Folder redirection through GPOs doesn't work

[cjohnsonuk]

After experiencing slowness in using a shared location for startmenu folders last year we've tried to crack this and "the local apps in network menu even when the applications aren't installed locally" issue by copying the startmenu and desktop folders locally.

 

We've got a script that copies the icons for the network applications and the icons for the applications that are installed locally to a local folder (so that staff don't have icons for applications that are not installed, causes to much confusion)

 

c:\ui\desktop\staff

or c:\ui\desktop\students

 

c:\ui\startmenu\staff

or c:\ui\startmenu\students

 

I've got a policy set to redirect My Documents to the users' network folder and this works.

I've got a policy set to redirect desktop to the local folder c:\ui\desktop\staff but this doesn't work. I've changed this to %systemdrive%\ui\desktop\staff , run gpupdate, rebooted, removed the local user profile, restarted, logged in again and it doesn't work.

 

The workstations are XP Pro SP3 with client side extensions installed. The servers are 2008 SP2 (not R2).

 

There are no errors in the eventvwr relating to GPOs and folder redirection.

 

There was some talk of users needing to own the folders but this can't be the case as they didn't own the shared network folders last year and that did work, albeit slowly!

 

Staff accounts used for testing can be browse the local folders.

 

Any help appreciated

 

Chris

[superfletch]

Check what GPResult tells you:

 

Log on as a user who should get the redirection and run GPResult at the command line.

Try to see if the policy is being applied properly or if it is being overriden by another policy etc.

 

As far as being the folder owner is concerned you shouldn't need this but I'd expect NTFS permissions will need to be set that allow those users to read and execute the contents of the redirected folders. (you said you can browse to it anyway so this should be okay).

 

Also - make sure the new policy has applied (gpupdate /force)

 

I've seen this (local redirection) in use before for the same reason you mention (a shared folder being slow when used (accessed by a large number of users).

 

When it works it is dead nice and will definately improve the speed problem.

Edited September 3, 2009 by superfletch

[PiqueABoo]

I've did something like that a while back and it worked fine. In the GPO setting are you sure you've ticked the apply this to XP clients box on the second tab? Forget the details but you do need to tick a box for redirection to hit XP. (Vista+ presumably get their FR orders in a different manner from XP).

 

PS: I'm redirecting start and desktop to local, for them NTFS-read-only folders i.e. they definitely are not the owners.

Edited September 3, 2009 by PiqueABoo