How to save Chrome bookmarks on local profiles rather than roaming?

[talksr]

Hi there,

I have given up using Roaming profiles on our Windows 10 systems using our 2016 server as we had constant one drive and start menu redirection issues.

 

I am looking at using local profiles but I am finding that this then means, when a user logs into a new station for the first time, they will not have their Google Chrome bookmarks. Is there a way to get around this?

 

This is just an admin office deployment so under 10 computers and users.

[mjk]

log into Chrome itself

[talksr]

log into Chrome itself

 

Good idea, I had not thought about that.

 

Is there no way to point the Chrome info at their my documents folder which would follow them from computer to computer instead?

[mjk]

Sorry I don't know, I just get all staff to log into Chrome and this works quite nicely for us. Some staff find it helpful that they can get the same browser experience at home too.

[bknaggs]

There is a group policy setting that makes Chrome save settings into a profile.pb file. I'm not sure if I've set it to save into the roaming part of the profile or if that is where it saves by default but it doesn't matter. I run a login script that copies this file from the user's documents and puts it into the correct place in the profile and then a logout script to copy it from the profile into the documents. It appears to be roaming quite nicely. Usual caveat of last save wins so if somebody has logged in more than once there is a risk they'll lose any changes they've made in a different session.

 

I can have a look at the specifics of the policy if you want but it won't be until tomorrow.

[arh1a]

I have only tested favorites/bookmarks being saved in the users Documents Home Folder so far. Not tested password syncs yet but I don't see why they wont work now there's a profile.pb file. Seems to not mind the same user logged into different computers using chrome at the same time.

 

The two setting I applied in the GPOs are as follows:

 

Set the roaming profile directory = ${documents}\Chrome

Enable the creation of roaming copies of Google Chrome profile data = Enabled

[talksr]

There is a group policy setting that makes Chrome save settings into a profile.pb file. I'm not sure if I've set it to save into the roaming part of the profile or if that is where it saves by default but it doesn't matter. I run a login script that copies this file from the user's documents and puts it into the correct place in the profile and then a logout script to copy it from the profile into the documents. It appears to be roaming quite nicely. Usual caveat of last save wins so if somebody has logged in more than once there is a risk they'll lose any changes they've made in a different session.

 

I can have a look at the specifics of the policy if you want but it won't be until tomorrow.

 

I have only tested favorites/bookmarks being saved in the users Documents Home Folder so far. Not tested password syncs yet but I don't see why they wont work now there's a profile.pb file. Seems to not mind the same user logged into different computers using chrome at the same time.

 

The two setting I applied in the GPOs are as follows:

 

Set the roaming profile directory = ${documents}\Chrome

Enable the creation of roaming copies of Google Chrome profile data = Enabled

 

Thanks guys, that sounds like a good idea.

Do you know where within Group Policy this setting would be?

I am using local profiles for everyone, but with in User Config>Windows Settings>Folder Redirection>AppData (Roaming), I have this set to point to AppData within the user's home folder, such that this follows them from computer to computer.

Maybe it would be possible to point the Chrome file into here?

 

Also, any ideas on how I could make this AppData folder hidden so the user can't see if in their home folder?

[talksr]

There is a group policy setting that makes Chrome save settings into a profile.pb file. I'm not sure if I've set it to save into the roaming part of the profile or if that is where it saves by default but it doesn't matter. I run a login script that copies this file from the user's documents and puts it into the correct place in the profile and then a logout script to copy it from the profile into the documents. It appears to be roaming quite nicely. Usual caveat of last save wins so if somebody has logged in more than once there is a risk they'll lose any changes they've made in a different session.

 

I can have a look at the specifics of the policy if you want but it won't be until tomorrow.

 

@bknaggs, if you could, that would be great.

I have found the following setting within Group Policy, not sure if this might help me:

 

I have looked the setting up in more detail https://www.chromium.org/administrators/policy-list-3/user-data-directory-variables and it seems you could put in ${documents} as a variable which would point it to the Documents folder for the current user. This might work, though may look a little untidy to have user data in their My Docs.

[Katy]

I've got it to redirect the Chrome profile to a network drive... however now every time Chrome is started there's a warning about the profile being on a network drive. Has anybody found a way to turn this off?

