Sheridan Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 I've got some W7 machines on the network now - with folder redirection generally set for everything to go to their home directory (\\server\\share) Works fine on XP and the desktop/start menu is working on the W7 machines but I still have the 'library' folder icon on the desktop. This has links for Documents etc all pointing to the local profile along with a connection to the users mapped share. So redirection isn't working and the link to the network share doesn't work either - double clicking it doesn't do anything at all, the others all open up the local profile which I don't want as files should be saved to the users home folder. I've tried removing the library feature (deleting the registry keys) but it still appears - and this is going to cause confusion with users. So why isn't the redirection working? And how do I get rid of the library icon from the desktop? It seems like W7 and folder redirection is a total mess compared to XP
strawberry Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 I'm having a similar problem, but my libs dont point to the redirected drives. the drives however are mapping even if they dont look like they are, use the desktop folder to test.
gshaw Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 So why isn't the redirection working? And how do I get rid of the library icon from the desktop? It seems like W7 and folder redirection is a total mess compared to XP I can't stand the Libraries feature, can't understand why MS didn't have an option to disable it completely for network installs
Sheridan Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 It seems like mapped drives are working, and the redirected startmenu and desktop are ok. The library folder icons all point to the users LOCAL profile but there is also a shortcut in there pointing to their network home folder (i.e \\server\share) - double clicking this does nothing! I can't get my head around the point of libraries when folder redirection is being used. And when I redirect 'Documents' using group policy it is obviously not doing it. Arrgh!
jinnantonnixx Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 You can disable the library icon set using an AD policy. I do it, but from memory I can't remember if it's a registry hack or a proper policy. I can look later if you like.
smithson83 Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 Theres a nice Reg Hack to disable the library Feature How to Enable or Disable the Libraries Feature in Windows 7 - How-To Geek But also in GP under redirected folders section you need to set Grant user exclusive rights to Documents - Disabled Move the contents of Documents to the new location - Disabled Also apply redirection policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 server, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems - Enabled This should then work fine
Sheridan Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 Thats the odd thing - I used that registry hack and it still appears on the desktop! The other settings are correct as well - Favourites are redirecting, but not Documents!
smithson83 Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 Under documents redirection is it set to \\Server\Share and or \\server\share\%username% etc or is it set to %HOMESHARE%%HOMEPATH%, this last one uses variables to pull the folder from where the homedrive is set in AD rather than pointing to the file directly. Could be soemthing to tinker around with PS, (touch wood) Documents are redirected fine here using the former method, and on the few PC's I havent disabled libraries on the Documents library shows the Homedrive
Sheridan Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 The redirection for documents is set to %homeshare%\MyFiles - odd thing is 'My Documents' also appears in the library and that is redirected correctly!
smithson83 Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) I think I may of misunderstood the post slightly, having reread top down, is this the situation (correct me if not) 1) All folders a being redirected, users can get to network files (Documents, Favourites, Desktop, Start Menu etc) 2) When clicking Documents under libraries (Does this link to network dowcuments?) 3) There is a Folder on the desktop named as the loged in user (if so GPO disable user folder link on desktop this maybe of help) It can be done manually (and copied to the default user etc) Desktop Properties > Change Desktop Icons > Untick "Users Files" Edited July 4, 2011 by smithson83
jinnantonnixx Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 Bit of a long shot, but maybe your local profile details have gone west. Try deleting the roaming profiles in this key, then trying again. Fire up regedit, then expand this key. HKLM_SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList Delete the subkeys that have a 'CentralProfile' value set. Reboot and try again. If it works, I have a script which I use on our AD at a machine startup which clears out server-based profiles from this branch. 1
Sheridan Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 1) Yes 2) No - this opens the local path 3) Yes - this is the library I believe? It seems to have both XP style shortcuts (My Documents, My Pictures etc) which are redirected to the network, and the newer Documents, Pictures etc which are all pointing to the local profile All I want to do is redirect the documents to their share, or remove this folder. The registry hack from How To Geek seemed to have no effect.
smithson83 Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 The folder on the desktop is the root of the users profile on the local computer, the libraries are something different. Libraries show up on the left of the explorer window. This can be removed with the how-to-geek link to diable libraries, to remove the eg "Bob Franklin" folder from the desktop, you can either do it manually by right clicking the Desktop > Properties > Change Desktop Icons > Untick "Users Files". or possibley by GP using this found here on edugeek http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-7/60579-user-folder-icon-desktop.html Hope this helps 1
sted Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 Move the contents of Documents to the new location - Disabled ive found if i dont set that to enabled i get 2 copies of favorites/videos etc
Sheridan Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 (edited) Ahh I think I've being getting my libraries mixed up with the Users 'root' folder on the desktop. Libraries have indeed vanished from the explorer and thanks to that GPO setting above the folder has disappeared from the desktop as well! Brilliant! Thanks for all the help sorting this! Only issue I have now is the MyFiles folder is being renamed as My Documents on the W7 machines, and showing as Documents on the server side. What on earth is W7 doing with folder redirection! Edited July 4, 2011 by Sheridan
smithson83 Posted July 4, 2011 Posted July 4, 2011 Assuming everything is "Working" and it's just the names of the folders now messed up, look for a Desktop.ini (will be a hidden file), these have tendencies to rename folders (its a leftover from XP where MS hacked the folders "makeup" to produce those nice lovely pictured folders instead of plain boring normal ones).
Sheridan Posted July 4, 2011 Author Posted July 4, 2011 Yes I've deleted the desktop.ini files and it reverts back to the 'proper' folder name. Its such a mess this as the user sees 'My Documents' and the server end shows 'Documents' and the folder is actually called MyFiles! I've put a file screen on the servers to stop desktop.ini being written to - shame not all of our servers can do this (some are plain 2003) I can't believe MS think its acceptable for folders to 'rename' themselves - I know its only the view but it confuses the hell out of users!
apeo Posted July 5, 2011 Posted July 5, 2011 Yes I've deleted the desktop.ini files and it reverts back to the 'proper' folder name. Its such a mess this as the user sees 'My Documents' and the server end shows 'Documents' and the folder is actually called MyFiles! I've put a file screen on the servers to stop desktop.ini being written to - shame not all of our servers can do this (some are plain 2003) I can't believe MS think its acceptable for folders to 'rename' themselves - I know its only the view but it confuses the hell out of users! Wouldn't this cause an additional delay when logging in because of folder redirections?
Sheridan Posted July 5, 2011 Author Posted July 5, 2011 It doesn't seem to have any delay on the logins? I don't think theres any other way around this either.
gshaw Posted July 5, 2011 Posted July 5, 2011 Are you putting the Libraries reg hack on the base image to ensure it's off for all machines? Seems a right pain for something that should be in a GPO by default. Glad I've seen this thread though, should save a lot of time!
Sheridan Posted July 5, 2011 Author Posted July 5, 2011 Yeah we'll be putting this hack into the latest Windows 7 build. It just creates clutter/confusion in a school/work environment I think.
apeo Posted July 5, 2011 Posted July 5, 2011 AFAIK folder redirection will create the desktop.ini for the folders. FYI you can also use GPO to deploy reg hacks using Preferences.
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