Shortcut Deployment Using GPP

[Hightower]

We're currently allocating shortcuts to the users via GPP on a user level. This works quite well, except that it takes a few seconds to allocate the shortcuts every time the user logs on. I was interested in moving these over to be allocated on computer level, so they are only applied once every time the machine is turned on, but the shortcuts don't appear for the user unless we first delete their roaming profile. After deleting their roaming profile they can log on and see the shortcuts at assigned at computer level, but any changes aren't shown until their profile is deleted again.

At user level any changes are reflected as soon as the user logs on or runs a gpupdate if already logged on.

So, if you allocate your shortcuts using GPP, and do it on the computer section rather than the user section, do you experience the same of having to delete the profile for changes or is there something wrong with my setup?

Like I say, I'm using a test shortcut pointing to Google. The machines I've tested have been restarted to pick up the computer level preferences, and I log on with no change. Log off, delete the roaming profile so it will create a new one, and then when I log on again the shortcut appears.

[ricki]

HI

Why dont you create a share on the server and set the ntfs permissions so that students and staff can only read. Copy the icons you need to the charge and redirect the desktop to this folder and merge with the icons on the local machine.

Have a look here for info Group policy to redirect desktop

Richard

[Michael]

I've not used GPP to deploy shortcuts, but there was another discussion about this recently. Shortcuts are deployed in the SYSTEM context and not user and this is why it maybe taking time for shortcuts to appear. The problem with this method is that users can move, edit or delete shortcuts.

You could use Folder Redirection to redirect the desktop to a single share or you could redirect back to the user's Documents and copy shortcuts for that user here.

So the path would read \\SERVERNAME\%Username$%\Desktop

Alternatively create some new security groups, add users to those groups then create redirection rules. Everyone in the group would redirect to share A and others share B etc...

[sted]

if you want shortcuts on a pc rather than user level could you not use loopback processing so user settings are taken from the pc policy and then for pcs in group/ou redirect to an appropriate location?

[Davit2005]

We have redirected Desktops for young students and redirected start menu for all users. Both jus contain shortcuts to either network or local resources. Both are read only shares and touch wood we don't have any issues. Changes are instant aswell so users do not need to logoff to get the change.

[gybe78]

People that are redirecting Start Menus to network shares, can I ask what happens on laptops when a member of staff logs on at home offline? Do the shortcuts get cached at all?

[DaveP]

People that are redirecting Start Menus to network shares, can I ask what happens on laptops when a member of staff logs on at home offline? Do the shortcuts get cached at all?

We do not cache the profiles, desktop icons, start menu icons or any server based items. Staff logon to the computer locally [this computer in XP terms] when away from the network.

[sted]

depends if you have caching avaliable on the share with the start menus id guess

but for roaming laptops i give themn the normal start menu as well as the network one

[Michael]

Exactly as DaveP said. Also, I create a folder locally on the desktop with all application shortcuts as most programs will run locally.

[ruddj]

Where are you creating the shortcut? If you are assigning the policy to the computer you need to create the shortcut in the Computer Configuration rather than User Config and you need to use %CommonProgramsDir% and %CommonDesktopDir% rather than user specific %ProgramsDir%.
We use this to deploy our common shortcuts and only use the user specific paths for group specific shortcuts with Item Level Targeting. There is no need to use loop back processing.

[garethedmondson]

To bring an old threat back online - is it possible to use GPP for desktop icons even if there is a shared desktop? At the moment we run shared desktop for staff but no matter how hard I try and get an icon on there via GPP it does not appear.

Gareth

[ruddj]

Is the shared desktop local or on the network? If it is on the network, the local computer has no rights to create a shortcut there. Just create is manually and it will be available for all users.

[garethedmondson]

Is the shared desktop local or on the network? If it is on the network, the local computer has no rights to create a shortcut there. Just create is manually and it will be available for all users.

This is what the LEA told us too. Apparently the redirected desktop is applied after the gpp allocated icons. I wanted to target the icons to specific departments and get rid of redirected desktops. At the moment we have one redirected desktop which every member of staff gets when they log on. We have icons on there for software which is installed on some machines but not on others.

I could create separate re-directed desktops based on locations but surely GPP is the better option and the reason it was put in there by Microsoft.

Gareth

[ruddj]

Are you redirecting the Common Users Desktop folder or the Users own Desktop folder?
You can only add shortcuts to a folder where the PC or User has permission, so if either of these folders are local you can add shortcuts to them. You can also add shortcuts to a personal folder that is on the network e.g. we redirect staff desktops to a sub-folder on their network home drive. They have full rights to this folder so shortcuts can be created, but you need to tick "Run in logged-on user's security context (user policy option)" to ensure it is created using their credentials.