Centralised Desktop Icons and Shortcuts - What do you do?

[Nausing]

Hi all,

 

In the process of migrating to Windows 10. Currently with Windows 7 we use a desktop folder redirection group policy to manage our staff and students desktop icons/shortcuts. The policy looks are two read-only folders on a file server to issue the icons/shortcuts. We also lock it down so users cannot save anything to their desktop.

 

The trouble I have with this method is that if a devices network connection cuts out (user roaming between buildings, or device goes to sleep) the shortcuts disappear. The user needs to log out and back in to get the icons.

 

What other methods are there to achieve a central desktop experience for on-site and when teacher roam at home.

 

Thanks.

[AJWhite1970]

Right click on the desktop and choose refresh works here on the odd occasion it drops out

[Rob_D]

We used to copy are desktop/start menu 'to be redirected to' folders from a network share onto the C: drive as part of the startup script (it's just icons so small enough to not take too long), and then redirect to the folder on the C: drive.

 

Any changes are picked up at startup (provided the device is connected to your network on startup), but once the user is logged on and using it it's all local so no network required.

 

You should be able to get the icons back after a network dropout by selecting the desktop and hitting F5 or right-lick>refresh. I'm sure this has worked for me before.

[mavhc]

To go back to basics: What are you trying to achieve? Why are you doing this in the first place?

[sister_annex]

Our users have a home drive, their Desktop/Startmenu etc is redirected there and we use GPP to create the shortcuts

[Nausing]

I want staff and students to have different desktops which I define what they see. They should have no ability to save on to the desktop.

[mavhc]

Well, not saving to desktop I do via "Prevent Access To Drives From My Computer" in user>admin templates>windows components>file explorer, just prevent all of C:

 

I don't bother with desktop shortcuts as start menu search is better.

[FishCustard]

Like Rob_D we have a script that copies the Start Menu shortcuts to the local drive on boot to prevent this exact issue. We also have it hide any shortcuts for which the target doesn't exist on the local PC. Happy to post the script if you want.

 

We redirect the Desktop to a folder in users' home drives, so they can save whatever they want to it without bloating profiles.

[Nausing]

I'd really appreciate to see your start menu script.

 

Also do you use standard folder redirection in group policy to manage the desktop folder? Do you do this for both staff and students?