Mark wrote:
> Laptops running slow when connected to another network
>
> We have the situation where engineers in our company go out to
> different sites and connect their laptops to customer LAN's (for
> programming PLC's & internet access). All the laptops are joined
> to our Windows 2003 domain and are WinXP SP2.
>
> When out on site & connected to other LAN's the laptops are very
> slow to login, open windows explorer etc. If the machines are
> started without being connected to the network, everything runs
> fine.
> I guess the laptops are looking for our domain controller. I have
> tried making different hardware profiles and disabling a number of
> services but with the same result.
>
> Creating a local user on each Laptop isn't an option, as they
> don't want to have different profiles.
>
> Are there any specific timeout settings to help with this issue?

Shenan Stanley wrote:
> They could have the same local/domain profile if you change the
> proper registry settings and give the proper file/folder
> permission on the domain profile directory.
>
> - Does the slowdown exist if they logon to the laptop *before* they
> connect to the network and THEN connect?
> - Do they have any persistent network drives (always a bad idea
> for those not using offline folders or something - IMHO.)
>
> Essentially - once the machine sees a network - it is going to
> assume it is the one where all its domain friends live and will
> look for it if you try to logon using domain credentials. That
> slows the logon significantly. A local profile that points to the
> same drive location as the domain profile can help alleviate that
> and maintain the same look/feel they have setup already.
>
> As for the slowness after logging in - I can only assume that is
> because they may have remembered drive connections?

Mark wrote:
> Sounds logical pointing Local Profile at Domain Profile Folder.
>
> Just a few Questions:
>
> What registry changes need to be made?
>
> Does this cause any problems?

Create the local account...

To make the profiles the same, have the user logon locally as well as in the
domain - choose the one they like the most (this is all assuming you do not
use roaming profiles) and as another administrative user (after rebooting),
change the registry setting pointing to one or the other profiles...

Start -> RUN -> regedit

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList

Look for the SID (the really nasty looking number starting with S-1-5
usually) folder that when you select it on the left and look on the right in
the value for "ProfileImagePath" has the value for the user you want to
point to the other profile. Change that to be the path of the other user
you want it to be.. and then close the regedit and reboot. Make sure that
the users have full File and Directory permissions to boh of those
directories.

Does it cause problems? One that I know of.
When they bring the computer back in and do not choose to log onto the
domain - they run no logon scripts.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
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