Home folders renames to My Documents

[bewlay51]

Is there a patch or fix to the bug that renames the users home folder to "My Documents" when you redirect the Documents folder on a Windows 7 based computer to a network share (see screen shot). I have looked at the following fix for Vista

When you redirect the Documents folder on a Windows Vista-based computer to a network share, the folder name unexpectedly changes back to Documents

I have tried method 2 and it doesn't work for me. Method 3 is a joke as the server may have 400+ home folders and I cant be expected to apply method 3 to all the desktop.ini files!!

The home folder is renamed when the user logs off, and once renamed to "My Documents" has not effect on its use. I cant believe this bug even exists on a flagship O.S. like Server 2008 R2.

Thanks,

John

[Nixphoe]

Here's a way to test out step 3 with a script. First test to see if this fixes your issue

XCACLS desktop.ini /D Administrator:R /Y

Manually check the file permission. If that works this should work for automating it for all users. I'm not too sure which desktop.ini file they are talking about so I'm putting an example for one in the file path and one in a UNC path.

FOR /F "tokens=1 delims= " %a in ('dir /b "c:\documents and settings"') DO XCACLS "c:\documents and settings\%a\desktop.ini /D Administrator:R /Y"

FOR /F "tokens=1 delims= " %a in ('dir /b "\\server\users\"') DO XCACLS  "\\server\users\%a\desktop.ini /D Administrator:R /Y"

** One note. If you save this to a batch file, you want to make the % double %% or else it won't work.

[jmcdermott]

Applied a quick fix for this on our network still working on long term fix.

Quick Fix
1) Set up a batch file on the server with the home dirs to delete all desktop.ini files from user areas.
2) Set up a task to run script every 12 hours.

not perfect but works.

[bewlay51]

Hello all and many thanks for your help and replies. I finally fixed the problem by disabling file synchronisation on the home folders.

This is what I found was happening….

1. I created a home folder in AD by using \\server\home$\students\%username%

2. That home folder is empty. There is nothing in the folder so the idea of deleting the desktop.ini file wont work.

3. The user logs on and a profile is created on the PC.

4. As soon as the user logs off the folders are synchronised and it is at that moment the home folder is renamed to “My Documents”; I guess thats when the desktop.ini file is copied across.

A real PAIN!! I’m lucky, the 2008 R2 server and test Win7 are all in a virtual format and I had set it up to configure some Group Polices and test for bugs before going live. I won’t be going live just yet.

I only have a few hours a week to work on this project and I have spent more time sorting bugs out then getting the GPO’s sorted out.

Thanks again.
PS: I know Roseland in Cornwall very well – very nice church.

[macdaddy]

Hello all and many thanks for your help and replies. I finally fixed the problem by disabling file synchronisation on the home folders.

bewlay51 you are definitely onto something here. The problem does indeed appear to be in the synchronization. How did you stop the synchronization on the home folders. I am running group policy and have not been able to do this.

Thanks in advance.

[tmcd35]

I've just noticed this on our systems. The home folders are stored on Win2k3 servers. When viewed from win2k3 or WinXP the folders are named correctly. When viewd from Win7 or Win08R2 the home folders, of those that have been accessed on a Win7 client, are all listed as 'My Documents'. Weired, but everything works so I haven't worrid about it!

[nephilim]

Applied a quick fix for this on our network still working on long term fix.

Quick Fix
1) Set up a batch file on the server with the home dirs to delete all desktop.ini files from user areas.
2) Set up a task to run script every 12 hours.

not perfect but works.

Would you happen to have the batch script to hand?

[DMcCoy]

Or you can just have My Documents as a redirect to a sub folder on their home folder as method one suggests. There are 10 profile folders that need redirecting after all (My Saved Games etc). Thats all we do here.

Username\Documents
Username\Downloads
Username\Music

[bewlay51]

Sorry, not been around for a while.
I did fix the problem by disabling file synchronisation on the home folders. I did it on the caching tab of the share, in my case "home$" Simple FIX. The following maybe of some help, but stops all synchronisation....

File Synchronisation – Stopping
You may wish to prevent file and folder synchronisation taking place when a user logs off. If so, you will need to edit the two group polices as described below.

a) Run group policy editor and navigate to “Default Domain Policy” right click and choose edit.
b) Choose Computer Configuration >Administrative Templates > Networking > Offline files.

Make the following changes:

Allow or disallow use of offline files features Disable
Synchronize all offline files when logging on Disable
Synchronize all offline files when logging off Disable
Synchronize all offline files before suspend Disable

Remove “Make Available Offline” Enabled
Prevent the use of offline file folders Enabled

Prohibit “Make available Offline” for those files and folders Disable


c) Navigate to “Default Domain Policy” right click and choose edit.
d) Choose Computer Configuration >Administrative Templates > Networking > Offline files.

Allow or disallow use of offline files features Disable

NEXT
e) Right click on the “home” share the select > Sharing > Caching >
f) Enable the last option “Files and programs from the share will not be available offline”. If wished, this option can be enabled for all shared folders.

Re-boot the server

[macdaddy]

Sorry, not been around for a while.
I did fix the problem by disabling file synchronisation on the home folders. I did it on the caching tab of the share, in my case "home$" Simple FIX. The following maybe of some help, but stops all synchronisation....

Perfect! The best solution I have seen yet. Have implemented it and all is working perfectly. Our one folder redirection policy for XP/7 works as advertised. You are correct this setting stops synchronization for all effected by the Group Policy. So this may not be for everyone. Thanks bewlay51!

[bewlay51]

Perfect! The best solution I have seen yet. Have implemented it and all is working perfectly. Our one folder redirection policy for XP/7 works as advertised. You are correct this setting stops synchronization for all effected by the Group Policy. So this may not be for everyone. Thanks bewlay51!

More then happy to help. This is a great forum and if I can help by passing on some information then I'm happy to do so. I have picked up some very useful tips here and I feel its all about sharing information.

[CraigM]

We have had this issue start to crop up now that we have Windows 7 computers starting to show up. Problem is that we still have far more XP computers here, and are likely to have XP for some time to come still. Still, we will try to fix this before it causes any potential issues.

I must say, it is indeed some strange behaviour, even though it was meant by design.

[adamf]

Perfect! The best solution I have seen yet. Have implemented it and all is working perfectly. Our one folder redirection policy for XP/7 works as advertised. You are correct this setting stops synchronization for all effected by the Group Policy. So this may not be for everyone. Thanks bewlay51!

Does anybody know how this would affect folders I do want to make available offline, such as users who have laptops? I don't want to tick the box if it's going to end up breaking something else.

[macdaddy]

Does anybody know how this would affect folders I do want to make available offline, such as users who have laptops? I don't want to tick the box if it's going to end up breaking something else.

We have used this for the last two months now and have had no problems. For us the GP is placed in the "Computers" OU which houses desktops and laptops. We have a mix of XP and 7. Since implementing this we have had no synchronization. But keep in mind for us we wanted to implement this District wide. We have not seen the home folders effected as well so there is no "renaming" of the home folders as before.

[rpwillis]

I've written a PowerShell script which denies read access to the desktop.ini file to a specified group. Anyone in this group will then not have the documents renamed.

http://blog.salamandersoft.co.uk/ind...network-share/