Profile Issues - Desktop Items

[cscc]

We are having a bit of trouble on our network regarding profile size which is normally relating to the amount of items stored on the desktop.

 

A lot of our staff members have desktop folder sizes in excess of 500MB and log in to multiple machines which is causing major slow downs across the network.

 

I was wondering whether it was possible to set a storage limit on the desktop folder which wouldn’t affect users who currently have a large amount of files present.

[Gibson335]

The fact that it must take ages for them to log on should be enough to educate them not to clog up their desktops. Are these roaming profiles? You can always redirect them to the server if not, which helps out a lot. If they have that size of roaming profile then something is seriously wrong. Get your line manager to discuss it with SMT - let staff help themselves and you.

[Domino]

If you are using server 2003 r2 you could use the disk quotaing tool to set up limits I'm sure.

 

However, I prefer to set everyone to use the same, read only desktop. It sure speeds things up - and once people get used to it, having a desktop thats uneditable is no real hardship

[IanT]

Are you running Roaming Profiles?

[cscc]

Yep we use roaming profiles here. We are constantly finding ourselves deleting the desktop folders on the local machine and at the server end to resolve the issue but as soon as they log in to another machine it reappears on the server and then the problems starts all over again.

 

We have sent out several emails and talked to staff numerous times about making sure their desktop only contains shortcuts to files and folders but it falls on deaf ears.

 

This is why I wanted to either limit the size of the desktop or possibly restrict all files/folders except shortcuts.

 

We did have a script via GP which removes all local profiles on start-up but this was slowing the network down majorly as staff profiles were being downloaded every day.

[Gibson335]

If you were cheeky enough you could simply schedule a task that deleted the Profiles folder every night...perhaps then they'd get the idea. At that point you could then withdraw roaming profiles altogether.

 

Hey...sometimes the network 'just does things like that'.

[IanT]

Yep we use roaming profiles here. We are constantly finding ourselves deleting the desktop folders on the local machine and at the server end to resolve the issue but as soon as they log in to another machine it reappears on the server and then the problems starts all over again.

 

We have sent out several emails and talked to staff numerous times about making sure their desktop only contains shortcuts to files and folders but it falls on deaf ears.

 

This is why I wanted to either limit the size of the desktop or possibly restrict all files/folders except shortcuts.

 

We did have a script via GP which removes all local profiles on start-up but this was slowing the network down majorly as staff profiles were being downloaded every day.

 

ahhhhhhh okies, running Roaming Profiles IMO can be a nightmare to run, having users download big files onto dekstops and eatting up space on the desktop/server.

 

Causes too many problems Roaming Profiles.

[cscc]

Ill have a look in to the disk quota option and possibly task scheduling a profile delete

 

Thanks for the help guys.

[srochford]

We are having a bit of trouble on our network regarding profile size which is normally relating to the amount of items stored on the desktop.

 

 

I keep reading this and I keep wondering why people set their networks up to allow this to happen.

 

This Microsoft article gives the basics of how to use folder redirection.

 

Roaming profiles only need to contain a tiny amount of data (the biggest file will probably be ntuser.dat) - everything else should stay on the server but should appear to roam because the pointers to the shell folders roam.

 

Configure your network so that desktop, application data, my documents (and its subfolders) are redirected and 90% of the problems with roaming profiles will go away.

 

There's no reason at all why a user shouldn't have all their files stored on the desktop - it's our job to make that work for them and it's stupidly easy to do (one folder redirection setting in one group policy).

[Gibson335]

'There's no reason at all why a user shouldn't have all their files stored on the desktop - it's our job to make that work for them and it's stupidly easy to do (one folder redirection setting in one group policy). '

 

Actually, I couldn't disagree more. It's not 'our job' to simply allow them to do whatever they want, without trying to educate them to manage things better. Many of ours have duplicate files, CDs, video files, etc on their dektop because they are too lazy to locate it on the storeage server. In 'managing' this aspect in recent days rather than allowing them to do as they please, I've clawed back 40Gb of valuable space that was being used unnecessarily. Having their own desktop is one thing, allowing them to be populated by huge amounts of files that exist elsewhere is another.

Edited October 3, 2008 by Gibson335

[Chuckster]

Why don't you redirect users desktop to their home directory? My network manager did this in GPO - Folder redirection and that did the trick. When something gets stored on the desktop, it is basically being stored on their H:\Desktop.

 

One person has 700MB on their desktop but logging in times aren't an issue because it is being stored in their home directory.

[gshaw]

Redirect everything!

 

My Documents > server home share area

Desktop > home share\desktop

Start Menu > home share>start menu

 

Profile stored in server\profile$\username

 

Think there's a script on here to redirect Favourites as well...

 

Sorted

[cscc]

Thanks, I’ll give the folder re-direct a try.

 

If I apply this policy will the staff see a blank desktop the next time they login? E.g. not see the usual crap they have stored on there.

[srochford]

Thanks, I’ll give the folder re-direct a try.

 

If I apply this policy will the staff see a blank desktop the next time they login? E.g. not see the usual crap they have stored on there.

 

No. It will move it from the local desktop to the server desktop.

 

If you have lots of users with huge desktops then this could really knacker startup times if they all do it together.

 

What I did when I last implemented this was to set up the redirection policy and apply it to a group called (say) desktopredirect. Put half a dozen people in that group and make sure it works. Over a period of time, add more people each day until they're all done.

[srochford]

'There's no reason at all why a user shouldn't have all their files stored on the desktop - it's our job to make that work for them and it's stupidly easy to do (one folder redirection setting in one group policy). '

 

Actually, I couldn't disagree more. It's not 'our job' to simply allow them to do whatever they want, without trying to educate them to manage things better. Many of ours have duplicate files, CDs, video files, etc on their dektop because they are too lazy to locate it on the storage server.

 

So you make the desktop part of their home directory, you put a quota on the home directory and that prevents them from keeping too much stuff.

 

The organised person who wants to keep stuff on their desktop can do it without it being a problem for them (or others on the network - if your network design means that everyone's desktop is being copied across at logon then even 50Mb multiplied by lots of users can be a problem)

 

The disorganised person gets a message saying "disk full" when they try and put another CD on their desktop - at that point the person causing the problem has to deal with it and it doesn't impact on other users.