"Compressed" Attribute Is Missing from Your Local Files When You Use a Roaming Profile for Domain Logon (283486)

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition
Microsoft Windows XP Professional
Microsoft Windows XP 64-Bit Edition
Microsoft Windows NT Workstation 4.0 SP6

This article was previously published under Q283486

SYMPTOMS

When you log on to a domain by using a roaming profile, the Compressed attribute may be missing from files that are stored in your locally cached profile folder (for example, C:\Documents and Settings\username). Other NTFS file system attributes may also be missing.

CAUSE

This issue can occur because roaming profiles are copied to your computer from a centrally stored location. Roaming profiles are normally set by a domain administrator.

Because attributes are inherited from the destination folder when you log on, NTFS file system attributes (including Compressed) are based on the destination folder of the local computer, in this case the profile folder C:\Documents and Settings\username).

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue and ensure that the files that are stored in the locally cached profile folder (C:\Documents and Settings\) inherit the desired attribute, make sure that the profile folder has the attribute that you want to set. Attributes are applied to all of the files in the profile folder.

WORKAROUND

To work around this issue, if storage capacity is limited on your local computer or if you want to make sure that all files are compressed, consider storing the files that you want to compress on a shared network folder that has the Compressed attribute set.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

If you set the attribute on a file in the users profile, log off, and then log on to another computer, the attribute may be lost because the attribute setting on the first computer may not be saved with the profile. If the saved roaming profile does inherit this attribute, the attribute still may be lost when you log on to the second computer, because attributes in that profile directory are used to define the profile that is copied from the central location.

Modification Type:	Major	Last Reviewed:	5/29/2003
Keywords:	kbinterop kbnetwork kbprb KB283486