Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.

Dismiss

Folder Redirection Group Policy for My Documents

258 views

Skip to first unread message

Martin Healy

unread,

Mar 31, 2004, 12:50:06 PM3/31/04

My problem is that I can't create a Group Policy on the
domain network that will redirect a user's My Documents
folder to the user's home directory on the server. I am
using Windows 2003 Server operating system. The client
machines are using Windows 2000 professional. The My
Documents Redirection policy is extremely useful as it
backs up data to a central location on the server and it
gives the user the illusion that the data is stored
locally in My Documents. Anyway, I would like to get this
working as it would prove very useful for a project
demonstration. I used the following steps below in
attempt to implement this folder redirection policy.

Step 1 On the Windows 2003 Server Domain Controller, I
logged in as Administrator and created a test user account
with a username of mhealy in Active Directory.

Step 2 Then I created a Home Directory on the root of
drive D on the Server. I shared the folder and provided
all users (everyone) with Full Control Permission to this
folder.

Step 3 Then I provided a path to the shared folder by
opening Active Directory Users and Computers, right
clicking the test user account created from step 1 and
then clicking properties from the context menu. On the
Profile tab, under user profile, I typed the path
information: \\cork\Home\%username% where cork is the
name of the server or domain controller and the %username%
variable is used instead of typing in the username.

Step 4 Under Home folder, I clicked Connect, and then
clicked a network drive e.g. Z:. In to the To box, I
typed \\cork\Home\%username% again where cork is the name
of the server. Then I clicked OK.

Step 5 Next, in the console tree of Active Directory Users
and Computers, I right clicked the domain (CompanyX.com in
my case) and then clicked properties from the context menu.

Step 6 On the Group Policy tab, I created a new GPO named
Folder Redirect Policy, and then clicked Edit.

Step 7 Under User Configuration, I expanded Windows
Settings, expanded Folder Redirection, right clicked My
Documents and then clicked Properties.

Step 8 In the Setting list, click Basic - Redirect
everyone's folder to the same location.

Step 9 Under Target folder Location in the drop down box,
I selected redirect to the user's Home directory.

Step 10 On the setting tab, I clicked Redirect the folder
back to the local user profile location when policy is
removed.

Step 11 Finally, I clicked OK

Step 12 Then I went back to the Group Policy Window in
Active Directory and moved the Folder Redirect Policy
above the default domain policy by clicking the uplink
arrow so that this policy would be given first priority.

Step 13 Then I clicked Apply and OK.

Step 14 Then I verified to see if this Folder Redirection
policy was working or not by logging in using the test
user account created in the first step. I logged on to
the domain using the mhealy test account from a client
machine running Windows professional. I right clicked the
My Documents folder and clicked properties from the
context menu. However, with bitter disappointment I
discovered that the location of My Documents remained the
same. This was the usual default location of C:\Document
and Settings\mhealy\My Documents. Instead it should have
read \\cork\Home\mhealy if the policy worked.
Consequently, I decided to repeat the prcocedure and went
back to Step 9 above to make a slight alternation. Under
Target folder location in the drop down box, I selected
redirect to a different file location. Having selected
this option, I then inserted the UNC path to the home
directory below by typing \\cork\Home\%username%. Then I
clicked OK and place this policy on top like before.
However, this didn't work either as the location of the
Documents Folder remained the same.

As far as I remember, I shared the Home directory on the D
drive of the server with a sharename of Home. This is the
same name as the folder itself. Maybe, the reason why
this is not working is because the profile path or home
directory path are the same or else the method I used to
create the Home directory is wrong from the instruction
steps above. I would like to remind you that all the usual
services such as DHCP and DNS are working on the network.
I would also like to remind you that any user with a
domain user account can browse My Network Places, search
for cork (i.e. the name of the server running Windows 2003
Server) and locate the Home folder. Furthermore, the new
redirection group policy is placed on top in the number
one position ahead of the default domain policy. The My
Documents Folder Redirected Policy is generally regarded
as being the most common Group Policy. Anyway, I would
like to succeed in redirecting the My Documents folders to
their home directory on the server so that the default
location of MyDocuments will be changed
\\cork\Home\username.

Therefore, I would really appreciate if you could kindly
offer some technical support on how to redirect the
MyDocuments folder to the user home directory on the
server. My apologies for such a lengthy description of
the problem but I had to include the laborious steps so
that any errors can be identified.

Trusting that you can offer some assistance on this
problem.

Thanking You.

Martin Healy
Ireland
Email: martin...@eircom.net
Tel. 00 353 2647084

Dmitry Korolyov [MVP]

unread,

Mar 31, 2004, 3:21:19 PM3/31/04

You should not redirect folders to mapped network drives. Folder redirection processing occurs before network drives are being mapped, and that's why it will not work this way. Just use plain unc paths (preferrably with DFS).

--
Dmitry Korolyov [d_...@removethispart.mail.ru]
MVP: Windows Server - Active Directory

"Martin Healy" <anon...@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message news:16b3701c41748$99e62ee0$a101...@phx.gbl...

