My Documents Empty

[luketheduck]

This is the second time I've had this problem now, so any help would be appreciated.

Basically all users home folders are set to local path, and documents stored on the server.

But our deputy head's My Documents folder now appears empty after it was briefly disconnected to the server.

Even though his files are still on the server there they will not show up on this local machine.

I tried deleting his local profile so it recreated, but still the same issue.

Any advice?

[Andrew_C]

I'll be watching this thread closely. We've got a couple of these, both laptops that had "issues" synchronising when re-connected to the network.

Quick workaround is to add a shortcut to the desktop pointing to the server files.

[Joanne]

sometimes we have problems with the my documents folder. I tell the people to go to 'my computer' and then double click on 'n' drive (their space on the server)...

[sahmeepee]

Anything in event viewer?

[maniac]

Have you looked at the 'target folder' in the my documents folder properties? Chances are this is set to point to the wrong place.

Mike.

[mullet_man]

Not exactly the same problem, but we redirect the My Documents, and unless the users have Full Control of their home drives sometimes the My Documents won't redirect on some laptops, and it just gives them an empty My Documents stored locally.

It gives you an error in the event log, might be a good idea to check their first.

[azrael78]

We have had this too - entirely with Laptops and Offline Files though.
Best bet we found was to remove Offline files configuration (once ensuring that the laptop was infact on the network) - backup the offline files cache (just incase) and completely reconfigure Offline files.

It seems to happen when a laptop goes offline, despite the network still being present - so it then still points you at 'your documents' but it points you at the offline version, rather than the online version.

Personally, I HATE offline files and I'd love to stop it being used but some SMT members had it setup for them by county and they refuse to give it up.

[maniac]

It seems to happen when a laptop goes offline, despite the network still being present - so it then still points you at 'your documents' but it points you at the offline version, rather than the online version. . . .

To stop the laptop going offline, turn off 'slow link detection' in your group policy. This normally stops this behaviour (it did for us)

Mike.

[Michael]

@luketheduck - The problem won't be profile related as My Documents are redirected from a different location on the server.

@Joanne - Your solution is a temporary workaround for accessing file(s), however 99% of the time, applications always open My Documents by default and of course they'll see an empty directory.

Have a look here

[luketheduck]

Seems that my problem is the My Documents on the machine isn't picking up it's correct path. It is set through group policy to direct to \\server\blahblah\%username% but for whatever reason the affected users My Documents are pointing to the C:\documents & settings\%username%

Also, there is no 'Find Target' button, even if I set the affected users as administrators...

Any suggestions for how I can cure this?

[Geoff]

Run GPMC results on an affected user/machine combination and check the folder redirection is applying properly. If it isn't, then enable user event debugging to get to the root of the problem.

It's probably a permissions problem though.

[Michael]

@luketheduck - The My Documents policies which you need to check are:

User Config > Admin Templates > Desktop

The two policies are:

"Remove Properties from the My Documents context menu"

and

"Prohibit user from changing My Documents path"

Hope this helps!

[luketheduck]

@luketheduck - The My Documents policies which you need to check are:

User Config > Admin Templates > Desktop

The two policies are:

"Remove Properties from the My Documents context menu"

and

"Prohibit user from changing My Documents path"

Hope this helps!

Thanks, that's how I've cured it for now - changed the GP so I could redirect the My Documents target manually...