Local startmenu copies

[fooby]

Currently we have (too many) users accessing a startmenu hosted on 2 servers via DFS.

 

What we need to do is get this local to each machine. Has anyone else done this? How did you do this?

 

I propose to create an application (vb6 autoit whatever) that copies the starmenu's locally and keeps them up to date regularly. I have a few failed attempts at using robocopy to do this. I would be able to build an msi (via a capture) and release that back here for anyone to use. This was it can be deployed over AD.

 

thanks in advance

 

fooby

 

also any information on how you do it (ghost package? script?) would also be very useful too

[Scruff]

I've just moved mine to a shared folder on a server after having it done locally.

 

I used program groups in AD to drive a kix script which checked what groups people were in and copied the shortcuts locally from a folder in the netlogon directory

 

still use it for staff now.

[fooby]

I'm not sure if i trust the computer startup script to correctly grab all the files :-S so i dont know if we can use those here. I have noticed on occasion that weird things can happen, like a 1 minute or so wait after the pc is switched on (and left at logon screen) before it can be used :S

 

thanks for your input

 

fooby

[Geoff]

Personally I just merge the local machines ALL USERS start menu (approriately trimmed on the images etc) with a network start menu. However if you wish to do this the old fashioned way, here's the robocopy line you need:

 

robocopy "%LOGONSERVER%\NETLOGON\STARTMENU" "%SYSTEMDRIVE%\STARTMENU" /MIR /COPYALL /V /NP /ZB /MON:1 /MOT:5 /R:10 /W:30

 

Ajust the paths as required. You will need to run this in a startup script on the machine. Also you will have to redirect everyones start menu to the local copy on the machine.

[fooby]

Wow Geoff

 

You made me realise something.... id10t error i think :-/ for the longest time i have been trying to build a service that runs to make robocopy run to run a robocopy job to copy the things down - because of the network lag... however robocopy will wait patiently for the network and retry at regular intervals

 

thus

 

my original solution - with your assistance - will work. I have an RCJ that has the settings (similar to yours) so i think i can distribute this and voilá

 

Excellent thanks all - will update with how it goes.

 

fooby