How to place files on everyone desktop?

[CREATISH]

So a staff member wants sometimes a file normally a picture or PDF to teachers on their desktop, they are in a group and played around testing with my account.

 

 

At the moment I have added the file to a drive all the teachers and I have access too and then created a GPO in user preferences to add shortcuts as Create and linked the location of the file this works great however for non admins you can't delete this shortcut which is a bummer, as these things are just references if they don't want them then I want them to be able to remove them.

 

It being in preferences I would have thought it would be removable, what am I doing wrong?

 

Also is there an alternative way? all of there desktop are located on the server, would prefer GPO way however open to here on how its done for future play/reference

[Rob_D]

Sounds like a permissions thing.

 

Just to be clear, your redirecting the desktop to a network share where each user has their own desktop folder? And this is where you're copying the shortcuts to?

Can the users delete/edit their other desktop icons?

[CREATISH]

Sounds like a permissions thing.

 

Just to be clear, your redirecting the desktop to a network share where each user has their own desktop folder? And this is where you're copying the shortcuts to?

Can the users delete/edit their other desktop icons?

 

 

Hi thanks for the reply,

 

I was talking about two methods in post ill explain better just way tried.

 

 

I've set Policy which creates a Desktop Shortcut. This shortcut directs them to the location of the folder so being a pdf Example Network/Share/Verbpicture.pdf - So this shortcut when opened will open the PDF, however when a user decided they don't want it will ask for the admin password to delete.

 

Its under the Prefrence on user GPO, so not sure what can be changed

[elsiegee40]

At my last school we had a shortcut to a folder in the “pupil share” drive on the desktop for every student.

 

Staff members could place something in it they needed to share quickly with a class.

 

I guess the same thing could be done using the staff share

[CREATISH]

At my last school we had a shortcut to a folder in the “pupil share” drive on the desktop for every student.

 

Staff members could place something in it they needed to share quickly with a class.

 

I guess the same thing could be done using the staff share

 

We already have a shortcut to network drives on the desktop, However, the teachers sometimes want 1 new thing specifically on the desktop under the users noses.

 

If it can't be done then ill tell them that but realistically this should be feasible, it works just can't let users delete

[Rob_D]

Okay. So you're not redirecting desktops (the desktop folder for each user is C:\users\%username%\Desktop)

 

First are you creating the link in the user's desktop folder, or the "public"/"All Users" desktop folder? Non-admin users probably won't have permission to change items in the public folder. So make sure it's going into the user's personal one.

 

If you're putting the link in the user's personal desktop then I don't see why they shouldn't be able to edit it however they want (Can they edit/delete any of their other desktop icons? Can the create their own icons?)

 

If they can't change any icons, then it's permissions on the desktop folder, so you'd need to tweak them so the non-admins have edit/delete permissions.

 

It's more likely to a permissions thing in the file structure than GPO setting (or at least that should be easier to trouble shoot). I'd start by looking at the permissions on the user's desktop folder, and on the shortcut your copying.

 

I hop this all makes sense.

[CREATISH]

Okay. So you're not redirecting desktops (the desktop folder for each user is C:\users\%username%\Desktop)

 

First are you creating the link in the user's desktop folder, or the "public"/"All Users" desktop folder? Non-admin users probably won't have permission to change items in the public folder. So make sure it's going into the user's personal one.

 

If you're putting the link in the user's personal desktop then I don't see why they shouldn't be able to edit it however they want (Can they edit/delete any of their other desktop icons? Can the create their own icons?)

 

If they can't change any icons, then it's permissions on the desktop folder, so you'd need to tweak them so the non-admins have edit/delete permissions.

 

It's more likely to a permissions thing in the file structure than GPO setting (or at least that should be easier to trouble shoot). I'd start by looking at the permissions on the user's desktop folder, and on the shortcut your copying.

 

I hope this all makes sense.

 

Thanks for reply all learning here

 

Okay, I think I can see somewhat where this problem may lie.

