You receive a "Windows cannot locate the server copy of your roaming profile" error message when you try to log on to a Windows XP-based client (832850)

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods:

• Disable ICF on the computer that stores the user profile.
• Move the user's roaming profile or home folder to a computer that has ICF disabled.

Disable ICF

Note ICF is designed to help protect computers that are directly connected to the Internet. ICF is available for local area network (LAN) or dial-up connections. It also helps prevent Internet users from connecting to the shared resources on your computer. When you disable ICF, you remove the protection that it helps to provide. Disable ICF only if you understand the implications of doing so. For more information about ICF, see the "More Information" section of this article.

To disable ICF, follow these steps:

1. Click Start and then click Control panel.
2. Double-click Networking and Internet Connections, and then click Network Connections.
3. Right-click the connection where you want to disable ICF, and then click Properties.
4. Click the Advanced tab, under Internet Connection Firewall, click to clear the Protect my computer and network by limiting or preventing access to this computer from the internet check box, and then click OK
5. Click Close.

Move the roaming user profile or home folder

To move a roaming user profile or a home folder, follow these steps:

1. Create and share folders on the destination computer for the specific user.
2. Copy the existing user profile.
3. Configure the user account to use the roaming user profile and the home folder.

Step 1: Create and share folders on the destination computer for the specific user

1. Log on as an administrator to the computer that you want to store the user profile and the home folder, and then disable ICF on this computer.
2. Create a folder in the Documents and Settings folder, and name the folder as user's user name. For example:

   c:\Documents and Settings\username_folder

3. Create a home folder and share it for the specific user, and set permissions on the home folder that permit the user to access the folder. For example:

   D:\Home Directories\username

   Note For additional information about permissions for files and folders, see the "More information" section of this article.

Step 2: Copy the existing user profile

1. Log on to the computer with an account that has administrator credentials.
2. Click Start, right-click My Computer, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Settings under User Profiles.
4. In the Profiles stored on this computer list, click the profile that you want to copy, and then click Copy To.
5. In the Copy To dialog box, click Browse, locate the folder that you created in step 1.2, and then click OK three times.

Step 3: Configure the user account to use the roaming user profile and home folder

Note A network administrator must complete this step. If you do not have network administrator credentials on your network, contact your network administrator to complete this step.

1. Log on to the domain controller with an account that has administrator credentials.
2. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
3. Expand Domain, and then click the folder where the users are located. Typically, users are located in the Users folder.
4. In the list of user names, right-click the name of the user profile that you want to modify, and then click Properties.
5. Specify the profile path and the home folder. To do so, follow these steps:
   1. Click Profile, in the Profile Path box, type the full path of the Profiles folder that you created (for a Windows XP client). For example, type the following path:

      \\computer name\share\Profiles

   2. Click Profile, click Connect, and then specify a drive letter.
   3. In the To box, type the full path of the user folder in the Profiles folder that you created (for a Windows XP client). For example, type the following path:

      \\computer name\share\Profiles\Username_folder.

6. Click OK.
7. On the Console menu, click Exit