Vista - Managing Roaming User Data XP v Vista

Hi all,
I have read the "Managing Roaming User Data Deployment Guide" however I am a
little confused about "Scenario 3: Windows Vista and Windows XP Roaming User
Profile Interoperability" I do not think this is an adequate explanation and
can someone clarify from MSFT?
The scenario is just way too superficial in my opinion, in fact the document
as a whole needs a rewrite.
So my questions that are not explained or clear in the document are as
follows:
Do XP and Vista clients need their own separate GPO which set redirection
policies or will the one GPO as described in scenario 3 suffice?
The section on page 34 describes how to "Configure the Application Data
folder to interoperate between Windows Vista and Windows XP". You go on to
say "Right-click the Application Data folder" - do you mean AppData(Roaming)
folder since you are on Vista client and Vista GPMC?
I start to get worried here as I believe there are errors in the document!
Later in the same section it states: "6. Clear the Also apply redirection
policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server
2003 operating systems check box and then click OK" and then "This policy
setting should apply only to clients running Windows Vista and not to
earlier versions of Windows."
So my question is, is this GPO just for Vista clients? Do you need another
for XP that has the APPData(Roaming) setting for "Also apply redirection
policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server
2003 operating systems" checked and pointing to the same share location?
Otherwise if you deselect AppData for legacy clients how would those clients
know to redirect to the correct application data location that is shared
with Vista.

I guess what I am really saying is that the document is really a "do this
document" with no explanation as to why, it then fails to give clear
unambiguous instructions and the reader is left wondering what you really
mean.
Other questions that are related, like: "is it best practice to have
speficic OU's for Vista client machines"? I would think it is not but I have
not sceen a statement that says speficically "Vista clients should co-exist
in OU's with other client machines" or something to the effect.
So can someone from MSFT take a look at this document and make sure it is
clear and unambiguous for us poor system administrators that are going to
have to make roaming profiles interoperate between 2000, XP and Vista?
Also if anyone in the IT community would like to comment or help I would
very much appreciate it.
But in the short term " do you need one GPO for XP (legacy machines) and
another for Vista to make roaming profiles inter operate correctly?
Pete Gomersall
Systems Administrator
Northern Arizona University

Hi Pete,
I agree - I have just spent 2 days trying to lab XP vx Vista roaming profile
/ folder redirection based on the "Managing Roaming User Data Deployment
Guide". I was starting to wonder if it was just me, or if others noticed that
the doc is ambiguous and unactionable. I independantly arrived at the same
questions about single vs. duplicate GPOs, and when a policy should have the
compatibility setting checked.

This document is not usable in it's present form, and needs to be clarified.
Most web advice just points to this doc. This issues is URGENT for those of
us we depend on interoperability.

**Microsoft, please help!!!**

Sincerely,
Mark Riehm
CEO, FSBiT Inc.


"Pete Gomersall" wrote:

> Hi all,
> I have read the "Managing Roaming User Data Deployment Guide" however I am a
> little confused about "Scenario 3: Windows Vista and Windows XP Roaming User
> Profile Interoperability" I do not think this is an adequate explanation and
> can someone clarify from MSFT?
> The scenario is just way too superficial in my opinion, in fact the document
> as a whole needs a rewrite.
> So my questions that are not explained or clear in the document are as
> follows:
> Do XP and Vista clients need their own separate GPO which set redirection
> policies or will the one GPO as described in scenario 3 suffice?
> The section on page 34 describes how to "Configure the Application Data
> folder to interoperate between Windows Vista and Windows XP". You go on to
> say "Right-click the Application Data folder" - do you mean AppData(Roaming)
> folder since you are on Vista client and Vista GPMC?
> I start to get worried here as I believe there are errors in the document!
> Later in the same section it states: "6. Clear the Also apply redirection
> policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server
> 2003 operating systems check box and then click OK" and then "This policy
> setting should apply only to clients running Windows Vista and not to
> earlier versions of Windows."
> So my question is, is this GPO just for Vista clients? Do you need another
> for XP that has the APPData(Roaming) setting for "Also apply redirection
> policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server
> 2003 operating systems" checked and pointing to the same share location?
> Otherwise if you deselect AppData for legacy clients how would those clients
> know to redirect to the correct application data location that is shared
> with Vista.
>
> I guess what I am really saying is that the document is really a "do this
> document" with no explanation as to why, it then fails to give clear
> unambiguous instructions and the reader is left wondering what you really
> mean.
> Other questions that are related, like: "is it best practice to have
> speficic OU's for Vista client machines"? I would think it is not but I have
> not sceen a statement that says speficically "Vista clients should co-exist
> in OU's with other client machines" or something to the effect.
> So can someone from MSFT take a look at this document and make sure it is
> clear and unambiguous for us poor system administrators that are going to
> have to make roaming profiles interoperate between 2000, XP and Vista?
> Also if anyone in the IT community would like to comment or help I would
> very much appreciate it.
> But in the short term " do you need one GPO for XP (legacy machines) and
> another for Vista to make roaming profiles inter operate correctly?
> Pete Gomersall
> Systems Administrator
> Northern Arizona University
>
>