Move Documents and Settings to new drive

user · 27-02-2007

Hi,

We have a few users who want to log on using Terminal Services and get their
full desktop. The problem is that some users outlook pst files are huge. I
understand that Outlook does not recommend/support pst files on network
shares so this isn't an option. I also can't create slimmed down TS profiles
as the users want the same desktop they get in the office.
We therefore have a space issue which I could resolve if I were able to move
the Documents and Settings folders from c:\ (not much space left) to d:\
(bags of free space)

Now I've trawled Google and found loads of documents saying 'bad idea,
you'll kill Windows' etc but one document making popped up making the whole
thing sound too simple to be true. It is here: http://www.dynode.net/~rjw/

Now I've tried this on a virtual win 2000 pc and it does work like a dream,
my question is can anyone suggest any gotchas or other pitfalls if I apply
this to the live TS server? Obviously I don't want to kill it.
Environment: Windows Server 2003, roaming profiles, users that don't delete
anything.

Any thoughts greatly appreciated...

Bilbo

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] · 28-02-2007

In news:OIFRX0pWHHA.4872@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
user <a> typed:
> Hi,
>
> We have a few users who want to log on using Terminal Services and
> get their full desktop. The problem is that some users outlook pst
> files are huge. I understand that Outlook does not recommend/support
> pst files on network shares so this isn't an option. I also can't
> create slimmed down TS profiles as the users want the same desktop
> they get in the office. We therefore have a space issue which I could
> resolve if I were able
> to move the Documents and Settings folders from c:\ (not much space
> left) to d:\ (bags of free space)
>
> Now I've trawled Google and found loads of documents saying 'bad idea,
> you'll kill Windows' etc but one document making popped up making the
> whole thing sound too simple to be true. It is here:
> http://www.dynode.net/~rjw/
> Now I've tried this on a virtual win 2000 pc and it does work like a
> dream, my question is can anyone suggest any gotchas or other
> pitfalls if I apply this to the live TS server? Obviously I don't
> want to kill it. Environment: Windows Server 2003, roaming profiles, users
> that don't
> delete anything.
>
> Any thoughts greatly appreciated...
>
> Bilbo

You need to make sure you've got a separate path defined for their TS
profiles than their roaming profiles, firstly - that's absolutely critical.
Do not mix 'n match. If they want to customize their profiles to make them
look identical, tell them to go have fun with that.

Rather than moving the entire documents & settings folders elsewhere, which
is a pain, I'd use folder redirection via group policy so that My Documents,
Application Data, Desktop, whatnot, go to another folder (on the same
server, like, d:\users\jbloggs\my documents, ....\application data,
.....\Desktop, etc.

That said, PST = BAD, and if you have a domain, get an Exchange server. I
would then redirect all that stuff to their home directories and not put
*any* data on the terminal server at all.

user · 28-02-2007

Thanks for the speedy response!

The issue I have with roaming and TS profiles is that the users have
EVERYTHING in their roaming profile, documents, pst the lot.
I can see that folder redirection could help with this, but this brings me
back to the PST problem, folder redirection = PST not local to Outlook = as
far as I'm aware not supported/recommended by Microsoft.

As for Exchange, our current mail server software does everything we want,
plus some stuff we'll never use and it cost less than one tenth of Exchange!

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
<lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com> wrote in message
news:eXvbpYqWHHA.4384@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
> In news:OIFRX0pWHHA.4872@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
> user <a> typed:
>> Hi,
>>
>> We have a few users who want to log on using Terminal Services and
>> get their full desktop. The problem is that some users outlook pst
>> files are huge. I understand that Outlook does not recommend/support
>> pst files on network shares so this isn't an option. I also can't
>> create slimmed down TS profiles as the users want the same desktop
>> they get in the office. We therefore have a space issue which I could
>> resolve if I were able
>> to move the Documents and Settings folders from c:\ (not much space
>> left) to d:\ (bags of free space)
>>
>> Now I've trawled Google and found loads of documents saying 'bad idea,
>> you'll kill Windows' etc but one document making popped up making the
>> whole thing sound too simple to be true. It is here:
>> http://www.dynode.net/~rjw/
>> Now I've tried this on a virtual win 2000 pc and it does work like a
>> dream, my question is can anyone suggest any gotchas or other
>> pitfalls if I apply this to the live TS server? Obviously I don't
>> want to kill it. Environment: Windows Server 2003, roaming profiles,
>> users that don't
>> delete anything.
>>
>> Any thoughts greatly appreciated...
>>
>> Bilbo
>
> You need to make sure you've got a separate path defined for their TS
> profiles than their roaming profiles, firstly - that's absolutely
> critical. Do not mix 'n match. If they want to customize their profiles to
> make them look identical, tell them to go have fun with that.
>
> Rather than moving the entire documents & settings folders elsewhere,
> which is a pain, I'd use folder redirection via group policy so that My
> Documents, Application Data, Desktop, whatnot, go to another folder (on
> the same server, like, d:\users\jbloggs\my documents, ....\application
> data, ....\Desktop, etc.
>
> That said, PST = BAD, and if you have a domain, get an Exchange server. I
> would then redirect all that stuff to their home directories and not put
> *any* data on the terminal server at all.
>
>
>

