"Unable to Load User Profile..." with Windows NT Server 4.0

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation versions 3.5, 3.51, 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Server
• Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server

SYMPTOMS

A user logging on to a Windows NT Workstation 3.51 computer, whose account has a profile path that has been configured using the Windows NT 4.0 syntax may receive the following error:

Unable to load your central profile. The cached copy of your profile will be loaded instead. Possible causes of this error include network problems, insufficient security rights, missing or corrupt central profile.

CAUSE

This error occurs when a subdirectory has been created (containing a Windows NT 4.0 profile) within the profiles share that has the same name as the user profile the Windows NT 3.51 computer is requesting. This is because, under Windows NT 4.0, the syntax for defining a user profile path is \\server\share\username. In this case, the Windows NT 3.51 computer is requesting the file "username", but a directory exists with this same name because of the presence of a Windows NT 4.0 profile. An error is returned to the Windows NT 3.51 computer, stating that the requested file is a directory, and thus the error message returned to the user.

MORE INFORMATION

This problem will not affect accounts created and configured for use under Windows NT 3.51 using the .man or .usr extensions. As part of the upgrade process, a new user profile is created in Windows NT 4.0 that consists of the original user profile updated to the Windows NT 4.0 format. This can be identified by a "username.pds" folder (subdirectory). Also, the Windows NT 3.51 profile is not deleted, and the configuration of the user account need not be changed. Instead, when a user is validated and a profile path is defined with the .usr or .man extension, if the user is using a Windows NT 3.5x computer, the Windows NT 3.5x profile is located and loaded. If the user is logging on from a Windows NT 4.0 computer, Windows NT looks for \\server\share\username.pds instead of \\server\share\username.usr.

Additional query words:

Keywords : kbnetwork ntdomain
Version : WINDOWS:2000; winnt:3.5,3.51,4.0
Platform : WINDOWS winnt
Issue type : kbprb