Eric Voskuil

unread,

Mar 31, 2004, 10:13:48 PM3/31/04

Correct, since logon scripts (including Group Policy logon scripts) run after *all* Group Policy processing is complete, there is no opportunity to use drive maps configured in logon scripts within Group Policy extensions that must access the mapping. If there is a need (or even a strong desire ;-) to do this, Policy Maker Drive Maps policy configures drives during policy processing, and prior to folder redirection policy. Therefore it is possible to do this in Group Policy, just not with the default extensions. All Group Policy extensions (in their processsing order) are listed below.

Regards,

Eric Voskuil

Policy Maker

http://www.autoprof.com/policy

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{08E9566B-1390-4BFB-B19F-EA465BAD922D}]
@="Policy Maker Environment"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Environment,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyEnviron"
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyEnviron"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExEnviron"
"Status"=dword:80070002
"RsopStatus"=dword:00000000
"LastPolicyTime"=dword:00c29d23
"PrevSlowLink"=dword:00000000
"PrevRsopLogging"=dword:00000001
"ForceRefreshFG"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{0ACDD40C-75AC-47ab-BAA0-BF6DE7E7FE63}]
@="Wireless"
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessWIRELESSPolicy"
"DllName"=hex(2):67,00,70,00,74,00,65,00,78,00,74,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
00,00
"NoUserPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{1EA5E892-2292-438F-8D05-40E7B0007585}]
@="Policy Maker Drive Maps"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Drive Maps,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyDrives"
"NoBackgroundPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoMachinePolicy"=dword:00000001
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyDrives"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExDrives"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{25537BA6-77A8-11D2-9B6C-0000F8080861}]
@="Folder Redirection"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyEx"
"DllName"=hex(2):66,00,64,00,65,00,70,00,6c,00,6f,00,79,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,\
6c,00,00,00
"NoMachinePolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoSlowLink"=dword:00000001
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000000
"NoBackgroundPolicy"=dword:00000000
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicy"
"EventSources"=hex(7):28,00,46,00,6f,00,6c,00,64,00,65,00,72,00,20,00,52,00,65,\
00,64,00,69,00,72,00,65,00,63,00,74,00,69,00,6f,00,6e,00,2c,00,41,00,70,00,\
70,00,6c,00,69,00,63,00,61,00,74,00,69,00,6f,00,6e,00,29,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{35378EAC-683F-11D2-A89A-00C04FBBCFA2}]
"Status"=dword:00000000
"RsopStatus"=dword:00000000
"LastPolicyTime"=dword:00c2988c
"PrevSlowLink"=dword:00000000
"PrevRsopLogging"=dword:00000001
"ForceRefreshFG"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{3610eda5-77ef-11d2-8dc5-00c04fa31a66}]
@="Microsoft Disk Quota"
"NoMachinePolicy"=dword:00000000
"NoUserPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoSlowLink"=dword:00000001
"NoBackgroundPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000000
"RequiresSuccessfulRegistry"=dword:00000001
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000000
"DllName"=hex(2):64,00,73,00,6b,00,71,00,75,00,6f,00,74,00,61,00,2e,00,64,00,\
6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicy"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{426031c0-0b47-4852-b0ca-ac3d37bfcb39}]
@="QoS Packet Scheduler"
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessPSCHEDPolicy"
"DllName"=hex(2):67,00,70,00,74,00,65,00,78,00,74,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
00,00
"NoUserPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{42B5FAAE-6536-11d2-AE5A-0000F87571E3}]
@="Scripts"
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessScriptsGroupPolicy"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessScriptsGroupPolicyEx"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateScriptsGroupPolicy"
"DllName"=hex(2):67,00,70,00,74,00,65,00,78,00,74,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
00,00
"NoSlowLink"=dword:00000001
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001
"NotifyLinkTransition"=dword:00000001
"Status"=dword:00000000
"RsopStatus"=dword:00000000
"LastPolicyTime"=dword:00be9296
"PrevSlowLink"=dword:00000000
"PrevRsopLogging"=dword:00000001
"ForceRefreshFG"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{827D319E-6EAC-11D2-A4EA-00C04F79F83A}]
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="SceProcessSecurityPolicyGPO"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="SceGenerateGroupPolicy"
"ExtensionRsopPlanningDebugLevel"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="SceProcessSecurityPolicyGPOEx"
"ExtensionDebugLevel"=dword:00000001
"DllName"=hex(2):73,00,63,00,65,00,63,00,6c,00,69,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
00,00
@="Security"
"NoUserPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"MaxNoGPOListChangesInterval"=dword:000003c0
"PreviousPolicyAreas"=dword:00000001
"Status"=dword:00000000
"RsopStatus"=dword:00000000
"LastPolicyTime"=dword:00c29c65
"PrevSlowLink"=dword:00000000
"PrevRsopLogging"=dword:00000001
"ForceRefreshFG"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{A2E30F80-D7DE-11d2-BBDE-00C04F86AE3B}]
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyEx"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicy"
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicy"
"DllName"=hex(2):69,00,65,00,64,00,6b,00,63,00,73,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,\
6c,00,6c,00,00,00
@="Internet Explorer Branding"
"NoSlowLink"=dword:00000001
"NoBackgroundPolicy"=dword:00000000
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001
"NoMachinePolicy"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{B1BE8D72-6EAC-11D2-A4EA-00C04F79F83A}]
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="SceProcessEFSRecoveryGPO"
