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Reply With QuoteNick_Parker (21st August 2009)
Ok, so I know I'm getting ahead of myself here, but I wanted to set up a test network machine running Windows 7 so that I am prepared for it.
Everything works great apart from the fact that the documents shortcut on the start menu points to the Libraries, rather than directly at the documents folder. This wouldn't be a problem except that the libraries are pointing at the C: Drive User folders rather than my folder redirections on the server.
Anyone experimented with the Libraries stuff on a network yet? Are there any ways to control it with group policy and do I need a Windows 7 admin station to see those policies?
What version of server are you running?
Server 2008. All up to date.
I did a search for Libraries and Libray in group policy and the only option I can find is one to turn them off completely. I may try that.
It seems weird that there are no more detailed controls for something that is a major new feature of Windows 7. Perhaps I'm missing something.
No it doesn't. Server 2008 is designed to work with Vista. Server 2008 R2 probably has these controls in.Originally Posted by mitchell1981
Once Windows 7 and Server 08 R2 are actually on the market I suspect they'll be a service pack/admin pack which'll add most of the controls to Server 2008, in the same way as they did for Server 03 and Vista.
Yes you're probably right. Might have a play with the R2 beta then, although I expect that the group policies are probably one of the last things they work on.
It is already possible to add the Windows 7 group policies to Server 2008. If you copy the Group Policy .admx templates from a Windows 7 machine to the Group Policy Central Store on your SYSVOL share, any Server 2008 or Vista machine will be able to see the Windows 7 policies and set them (when logged in as a domain admin, obviously).
If you're not yet using a Central Store, see this article for how to set one up.
I have this set up on our domain, and I've had a quick look through for Library group policies - there aren't that many that I can see, which seems to be your experience already.
OK, first off - just checked the libraries on a standard user on our Windows 7 clients, and they are obeying folder redirection, so something is amiss if yours aren't.
It seems the libraries themselves are defined by a set of .libary-ms XML files in AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries - it might be possible to be replace these with a customised definition that could be pushed out via Group Policy Preferences.
Ours are obeying folder redirection but annoyingly they seem to leave the local public documents folder in the library as well and student accounts can add/remove folders! Is there anyway to turn this off? Group policy settings for the libraries feature are virtually non existent.
Last edited by DrCheese; 10th June 2009 at 03:50 PM.
I've noticed this as well, it's creating a redirected copy under the librarys, but the local ones are also showing, I can see it creating confusion and people will end up saving into the local documents instead if the network documents.
Not a fix per se, but you could simply delete the local folder using Group Policy Preferences (or scripting if you haven't wrapped your head around GPP yet). We do this as a matter of course to keep the profiles tidy, so may be why we didn't notice this behaviour.
Nick_Parker (21st August 2009)
Hmm, I think I'll give it a try
You wouldn't happen to have a guide or a step-by-step for this would you?
I could really do with one too if you get the chance to write one!You wouldn't happen to have a guide or a step-by-step for this would you?
Ed
How are people who've deployed Windows 7 live dealing with this?
I'm testing it again on a domain at home, but I can't see anyway of preventing users from messing about with library settings, so even if I do lock off the c:\users\public folder that it seems obsessed with adding by default there is nothing to stop them adding something else or deleting all of the folders from the library.
Sure it would just get reapplied when they logon next but I still find it incredible that I can't prevent them in the first place. All I want is the redirected folder in the library and have the settings locked off.
I've tried setting the security on the library file in %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\libraries but it doesn't seem to do much. All I can do is lock myself out from the folder.
I could disable libraries entirely but that's not supported by MS and it would remove all of the links in the start menu that go to docs/pictures/music and so on.
Argh!
I had the same issue on a Windows 7 client that I have at the moment for testing policies. Following AngryTechnician's guidelines seems to fix this in so far as the library only shows the redirected My Documents location and not the public one.
However one issue I am not sure about is that, under a restricted student account I always get a pause of around 5-10 seconds before the library will open. This does not happen under Staff or admin accounts. Has anyone else had this issue and know a way to prevent this delay? It may be a policy setting we have that is causing this, but I am not sure what!
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