So I'm in the process of building out several new servers in preparation for Citrix Presentation Server 4.5 (rollup 3). After logging on for the first time, I was prompted with the following error message.  "Windows cannot locate the server copy of your roaming profile and is attempting to log you on with your local profile. Changes to the profile will not be copied to the server when you logoff". Possible causes of this error include network problems or insufficient security rights. If this problem persists, contact your network administrator.

The above prompt is followed by a message indicating "Windows cannot find the local profile and is logging you on with a temporary profile. Changes you make to this profile will be lost when you log off.  Awesome, double errors... Neither my local or roaming profile can be detected. And then after about 30 seconds, the system logs me on with a generic profile.

Eh that's ok, no worries. Why would you want roaming profiles on the Citrix server anyway. And why would you want a server profile to cache and update your roaming profile to your desktop. Heck, what if your server profile ends up updating your roaming profile and you loose all of your desktop icons. Lol!

Anyway, here is how I'm going to address the issue. Note, this is just one out of several possible solutions. Oh, and by the way - domain group policy changes are not an option.

1. pull up dsa.msc and do a quick search for the user account receiving the above profile errors.

2. open "properties" on the account and click on the "Terminal services profile" tab.

3. if there are any special ts profile settings, you will see them indicated below "profile path.

   • in this case, we found something which explains the errors we are receiving

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   • The profile path is set to the d:\ drive on the server under the profiles directory and the users a%

    

4. Now that we have determined a destination profile path is in the mix lets see if we have access to d:\profiles\%username%

   • after attempting to open the profile directory (d:\profiles), we get an error indicating "the shared resource was not created at this time"

   • 

   • looks like we need to use our administrative powers on this server and correct the issue, by first taking ownership of the profiles directory, and then by sharing and giving users full rights to d:\profiles\%username%

    

5. To take ownership do the following, note administrative access on the server is needed:

   • open explorer and navigate to the d:\ drive.

   • right click on the "profiles" directory and select "properties"

   • click on the "security" tab and then click on the "advanced" button at the bottom right

   • at the advanced security settings prompt, click on the owner tab

   • under "change owner to" click on the admin account name to highlight

   • place a check to the right of "replace owner on subcontainers and objects"

   • select "apply" to initiate the ownership change on the profiles directory.

   • at the security prompt asking if you are sure, click on yes.

   • in this event, the change is quick as there is not much info in this directory.

   • click on "ok"

   • click on "ok" to exit

      

6. now we need to add the appropriate access for all users for d:\profiles\

   • within explorer navigate to the d:\ drive (d:\profiles)

   • right click on the "profiles" directory and select properties

   • click on the "sharing tab" and then click on "share this folder"

   • now click on the "permissions" button select "everyone" and grant full rights

   • 

   • almost done, click on "apply"

   • click on "ok"

   • click on "ok" to exit

    

7. now you are finished. log off the server and log back on to test. if the above errors are gone than you should be good to go.