Question : XP Pro - Multiple users Folder Redirection/Offline Folder synchronization error in a Samba 2.2.8 PDC Domain

I am experiencing a specific problem with XP Pro SP1 (patched to current winupdates) on a Samba 2.2.8 PDC Domain using redirected folders (My docs and Favorites) and offline sync and NO roaming profiles. It works BUT..if more than one domain user creates a profile on the workstation then all of the users get an error during sync stating that each of the other profiled users redirected folder cannot be reached for sync.

Example:
user1 logs in for the first time and a local profile is created and their My Docs and Favorites are redirected to their home profile folder on the Samba server. No problem. Offline Folders automatically sets them up to sync. It works. Log off user1 and it syncs \\server\user1 folder with no problem.

user2 logs in for the first time and a local profile is created and their My Docs and Favorites are redirected to their home profile folder on the Samba server. The login sync dialog displays an error showing that \\server\user2 synced ok but \\server\user1 was not accessible. user2's data is synchronized without issue. Log off user2 and it syncs \\server\user2 folder with no problem but again throws an error about \\server\user1.

user3 logs in for the first time and a local profile is created and their My Docs and Favorites are redirected to their home profile folder on the Samba server. The login sync dialog displays an error showing that \\server\user3 synced ok but \\server\user1 AND \\server\user2 was not accessible. user3's data is synchronized without issue. Log off user3 and it syncs \\server\user3 folder with no problem but again throws an error about \\server\user1 and \\server\user2 again.

If you logon as user1 again the behavior is the same as for user3 except user1's folder syncs and the user2/3 error appears.

If I login as an admin and remove any of the profiles, such as user3's when I log back in as user1 the user3 specfic error disappears and the user2 error remains.

Ultimately the problem here is the other users' sync paths should not be appearing in the logged in user's sync list.

I checked local group policies and could find nothing relevant to resolving this. I also found a registry key or in CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\NetCache\Shares that contains references to the multiple users unc paths (\\server\userX) and even made a netlogon.bat script that kills the entry at logon using the 'reg' tool. No dice. I have searched the registry for other offending entries with no luck. This is confoundingly weird.

There is Microsoft documentation refering to Offline Folders working with other SMB compatible operating systems such as Linux and Unix with the exception of Novell Netware. Though nothing mentions working with domain users in a non-MS server domain.

I have spent the better part of the last 8 hours working on issues surrounding this with no luck. I have read more pages and made more Google searches in the last 8 hours that I did in a whole week previously. It seems like a strange, and probably rare enough problem to merit posting here for experts to look at and comment upon. Maybe some interesting ideas that would be useful in other situations will come of it.

Regards,
-felipe

Answer : XP Pro - Multiple users Folder Redirection/Offline Folder synchronization error in a Samba 2.2.8 PDC Domain

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