OneDrive: Known Folder Move

[Matt Strickland]

Hi all,

Something I want to look at implementing this year is shifting Documents / Desktop / Pictures to OneDrive for students that log into school owned computers (of the desktops that we still have)

We still use the old default; folder redirection to a local share, which I need to turn off for KFM to work. But that has some issues:

• Some students don't have a specific device to themselves.
• The KFM is a computer based policy, no user based. (Loopback possibly required here)
• To actually move data, folder redirection would need to be first turned off, wait for files to copy locally, then a reboot for KFM to take place, and another reboot.

Now most users are BYOD, and most already save in OneDrive anyway, but its still a bit messy to change from folder redirection to KFM when users don't use a specific device.

Anyone else succeeded here? Already doing this?

For new students and staff this is already in place, but for many existing students this is not.

Matt

[Ben Green]

Hi Matt,

We went through the same process a couple of years ago.

We used the "SharePoint Migration Tool" to move files direct from the network file server to staff/student OneDrives - i.e. we did not rely on folder redirection switch-off to move files to a (single-point-of-failure) local PC and then KFM sync from there to OneDrive.

The overall order of events was:

Careful testing GPO changes for undo of folder redirection and OneDrive sync w/ KFM.

From memory, set KFM to silently enable ahead of folder redirection remove i.e. it was ready but failing due to the existing folder redirections.

Keeping users in the loop with timing of changes e.g. everyone log off school desktops on particular dates.

Preamble move of files within users' home folders on the server - we still had e.g. Pictures as a subfolder of Documents (Windows 2000 style??) which we flattened out into separate top-level folders, and moved 'everything else' in the user's home folder into another top-level folder to get all users into a consistent state.

Actual run of the SPMT against a runlist of local server folders to user OneDrives (this was pretty quick; one Friday eve I think).

Turn off file shares for home folders at the same time.

Run script to wipe local profiles on all shared PCs (lab desktops, shared loan laptops etc) to get a fresh first-time login w/ KFM experience on them.

From memory, staff laptops didn't need the abovementioned local-profile wipe for a clean/error-free experience, due to offline files - which were in effect for all redirected folders, but only on laptops.

i.e. each staff laptop user moved at their own pace - from redirected folders (relying on offline files, as the shares were already turned off) to KFM, as they rebooted/GPOs applied.

On staff laptops, OneDrive would have attempted a first-time sync of local files with the (identical) cloud files that we'd put there using SPMT - but we didn't hit any issues with this.

I assume you're using local profiles already; if you're still using roaming profiles then you'll want to make that switch first.

- Ben.

---

From: 'Matt Strickland' via Techies for schools <techies-f...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Thursday, 14 July 2022 6:43 pm
To: Techies for schools <techies-f...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [techies-for-schools] OneDrive: Known Folder Move

 

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Techies for schools" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to techies-for-sch...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/techies-for-schools/ad0c4e3f-45a0-4bb2-967e-81666b153e23n%40googlegroups.com.

Christchurch Boys' High School phone: +64 3 348 5003 address: 71 Straven Road, Riccarton, Christchurch 8014 postal: PO Box 8157, Riccarton, Christchurch 8440 web: www.cbhs.school.nz

[Matt Strickland]

Thanks Ben,

That makes good sense.

Yes just local profiles with a current purge if not used for ~90 days or so. Redirection only for students, staff have always has local, then KFM (or even user configured OneDrive 'backup') with the exception of those on MacOS.

I do already have KFM configured knowing its failing due to policy redirection.

Good to check the Pictures folder, I'd need to check if its still following Documents or not.

I assume you use/configure Files on Demand when they log into another desktop, a default from memory.

I suspect it will affect a small group of users, likely those without their own device which is few, and those using a school device for specialist subjects, particularly Media Studies/Video/Premiere Pro for which I still have local profiles and the Videos folder is local (actually on a separate drive/partition) so re-imaging and profile deletion retains the Videos folder, for those specific desktops.

Matt

[Jono Green]

Hi team,

Don't forget about Files-on-Demand in these sorts of situations to reduce the amount of OneDrive data being pulled to shared PCs as well. StorageSense can also be configured on Windows10/11 to dehydrate (or delete) the local copies of files as well that are older than 30/60/90 days.

Cheers,

Jono