Question about user profiles not being synced

Question

Good day,

We started adding our users and their systems to the server 2025.. we did the folder replications and moved the profiles to drive D:.

We ran into an issue with 1 user.. we added them as a normal user .. and added their computer to the network.. etc.

But their user profile folder on the D:\Profiles$\Sam.v6 is empty.. and its not that our admin user doesnt have premissions to the folder.. it does.. as a test.. with windows 11.. logged into the domain and copied some files to the desktop.. my documents.. onto the laptop and logged out... but the system doesnt sync it to the server.. i am not seeing any errors.. so i am at a lost here.

Answer 1

Hello Andre Bunting,

The behavior you describe where the profile path D:\Profiles$\Sam.v6 is created but remains empty and does not sync user data indicates that the roaming profile is not being written back to the server during logoff.

The first thing to confirm is that the user account in Active Directory has the correct profile path set. In ADUC, open the user properties, go to the Profile tab, and check that the “Profile path” is pointing to \ServerName\Profiles$\Sam.v6. If you only redirected folders but did not configure the roaming profile path, Windows will create the folder but not populate it.

Second, verify NTFS and share permissions. The share Profiles$ should have Everyone or Authenticated Users with Full Control at the share level, and NTFS permissions should grant the user Full Control on their own folder. If the administrator account has access but the user does not, the profile will fail to write back silently.

Third, check the event logs on the client under Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > User Profile Service. Even if you don’t see errors in the general logs, the User Profile Service log will usually show warnings if the profile cannot be copied back. Common causes are mismatched folder redirection policies, antivirus interference, or incorrect profile versioning (Windows 11 requires .v6 profiles, which you are using correctly).

Finally, confirm that you are not mixing folder redirection with roaming profiles incorrectly. If you redirected Desktop and Documents to another location, but did not enable roaming profiles, the files will stay on the redirected path and not appear in the profile folder. In that case, the empty profile folder is expected behavior.

I hope you've found something useful here. If it helps you get more insight into the issue, it's appreciated to accept the answer. Should you have more questions, feel free to leave a message. Have a nice day!

Domic Vo.

Answer 2

I deleted the user profile from the laptop.. deleted the user from the Active directory... created a new user and loaded it up on the laptop ... same issue.. so its clearly something on the windows 11

Answer 3

The described behavior indicates that the roaming user profile for this specific user is not being created/loaded, so nothing is written back to D:\Profiles$\Sam.v6 when the user signs off.

Based on the provided information, troubleshooting should focus on whether the user profile is actually roaming and whether the profile load is failing and falling back to a local or temporary profile.

Actionable checks:

1. Confirm the profile type for this user
   • Ensure the account is configured with a roaming profile path in Active Directory (for example, \\Server\Profiles$\Sam.v6).
   • Verify that other users whose profiles are correctly syncing are configured in the same way and point to the same share structure.
2. Check for temporary profile usage
   • If Windows cannot load the roaming profile, it may issue a temporary profile instead. Temporary profiles are deleted at logoff and do not sync back to the server.
   • A temporary profile is used “each time that an error condition prevents the user's profile from loading” and “changes made by the user to desktop settings and files are lost when the user logs off.”
   • On the client, check whether the user is being logged on with a temporary profile (for example, by notification or by checking that changes are lost after logoff/logon).
3. Check NTUSER.DAT / USRCLASS.DAT and permissions
   • A roaming/local profile is defined by the presence of a valid NTUSER.DAT hive and related files. If these files are read-only or have incorrect permissions, the profile may fail to load or save.
   • On the client, in the user’s local profile folder and in C:\Users\Default (which is used to create new profiles), verify:
     • NTUSER.DAT and USRCLASS.DAT are not marked Read-only.
     • The user has appropriate NTFS permissions (Full Control for their own NTUSER.DAT and USRCLASS.DAT).
   • The documentation notes that if the Read-only bit is enabled on these files, “it will cause profile load failures.”
4. Check that a proper profile is being created locally
   • The system creates a user profile the first time a user logs on. At subsequent logons, it loads that profile and applies configuration.
   • Confirm that for this user, a normal local profile folder exists under C:\Users\Sam (or equivalent) and that it contains the expected subfolders and NTUSER.DAT.
   • If the local profile is missing or damaged, the system may repeatedly create temporary profiles, which will never sync to D:\Profiles$\Sam.v6.
5. Compare with a working user
   • Take a user whose roaming profile is correctly syncing to D:\Profiles$\<User>.v6 and compare:
     • AD profile path configuration.
     • NTFS and share permissions on D:\Profiles$ and the specific user folder.
     • Any Group Policy settings related to Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection.
6. Consider primary computer restrictions
   • If Group Policy is configured to use “Download roaming profiles on primary computers only” or “Redirect folders on primary computers only,” and the user’s device is not designated as a primary computer, Windows will:
     • Load or create a local profile instead of the roaming one.
     • Not apply Folder Redirection or roaming profile settings on that device.
   • In that case, the server-side D:\Profiles$\Sam.v6 will remain empty because the profile is never used on that computer.
7. Check for profile corruption and recreate if necessary
   • If the profile for this user is corrupted (either locally or on the share), Windows may fail to load it and fall back to a temporary profile.
   • The guidance for temporary profiles notes that they are issued when an error condition prevents the user’s profile from loading.
   • If confirmed that the user is always getting a temporary profile, the usual remediation is to:
     • Back up any needed data from the local profile (if present).
     • Remove the problematic local profile and the corresponding server-side folder.
     • Let Windows create a fresh profile at next logon, then verify that D:\Profiles$\Sam.v6 is populated.

These steps focus on confirming that the user is not on a temporary or purely local profile, ensuring NTUSER.DAT/USRCLASS.DAT and permissions are correct, and verifying that Group Policy (including any primary computer configuration) is not preventing the roaming profile from being used.

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References:

• Folder Redirection and Roaming User Profiles in Windows and Windows Server
• About User Profiles
• Error occurs during desktop setup and desktop location is unavailable when you log on to Windows for the first time