samba - Apr 2005 - PDC: Logging out from Windows XP SP2 takes a long time

I have samba set up as primary domain controller, and have problems with
my Windows XP SP2 machines. Logging in is quick, but most of the time
(nine out of ten times) the logout process takes a long time - I do end
up rebooting, but once I let it stay and it took a whole hour before it
was logged out. It seems to act the same way for all users.

Possible sources already eliminated:

- I have disabled the synchronization of My Documents (which was also
taking a long time), and have instead configured My Documents to sit on
a mounted SMB homes share. Though the problems were present before this
change as well (ie it was not the synchronization that was taking the
time, if Windows' messages are correct).
- The profile share is not the same as the homes share (because the
documentation stated that that would create problems).

Anyone?

I'm running Samba 3.0.10-Debian.

// Dag Sverre Seljebotn

If your users are using Outlook Express or Outlook, it might be trying 
to synchronize the associated files. If your users are wont to store 
large quantities of email, thes files can be rather huge. As the files 
change every time you open OE or Outlook, they must then be 
synchronized. I have seen OE Inbox files grow to several hundred 
megabytes, as well as the Outlook PST file.

Note that the Outlook PST file can be stored on a network share, 
eliminating the need to synchronize it. However, Outlook Express files 
MUST be on a local drive. (I have tried moving them to a network share 
and ended up losing data. It's like Microsoft has written a routine to 
guarantee that it won't work.) You must either prevent the OE identity 
from being synchronized, or move the directory to a folder on the local 
machine which is not synchronized.

For this reason, Outlook Express is NOT RECOMMENDED in a roaming 
profiles environment, as the OE identity cannot be on a network share 
and synchronizing the files is an excercise in masochism.

For your information:
* OE identies are usually found in [%USERPROFILE%\Local 
Settings\Application Data\Identities\{IDENTITY}\Microsoft\Outlook 
Express\*.dbx]
* Registry entry for OE store location: REG_EXPAND_SZ, 
[HKCU\Identities\{IDENTITY}\Software\Microsoft\Outlook Express\5.0\Store 
Root]
* Outlook PST files are usually found in [%USERPROFILE&\Local 
Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\Outlook\*.pst]
* You may also want to consider the Windows Address Book, which is a 
.WAB file. The registry entry that describes the path to the WAB file is 
REG_SZ, [HKCU\Software\Microsoft\WAB\WAB4\Wab File Name\(Default)]

~Jonathan Johnson
Sutinen Consulting, Inc.
www.sutinen.com

Dag Sverre Seljebotn wrote:
>I have samba set up as primary domain controller, and have problems with
>my Windows XP SP2 machines. Logging in is quick, but most of the time
>(nine out of ten times) the logout process takes a long time - I do end
>up rebooting, but once I let it stay and it took a whole hour before it
>was logged out. It seems to act the same way for all users.
>
>Possible sources already eliminated:
>
>- I have disabled the synchronization of My Documents (which was also
>taking a long time), and have instead configured My Documents to sit on
>a mounted SMB homes share. Though the problems were present before this
>change as well (ie it was not the synchronization that was taking the
>time, if Windows' messages are correct).
>- The profile share is not the same as the homes share (because the
>documentation stated that that would create problems).
>
>Anyone?
>
>I'm running Samba 3.0.10-Debian.
>
>// Dag Sverre Seljebotn
>
>  
>

> If your users are using Outlook Express or Outlook, it might be trying 
> to synchronize the associated files. If your users are wont to store 
> large quantities of email, thes files can be rather huge. As the files 
> change every time you open OE or Outlook, they must then be 
> synchronized. I have seen OE Inbox files grow to several hundred 
> megabytes, as well as the Outlook PST file.
As the default option, Outlook ( != Express) files are not syncronized 
since they reside in Local Settings, as you stated later in the snipped 
text..

-- 
Paul Gienger                    Office: 701-281-1884
Applied Engineering Inc.
Systems Architect               Fax:    701-281-1322
URL: www.ae-solutions.com       mailto: pgienger@ae-solutions.com