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] · 28-02-2007

In news:uhIviqyWHHA.2212@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl,
user <a> typed:
> Thanks for the speedy response!
>
> The issue I have with roaming and TS profiles is that the users have
> EVERYTHING in their roaming profile, documents, pst the lot.
> I can see that folder redirection could help with this,

Yes; it's pretty much mandatory if you use roaming profiles. And even if you
don't. :)

> but this
> brings me back to the PST problem, folder redirection = PST not local
> to Outlook = as far as I'm aware not supported/recommended by
> Microsoft.

Exactly. PST files must reside on the local hard drives (you can do
otherwise, but I don't recommend it- it's slow, and you will likely
experience data corruption). Note that PST files are, by default, found in
the user's "local settings" folder - which means, they will not be part of
the roaming part of their profile anyway.

Put the PST files in another folder for the users. And keep the profiles
separate - this is also pretty much mandatory if you use terminal services.
Profiles are not compatible between OS versions, and you will run into
problems down the line if you don't specify different profile paths.
>
> As for Exchange, our current mail server software does everything we
> want, plus some stuff we'll never use and it cost less than one tenth
> of Exchange!

Exchange isn't just a mail server, but the main reason I mention it in this
thread is that I don't think PST files have any place in a corporate network
large enough to merit a domain.
See
http://www.exchangefaq.org/faq/Excha...=-BAD/qid/1209
>
>
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
> <lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com> wrote in
> message news:eXvbpYqWHHA.4384@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...
>> In news:OIFRX0pWHHA.4872@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl,
>> user <a> typed:
>>> Hi,
>>>
>>> We have a few users who want to log on using Terminal Services and
>>> get their full desktop. The problem is that some users outlook pst
>>> files are huge. I understand that Outlook does not recommend/support
>>> pst files on network shares so this isn't an option. I also can't
>>> create slimmed down TS profiles as the users want the same desktop
>>> they get in the office. We therefore have a space issue which I
>>> could resolve if I were able
>>> to move the Documents and Settings folders from c:\ (not much space
>>> left) to d:\ (bags of free space)
>>>
>>> Now I've trawled Google and found loads of documents saying 'bad
>>> idea, you'll kill Windows' etc but one document making popped up
>>> making the whole thing sound too simple to be true. It is here:
>>> http://www.dynode.net/~rjw/
>>> Now I've tried this on a virtual win 2000 pc and it does work like a
>>> dream, my question is can anyone suggest any gotchas or other
>>> pitfalls if I apply this to the live TS server? Obviously I don't
>>> want to kill it. Environment: Windows Server 2003, roaming profiles,
>>> users that don't
>>> delete anything.
>>>
>>> Any thoughts greatly appreciated...
>>>
>>> Bilbo
>>
>> You need to make sure you've got a separate path defined for their TS
>> profiles than their roaming profiles, firstly - that's absolutely
>> critical. Do not mix 'n match. If they want to customize their
>> profiles to make them look identical, tell them to go have fun with
>> that. Rather than moving the entire documents & settings folders
>> elsewhere,
>> which is a pain, I'd use folder redirection via group policy so that
>> My Documents, Application Data, Desktop, whatnot, go to another
>> folder (on the same server, like, d:\users\jbloggs\my documents,
>> ....\application data, ....\Desktop, etc.
>>
>> That said, PST = BAD, and if you have a domain, get an Exchange
>> server. I would then redirect all that stuff to their home
>> directories and not put *any* data on the terminal server at all.

