Home directory redirection failing, but Windows thinks its succeeding?

[localzuk]

We have a bit of an odd issue with our pupil home drives since moving to Windows 7.

 

Basically, the home directory redirection policy isn't working properly.

 

What we're seeing is an event 501 in the event log on the client machines saying the usual:

 

Successfully applied policy and redirected folder "Documents" to "\\storage\pupils$\13\testy5\documents\". Redirection options=0x9000.

 

Yet, if I go to the Documents library, it isn't linked. It still points at C:\Users\testy5\Documents.

 

Has anyone else seen this?

Edited October 22, 2013 by localzuk

[Chuckster]

How are you redirecting your users home directory in the GPO, and how have you defined it in each user's AD properties?

 

For me, I have selected the option Redirect to the user's home directory in GPO and in AD I have each user mapped with the H: drive and the location of their user area.

[localzuk]

Same way as you have there. They have a home directory defined - W: which points to their home directory (eg. the path in the success message). The GPO redirects everyone's folder to the same location - the home directory.

[Chuckster]

Ah, I think I might know what it is.

 

Try running this:

 

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{2112AB0A-C86A-4ffe-A368-0DE96E47012E}]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{2112AB0A-C86A-4ffe-A368-0DE96E47012E}\PropertyBag]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{491E922F-5643-4af4-A7EB-4E7A138D8174}]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{491E922F-5643-4af4-A7EB-4E7A138D8174}\PropertyBag]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{7b0db17d-9cd2-4a93-9733-46cc89022e7c}]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{7b0db17d-9cd2-4a93-9733-46cc89022e7c}\PropertyBag]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{A302545D-DEFF-464b-ABE8-61C8648D939B}]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{A302545D-DEFF-464b-ABE8-61C8648D939B}\PropertyBag]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{A990AE9F-A03B-4e80-94BC-9912D7504104}]

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FolderDescriptions\{A990AE9F-A03B-4e80-94BC-9912D7504104}\PropertyBag]

[localzuk]

No difference with that.

 

If I look in the user's account on the machine, the Documents library points to 2 locations - C:\Users\Administrator\Documents and Public documents (the shared one built into Windows 7).

 

So, it isn't even linking the c:\ location to the individual user!

[DMcCoy]

mandatory profile? You can try removing the .library-ms files from AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries.

 

You can also use something like slutil to set library paths on login, folder redirection doesn't seem to have a mechanism for updating the libraries when folders are redirected.

[localzuk]

Yeah, mandatory profile. I'll give those ideas a go!

[localzuk]

Well, slutil.exe (great name! Took me ages to actually download the flipping thing, due to filters!) works! Got the documents drive appearing in the library.

 

Now just to figure out how to remove the C:\users\public bit.

[DMcCoy]

You can delete and recreate to remove public. What I use with it

 

SLUtil Delete Documents

SLUtil Delete Pictures

SLUtil Delete Music

SLUtil Delete Videos

 

SLUtil Create Documents

SLUtil AddFolder Documents "%HomeShare%\Documents"

SLUtil SaveFolder Documents "%HomeShare%\Documents"

SLUtil NavPanePinnedState Documents TRUE

SLUtil FolderType Documents Documents

SLUtil Icon Documents imageres.dll,-112

 

SLUtil Create Pictures

SLUtil AddFolder Pictures "%HomeShare%\Pictures"

SLUtil SaveFolder Pictures "%HomeShare%\Pictures"

SLUtil NavPanePinnedState Pictures TRUE

SLUtil FolderType Pictures Pictures

SLUtil Icon Pictures imageres.dll,-113

 

SLUtil Create Music

SLUtil AddFolder Music "%HomeShare%\Music"

SLUtil SaveFolder Music "%HomeShare%\Music"

SLUtil NavPanePinnedState Music TRUE

SLUtil FolderType Music Music

SLUtil Icon Music imageres.dll,-108

 

SLUtil Create Videos

SLUtil AddFolder Videos "%HomeShare%\Videos"

SLUtil SaveFolder Videos "%HomeShare%\Videos"

SLUtil NavPanePinnedState Videos TRUE

SLUtil FolderType Videos Videos

SLUtil Icon Videos imageres.dll,-189