 

 

So These users do have a GPO which redirects the desktops.

 

The Shortcut is getting added to %commondesktopdir%/

or in the drop-down menu as ''all users desktop''

 

I assume this is not actually placing a shortcut to there desktop but rather when logging in checks and sees the policy and adds it each login, but still being a prefrence why no delete. I have ticked apply one aswell

[clareq]

As I read it all staff desktops are redirected to \\server\desktop\%username% (just as an example, if I've guessed the correct path I'm in the wrong job) ? They each have modify permissions on their personal desktop? The GPO you've created, does it create the shortcut on \\server\desktop\%username%, or on Desktop? If it's on desktop, it's probably creating it on the All Users desktop, as mentioned above. Tweak your GPO to copy the shortcut to their personal desktop, on the server.

 

Hold on, just had a thought - if you use a GPO, and the teacher deletes the shortcut, next time they log on it will be recreated. I can see that getting annoying.

[CREATISH]

As I read it all staff desktops are redirected to \\server\desktop\%username% (just as an example, if I've guessed the correct path I'm in the wrong job) ? They each have modify permissions on their personal desktop? The GPO you've created, does it create the shortcut on \\server\desktop\%username%, or on Desktop? If it's on desktop, it's probably creating it on the All Users desktop, as mentioned above. Tweak your GPO to copy the shortcut to their personal desktop, on the server.

 

Hold on, just had a thought - if you use a GPO, and the teacher deletes the shortcut, next time they log on it will be recreated. I can see that getting annoying.

Thanks, the other option in the GPU is Desktop, will give this a try and write back.

 

 

And yes thats correct if you just create the GPO this would happen however in the common section of the GPO you can select Apply once so it will apply it and never recheck again Thanks good ayee

[CREATISH]

Okay. So you're not redirecting desktops (the desktop folder for each user is C:\users\%username%\Desktop)

 

First are you creating the link in the user's desktop folder, or the "public"/"All Users" desktop folder? Non-admin users probably won't have permission to change items in the public folder. So make sure it's going into the user's personal one.

 

If you're putting the link in the user's personal desktop then I don't see why they shouldn't be able to edit it however they want (Can they edit/delete any of their other desktop icons? Can the create their own icons?)

 

If they can't change any icons, then it's permissions on the desktop folder, so you'd need to tweak them so the non-admins have edit/delete permissions.

 

It's more likely to a permissions thing in the file structure than GPO setting (or at least that should be easier to trouble shoot). I'd start by looking at the permissions on the user's desktop folder, and on the shortcut your copying.

 

I hop this all makes sense.

 

As I read it all staff desktops are redirected to \\server\desktop\%username% (just as an example, if I've guessed the correct path I'm in the wrong job) ? They each have modify permissions on their personal desktop? The GPO you've created, does it create the shortcut on \\server\desktop\%username%, or on Desktop? If it's on desktop, it's probably creating it on the All Users desktop, as mentioned above. Tweak your GPO to copy the shortcut to their personal desktop, on the server.

 

Hold on, just had a thought - if you use a GPO, and the teacher deletes the shortcut, next time they log on it will be recreated. I can see that getting annoying.

 

Thanks for reply all learning here

 

Okay, I think I can see somewhat where this problem may lie.

 

 

So These users do have a GPO which redirects the desktops.

 

The Shortcut is getting added to %commondesktopdir%/

or in the drop-down menu as ''all users desktop''

 

I assume this is not actually placing a shortcut to there desktop but rather when logging in checks and sees the policy and adds it each login, but still being a prefrence why no delete. I have ticked apply one aswell

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks, guys, setting it to save in Desktops rather then All users Desktop did the trick.

 

I'm curious to know where it stores it when you select All users desktops?

 

It does work but won't allow you to delete?

 

Anyways problem solved

[Rob_D]

I'm curious to know where it stores it when you select All users desktops?

 

I would imagine "C:\users\public\desktop"