Russell · 11-04-2007

On 2007-02-28, Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] <lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com> wrote:
> In news:uhIviqyWHHA.2212@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl,
> user <a> typed:
>> Thanks for the speedy response!
>>
>> The issue I have with roaming and TS profiles is that the users have
>> EVERYTHING in their roaming profile, documents, pst the lot.
>> I can see that folder redirection could help with this,
>
> Yes; it's pretty much mandatory if you use roaming profiles. And even if you
> don't. :)
>
>> but this
>> brings me back to the PST problem, folder redirection = PST not local
>> to Outlook = as far as I'm aware not supported/recommended by
>> Microsoft.
>
> Exactly. PST files must reside on the local hard drives (you can do
> otherwise, but I don't recommend it- it's slow, and you will likely
> experience data corruption). Note that PST files are, by default, found in
> the user's "local settings" folder - which means, they will not be part of
> the roaming part of their profile anyway.

This is not true. PST files do not /need/ to reside on the local PC. My
Roaming profile is all of 8MB and a rule upon login maps a drive to a
share on a server with all my data. So, regardless of where I login
(including TS) my profile is nice and small and all my data is under the
mapped drive, snug-as-a-bug with no corruption.

Regarding your profile issue on the Terminal Server: The Documents and
Settings location is all the same regardless of profile type (Roaming or
Local) so it will work.

- Russell

--
http://www.dynode.net/~rjw/

Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] · 13-04-2007

Russell <rjw@example.net> wrote:
> On 2007-02-28, Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]
> <lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com> wrote:
>> In news:uhIviqyWHHA.2212@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl,
>> user <a> typed:
>>> Thanks for the speedy response!
>>>
>>> The issue I have with roaming and TS profiles is that the users have
>>> EVERYTHING in their roaming profile, documents, pst the lot.
>>> I can see that folder redirection could help with this,
>>
>> Yes; it's pretty much mandatory if you use roaming profiles. And
>> even if you don't. :)
>>
>>> but this
>>> brings me back to the PST problem, folder redirection = PST not
>>> local to Outlook = as far as I'm aware not supported/recommended by
>>> Microsoft.
>>
>> Exactly. PST files must reside on the local hard drives (you can do
>> otherwise, but I don't recommend it- it's slow, and you will likely
>> experience data corruption). Note that PST files are, by default,
>> found in the user's "local settings" folder - which means, they will
>> not be part of the roaming part of their profile anyway.
>
> This is not true. PST files do not /need/ to reside on the local PC.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019

It isn't supported, and you will likely have performance problems even if
you don't wind up with data corruption. I have seen both. I do not recommend
this configuration - your own mileage may vary.

> My
> Roaming profile is all of 8MB and a rule upon login maps a drive to a
> share on a server with all my data. So, regardless of where I login
> (including TS) my profile is nice and small and all my data is under
> the
> mapped drive, snug-as-a-bug with no corruption.

I'm delighted to hear it, but honestly, you have just been lucky. Who knows?
You may continue to be lucky until the end of time. Me, I wear seatbelts.

>
> Regarding your profile issue on the Terminal Server: The Documents and
> Settings location is all the same regardless of profile type (Roaming
> or
> Local) so it will work.
>
> - Russell

If you use TS, it is strongly recommended that you do not "mix and match"
between TS and regular workstation profiles.

Russell · 16-04-2007

On 2007-04-13, Lanwench [MVP - Exchange] <lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com> wrote:
> Russell <rjw@example.net> wrote:
>> On 2007-02-28, Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]
>> <lanwench@heybuddy.donotsendme.unsolicitedmail.atyahoo.com> wrote:
>>> In news:uhIviqyWHHA.2212@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl,
>
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/297019
>
> It isn't supported, and you will likely have performance problems even if
> you don't wind up with data corruption. I have seen both. I do not recommend
> this configuration - your own mileage may vary.

Microsoft don't support a plethora of technologies. Can you say
``Portable Network Graphics'?

>> My Roaming profile is all of 8MB and a rule upon login maps a drive
>> to a share on a server with all my data. So, regardless of where I
>> login (including TS) my profile is nice and small and all my data is
>> under the mapped drive, snug-as-a-bug with no corruption.
>
> I'm delighted to hear it, but honestly, you have just been lucky. Who knows?
> You may continue to be lucky until the end of time. Me, I wear seatbelts.

Proof is in the pudding: mine and the two thousand other staff member's
profiles I administer.

- Russell

--
http://www.dynode.net/~rjw/