Microsoft KB Archive/236185

= Terminal Server User Profiles and Home Folder Paths Are Ignored After Applying SP4 or Later =

Article ID: 236185

Article Last Modified on 11/1/2006

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition

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This article was previously published under Q236185



IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry



SYMPTOMS
When a Terminal Server user session is validated by a Microsoft Windows NT 4.0-based server domain controller with Service Pack 4 (SP4) applied and RestrictAnonymous set to 1, your Terminal Server home folder is mapped to the default location, even though your administrator specified a different path in User Manager for Domains.

Additionally, when you are validated by the same domain controller, your Terminal Server profile path points to the default location, even though your administrator specified a different path in User Manager for Domains.



CAUSE
This behavior occurs when you apply SP4 to a domain controller that has the RestrictAnonymous entry added and a value of 1.

Terminal Server attempts to retrieve custom fields from the Security Accounts Manager (SAM), which is the Terminal Server profile path. When the attempt is unsuccessful, Terminal Server uses the standard Windows NT profile path.

If you are in a multiple domain model, another cause could be that the "access this computer from the network" user right is not enabled for Everyone or Authenticated Users.

Ensure that the user right has the appropriate accounts to access the domain controllers from the network.

Ensure that the RestrictAnonymous is not set on the resource domains as well.



RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

152734 How to Obtain the Latest Windows NT 4.0 Service Pack

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

To resolve this behavior:  Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe). Locate the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\LSA

 Locate the following entry:

Value name: RestrictAnonymous

Data type: REG_DWORD

Value: 1

 Change the value to 0. Exit Registry Editor, and then restart the computer.</ol>

NOTE: You can also delete the RestrictAnonymous value to work around this behavior.

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STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed at the beginning of this article. This problem was first corrected in Windows NT Server version 4.0, Terminal Server Edition Service Pack 6.

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