[bknaggs]

@bknaggs, if you could, that would be great.

I have found the following setting within Group Policy, not sure if this might help me:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]49175[/ATTACH]

 

I have looked the setting up in more detail https://www.chromium.org/administrators/policy-list-3/user-data-directory-variables and it seems you could put in ${documents} as a variable which would point it to the Documents folder for the current user. This might work, though may look a little untidy to have user data in their My Docs.

 

I set the roaming profile directory to ${roaming_app_data}\Google\Chrome\Profile and the User data directory to ${local_app_data}\Google\Chrome\User Data (I don't think this needs to be set as Chrome default to using the local profile anyway). The roaming profile directory needs the setting Enable the creation of roaming copies for Google Chrome profile data to be set to Enabled in order to work.

 

If you're using redirected appdata then setting the roaming profile directory as I've done will copy it into the redirected folder. I've moved everyone here to fully local profiles with no redirection but run a script on logout to copy certain things out of the local Windows profile into a profile backup folder. An equivalent script runs on login to copy the files back into the local profile.

@Katy I've not come across a way to stop the warning message about the profile being stored on a network location.

[talksr]

I set the roaming profile directory to ${roaming_app_data}\Google\Chrome\Profile and the User data directory to ${local_app_data}\Google\Chrome\User Data (I don't think this needs to be set as Chrome default to using the local profile anyway). The roaming profile directory needs the setting Enable the creation of roaming copies for Google Chrome profile data to be set to Enabled in order to work.

 

If you're using redirected appdata then setting the roaming profile directory as I've done will copy it into the redirected folder. I've moved everyone here to fully local profiles with no redirection but run a script on logout to copy certain things out of the local Windows profile into a profile backup folder. An equivalent script runs on login to copy the files back into the local profile.

@Katy I've not come across a way to stop the warning message about the profile being stored on a network location.

 

Thanks for taking the time to reply. Interesting, I had never thought about log on and log off scripts. That is very interesting.

Is there any chance you might be able to share some with me? Would be very interested to see how you set that up.

 

In terms of Chrome Profile and User data, ok, I will try your suggestion of ${roaming_app_data}\Google\Chrome\Profile and ${local_app_data}\Google\Chrome\User Data respectively.

 

My only question is where on the policy do you insert the profile path?

I only seem to have Set user data directory on mine? (as below)

[bknaggs]

@talksr that sounds like you need to update your Chrome policy definitions - get them from here https://enterprise.google.com/chrome/chrome-browser/

If you're using redirected appdata you don't need to bother with the login/logoff scripts as the settings will roam anyway and don't need copying outside of that.

 

But my logout script does the following for Chrome

robocopy "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\Profile\Default" "\\SERVER\%username%$\ProfileBackup\Chrome" *.pb

 

Login does this

robocopy "\\SERVER\%username%$\ProfileBackup\Chrome" "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\Profile\Default" *.pb

[talksr]

@talksr that sounds like you need to update your Chrome policy definitions - get them from here https://enterprise.google.com/chrome/chrome-browser/

If you're using redirected appdata you don't need to bother with the login/logoff scripts as the settings will roam anyway and don't need copying outside of that.

 

But my logout script does the following for Chrome

robocopy "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\Profile\Default" "\\SERVER\%username%$\ProfileBackup\Chrome" *.pb

 

Login does this

robocopy "\\SERVER\%username%$\ProfileBackup\Chrome" "C:\Users\%username%\AppData\Roaming\Google\Chrome\Profile\Default" *.pb

 

Thank you. No I understand you can't have both options running, just interested to see what you had done with the scrips as never really thought about that.

Thanks, have updated the definitions.

I am getting a couple of Google Folders in the policy now which is odd. Not looked for the profile path setting yet.

 

[talksr]

Hi all, me again.

Still having trouble finding the part of Chrome Group Policy that allows me to set the profile location?

 

Does anyone know where it is? I have updated the definitions for Chrome as mine seemed outdated, but I am still struggling to find the part that allows me to change the profile location.

Any help would be great.

[bknaggs]

The settings you're after are in the top level of the Google Chrome section.