"DllName"=hex(2):73,00,63,00,65,00,63,00,6c,00,69,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
00,00
@="EFS recovery"
"NoUserPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001
"RequiresSuccessfulRegistry"=dword:00000001
"Status"=dword:00000000
"RsopStatus"=dword:80070032
"LastPolicyTime"=dword:00c20605
"PrevSlowLink"=dword:00000000
"PrevRsopLogging"=dword:00000001
"ForceRefreshFG"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{c6dc5466-785a-11d2-84d0-00c04fb169f7}]
@="Software Installation"
"DllName"=hex(2):61,00,70,00,70,00,6d,00,67,00,6d,00,74,00,73,00,2e,00,64,00,\
6c,00,6c,00,00,00
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyObjectsEx"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicy"
"NoBackgroundPolicy"=dword:00000000
"RequiresSucessfulRegistry"=dword:00000000
"NoSlowLink"=dword:00000001
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"=hex(7):28,00,41,00,70,00,70,00,6c,00,69,00,63,00,61,00,74,00,69,\
00,6f,00,6e,00,20,00,4d,00,61,00,6e,00,61,00,67,00,65,00,6d,00,65,00,6e,00,\
74,00,2c,00,41,00,70,00,70,00,6c,00,69,00,63,00,61,00,74,00,69,00,6f,00,6e,\
00,29,00,00,00,28,00,4d,00,73,00,69,00,49,00,6e,00,73,00,74,00,61,00,6c,00,\
6c,00,65,00,72,00,2c,00,41,00,70,00,70,00,6c,00,69,00,63,00,61,00,74,00,69,\
00,6f,00,6e,00,29,00,00,00,00,00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{D58ABC6E-E15E-4AC2-B446-EEC37B6B45FB}]
@="Policy Maker Software Update"
"DllName"="polsucl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Software Update,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicySoftwareUpdates"
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicySoftwareUpdates"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExSoftwareUpdates"
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001
"MaxNoGPOListChangesInterval"=dword:000001e0
"Status"=dword:00000000
"RsopStatus"=dword:00000000
"LastPolicyTime"=dword:00c29cc5
"PrevSlowLink"=dword:00000000
"PrevRsopLogging"=dword:00000001
"ForceRefreshFG"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{e437bc1c-aa7d-11d2-a382-00c04f991e27}]
@="IP Security"
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessIPSECPolicy"
"DllName"=hex(2):67,00,70,00,74,00,65,00,78,00,74,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,\
00,00
"NoUserPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoGPOListChanges"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{F0DB2806-FD46-45B7-81BD-AA3744B32765}]
@="Policy Maker Folders"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Folders,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyFolders"
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyFolders"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExFolders"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{F17E8B5B-78F2-49A6-8933-7B767EDA5B41}]
@="Policy Maker Files"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Files,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyFiles"
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyFiles"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExFiles"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{F55DA052-16E1-434B-803F-F6A9F6945957}]
@="Policy Maker Ini Files"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Ini Files,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyIniFile"
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyIniFile"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExIniFile"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{F6E72D5A-6ED3-43D9-9710-4440455F6934}]
@="Policy Maker Registry"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Registry,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyRegistry"
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyRegistry"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExRegistry"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{F9C77450-3A41-477E-9310-9ACD617BD9E3}]
@="Policy Maker Applications"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Applications,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyApplications"
"NoMachinePolicy"=dword:00000001
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyApplications"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExApplications"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{FD023FFE-C165-40D5-A201-439FC65AC8A5}]
@="Policy Maker Printers"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Printers,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyPrinters"
"NoBackgroundPolicy"=dword:00000001
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyPrinters"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExPrinters"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{FD2D917B-6519-4BF7-8403-456C0C64312F}]
@="Policy Maker Shortcuts"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Shortcuts,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyShortcuts"
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyShortcuts"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExShortcuts"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{FD44098A-CA65-4054-8A70-EBAFAB263C70}]
@="Policy Maker Mail Profiles"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Mail Profiles,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyProfiles"
"NoBackgroundPolicy"=dword:00000001
"NoMachinePolicy"=dword:00000001
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyProfiles"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExProfiles"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon\GPExtensions\{FEF373ED-6CBE-4294-83EC-008D502B394A}]
@="Policy Maker Internet Settings"
"DllName"="polprocl.dll"
"EnableAsynchronousProcessing"=dword:00000001
"EventSources"="(Policy Maker Internet Settings,Application)"
"GenerateGroupPolicy"="GenerateGroupPolicyInternet"
"NoMachinePolicy"=dword:00000001
"PerUserLocalSettings"=dword:00000001
"ProcessGroupPolicy"="ProcessGroupPolicyInternet"
"ProcessGroupPolicyEx"="ProcessGroupPolicyExInternet"

"Dmitry Korolyov [MVP]" <d_...@removethispart.mail.ru> wrote in message news:%23qmZp31...@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...

0 new messages