A roaming profile is not loaded from a DFS share

When you store roaming profiles on a domain-based Distributed File System (DFS) share, the roaming profiles may not be loaded.

This issue may occur if the domain controller that is hosting the DFS share and the server where the roaming profiles are stored are located on two different sites that are connected by a slow link.

For example, this issue may occur if all the following conditions are true:

• A Windows 2000-based client is located in Site A.
• A roaming profile is located on a server on site A.
• The domain controller that is hosting the DFS is located on Site B.
• Site A is connected to site B by a slow link.
• Users access their roaming profiles by using a DFS link to their respective profiles.

This issue may occur even though a user's computer (on site A) has a fast link to the computer where the roaming profile is located (also on site A). In this scenario, the slow link is measured against the domain controller that is hosting the domain-based DFS (on site B).

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods:

• Disable slow link detection. To change the value of this entry, use the Group Policy Object Editor (Gpedit.msc). The policy is located in the Computer Configuration node in the Administrative Templates\System\Group Policy folder.
• Do not store roaming profiles on a domain-based DFS share.
• Add a DFS root target to the client site (site A).

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

Note Microsoft does not support storing roaming profiles on DFS shares that are replicated by using FRS and that are made offline-available. For more details on this DFS FAQ site: Search for the question "Can I use DFS with Offline Files and redirected My Documents folders?" in the paragraph called "Managing DFS."