Redirecting Internet Explorer Favourites?

[Thomas]

Is this possible? Has anyone out there managed it? How? I really want to stop using roaming profiles as it seems like a needless use of network bandwidth. Anyone have any ideas? - would be much appreciated.

[ajbritton]

All you need to do is modify the following registry key (via logon script of GP perhaps)

 

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\Favorites

 

This can be redirected to a UNC network path or mapped drive.

[MkII]

I set favourites in group policy - easy to import from a target PC too. Does that count?

[RobC]

ajb, can you use the %username% token in that registry key? For example, putting "\\server\students\%username%\profile\favourites" and having it automagically turn itself into "\\server\students\rcowan\profile\favourites"?

[Geoff]

you can if you use reg.exe to manipulate the registry.

[ChrisH]

Just use a VB Script

 

Const strFavPath = "h:\favorites"
Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
Set WshNetwork = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Network")
Dim strUserName ' Current user
strUserName = ""
' Wait until the user is really logged in...
While strUserName = ""
WScript.Sleep 100 ' 1/10 th of a second
strUserName = WSHNetwork.UserName
Wend

RegKey = "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders"
WSHShell.RegWrite regkey & "favorites", strFavPath

 

I have havent tested this as I have just copied and pasted some code from my log in script and changed bits. There is a lot of code there for one task but if your already using VBScript then you will probably have most of it already anyway.

 

If you want to expand and environment variable in VB say you want %userprofile% or something use

wshShell.ExpandEnvironmentStrings (strText)