Installing the TSE Option Pack
Typically, this column reviews the most recent additions to Microsoft Support Online that pertain to Windows NT Server 4.0, Terminal Server Edition (TSE). However, an entry from last summer contradicts Microsoft Support Online article Q190157. Article Q190157, a newer entry that I reported on in the November 10, 1999, issue of Thin-Client UPDATE, states that Internet Explorer (IE) 4.0 and the Option Pack don’t work on TSE. As two alert readers pointed out, you can indeed install the TSE Option Pack following the instructions in Microsoft Support Online article Q194395. Using the procedure the article presents, you can install Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 on top of TSE, although I don’t recommend doing so if you’re expecting a heavy load on the Web server.
How to Install ODBC or MDAC on TSE
The multiuser nature of TSE creates some challenges when installing Microsoft Data Access Components (MDAC) on a TSE server. Because both applications and system services (including the Terminal Services Licensing Service) use ODBC, it’s important to properly set up MDAC to keep the services that depend on ODBC running correctly. Follow the instructions in Microsoft Support Online article Q216149 to ensure that the MDAC installation finishes and that members of the Everyone group have the necessary permissions to files.
Dial-up ICA Clients Unexpectedly Disconnect
TSE clients connecting via Independent Computing Architecture (ICA) might unexpectedly disconnect from the TSE server over a dial-up link. Microsoft Support Online article Q242023 tells you how to get a hotfix for this problem. You should also consider the possibility of excessive timeouts on the line.
Y2K Updates for TSE
Check Microsoft Support Online article Q196548 to make sure that you’ve got all the latest Y2K fixes for TSE. The article lists the known TSE-compliance issues and provides a link to the download site for the hotfix.
Temp Directory not Accessible After Applying TSE SP4
After you apply TSE Service Pack 4 (SP4), you might receive error messages telling you that the temp directory is not accessible, which happens because SP4 doesn’t reset permissions or delete existing temporary folders that the OS orphans after a dirty shutdown (an improper shutdown or one resulting from a system crash). Microsoft included this change in SP4 to improve security by preventing new users from viewing the contents of temporary folders that didn’t delete when the TSE server shut down abruptly. With SP4 installed, Windows Terminal Services (WTS) sets the permissions on existing temp folders so that new users can't see them. Of course, this means that if you attempt to log on after a dirty shutdown, you won't be able to access an undeleted temp folder with your name, and WTS won't create a new one for you. To fix the problem, you can either get a fix from Microsoft (see Microsoft Support Online article Q234029 or work around it with the Flattemp command, which you can read about in Microsoft Support Online article Q186524. The fix doesn’t delete the undeleted folders, but resets the permissions so that someone logging on with the same account can access the contents of the folder.
