Stopping a user from saving locally?

[Small_Pig_Dancing]

Hi,

 

We have one of our office staff who keeps saving all their work locally on their machine in My Documents instead of on the designated network share.

 

What's the quickest/easiest way to stop them and make them only save their output to the network share?

 

I wanted to hit them with a large plank of wood but they wouldn't let me.

 

The client is Windows XP Pro and we use Windows Server 2003.

 

Thanks for any help.

[penfold]

Redirect the my Docs folder to their own network share. This can be done either on the server side settings, or you can also do it on their desktop PC. Quick way if your at their PC is to right click My Docs>Properties and then move the target folder to their network share.

 

If you do this at the server side you can do it for all users.

Edited October 21, 2008 by penfold

[matt40k]

Right-click my docs, change it to the network drive. Job done. If it's more then one person, then look at GP.

 

Also look at getting a bat, planks of wood are useful!

[kennysarmy]

>>What's the quickest/easiest way to stop them and make them only save their output to the network share?

 

Delete all their work from the local drive.....

[matt40k]

>>What's the quickest/easiest way to stop them and make them only save their output to the network share?

 

Delete all their work from the local drive.....

 

If you go down this path, there is an even better way, remove the keyboard.

 

Removing mouse might work to. Might cause them to learn something new.

[jmcdermott]

use ntfs to disable write to most folders on the drive for that user, they will then receive a permission drive every time they try to save where they are not aloud.

[tech_guy]

>>What's the quickest/easiest way to stop them and make them only save their output to the network share?

 

Delete all their work from the local drive.....

 

We've done that with delprof but they still keep doing it don't they?! It drives me mad when they're off sick and the other users waste time looking for files that aren't where they should be.

Edited October 21, 2008 by tech_guy

[elsiegee40]

If you're at the user's machine:

 

In word go to Tools > Options, and then go to the File Locations tab.

 

Change the one for Documents to the network drive folder you want the user to use.

 

By default, the user will then always save in the correct place and will have to make a conscious effort to save anywhere else.

 

Did this to our registrar - problem solved

[torry_loon]

Redirect 'My Documents' to the Recycle Bin.

[dtakias]

Redirect 'My Documents' to the Recycle Bin.

 

That will definitely work!

[kennysarmy]

or re-direct said user to the job centre....

[srochford]

or re-direct said user to the job centre....

 

Together with the network managers who can't be bothered to set up systems properly with folder redirection. It's not difficult, it makes the system "just work" in the way you and users would want it to do and I can't understand why so few people bother learning how to manage their networks properly!

[srochford]

I don't think there's any need to be like that. Maybe the OP has inherited a really badly managed network and doesn't want to tinker with the settings for fear of bringing the whole house of cards down around him.

 

Of course and my apologies if it seemed like that.

 

My comment wasn't intended at the OP but rather at the comments like "delete all their files", "looking at getting a bat, planks of wood are useful" etc

[Domino]

f course, redirecting my documents doesn't stop them saving things to the root of C:\ either....

[kennysarmy]

Yeah, I agree. If the OP is asking a question that may seem like common knowledge to us, his knowledge may not be as superior as others and silly answers aren't going to help.

 

agreed...but hey - don't we all need to keep smiling and no one was laughing at the OP or his request for help..........chill everyone he did get some sensible answers too

[witch]

Puts you off asking questions though - I don't really want to be made fun of because I don't know as much as some of you do

[matt40k]

Puts you off asking questions though - I don't really want to be made fun of because I don't know as much as some of you do

 

I'm sure I speak for everyone when I say it wasn't meant to be directed at you. Sorry if it felt like it.

 

IMHO I would rather labelled "stupid" by the person who calls himself an "expert". Makes it more fun when your cleaning up his mess

[User3204]

We hide all c: drives from students, so they can't, this is via Group Policies. If for whatever reason you can't set this up, there must be a way of changing the local machine registry the same way.

 

I've got the same problem, because until recently we didn't have enough space free on the staff fileserver to store all their docs, so I'm going to have to introduce a system of moving all docs to this new server and keeping them their, (I've only recently taken on responsibility for the staff network).

[wizzard]

Redirect 'My Documents' to the Recycle Bin.

 

That made me laugh,

 

Its like users who store all of their important emails in their deleted items folder

[torry_loon]

redirecting my documents doesn't stop them saving things to the root of C:\ either....

 

If the user is not an Administrator, they should not be able to write to the root of C:\.

[torry_loon]

What's the quickest/easiest way to stop them and make them only save their output to the network share?

 

I wanted to hit them with a large plank of wood but they wouldn't let me.

 

You could change the permissions on the folder to be read only.

 

I make it clear to the staff that their Windows profiles are not backed-up and they should be using the network shares provided which are backed-up. If they choose to save important files in their profile and the files are deleted, they are responsible for losing those files.