_start_menu.
In the folder I created a dummy text file and a dummy folder with 2 more dummy text files in.

Created a policy at the domain root and linked it, only has the one setting:
User Configuration / Policies / Windows Settings / Folder Redirection / Start Menu

Target tab...
Setting: Basic - Redirect everyone's folder to the same location
Target folder location: Redirect to the following location
Root Path: \\w2k8\common_start_menu

Settings tab...
[ ] Grant the user exclusive rights to Start Menu
[ ] Move the contents of the Start Menu to the new location
[x] Also apply redirection policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems

Logged onto a Win7 client, checked with GPRESULT /Z that the policy was in effect, then clicked the Start orb and "All Programs" - the dummy items were merged into the list.

[jim]

Okay, I've just checked all of that and it pretty much matches this config.

I've run gpresult on the user and the policy is listed under Applied GPOs and it also appears under "Folder Redirection" later on with the path I specified.

If I click on All Programs I just get (empty) as a result.

The user has access to the folder, because I ran a quick search for "start" and the folder on the server has appeared - I can view it as a folder, just not as a menu.

[Paul Adams]

Strange - if you browse from the client to the level containing the redirected folder, does it have the "synchronization" icons overlay?

Enabling folder redirection automatically enables client-side caching, so when I browse \\w2k8 I see "common_start_menu" with the green icon overlay.

[jim]

I've started from scratch, and found exactly the same result as you did - it worked perfectly.

I have a sneaking suspicion that the problem is related to pesky overlapping of GPOs, although I'm not quite sure why yet.

[jim]

Problem solved

It was caused by setting

User Config --> Admin Templates --> Start Menu + Taskbar --> Remove User's Folders from the Start Menu to enabled

Changing that to "Not configured" makes the start menu in 7 appear.

Thanks for your help... it didn't occur to me that a setting that worked fine in XP would've caused issues in 7, although it probably should've clicked earlier!

Haven't figured out the desktop yet though :/