Redirecting My Documents with Group Policy

A user's My Documents folder can be redirected to a folder on a server using the group policy below:

User config - > Windows settings-> Folder redirection

Once you've gotten to "folder redirection" in the group policy editor by using the path shown above, right click on the My Documents folder underneath the Folder Redirection folder and choose properties. From there you can set where the My Docs folder will be redirected to. There are 4 choices:

1 - Redirect to user's home directory - I'm not sure exactly how home directories work, but if a user has one, this points the user's My Docs at his home folder. According to Microsoft Technet, home directories are not considered the way to go anymore. This option lets you point My Docs at a home directory for companies whose users are already used to using home directories.

2 - Create folder for each user under the root path - this is generally the option that you want to use. It lets you set a root path - say \\Stonewall\users, and then Windows gp will create a folder for each user (using their login name) and put the user's My Docs folder under their named folder. Example:

\\stonewall\users\tayloen\My Documents
\\stonewall\users\samh\My Documents
\\stonewall\users\davidc\My Documents

From Microsoft Technet:
Rather than having to enter a UNC path such as \\server\share\%username%\MyDocuments, the administrator can simply type in the path to the share such as \\server\share, and Folder Redirection will automatically append the user name and the folder name when the policy is applied. This removes the need for administrators to be familiar with environment variables, and minimizes the chances of errors and spelling mistakes.

3 - Redirect to the following location. This option is similar to option 2, but you have to use the old Windows server 2000 interface. In other words, you have to specify the path using the %username% variable:

\\stonewall\users\%username%\My Documents

4 - Redirect to the local user profile - use this to basically undo a previous redirection of a user's My Docs folder. In other words, if after having redirected a user's My Docs folder to somewhere on the server you decide that you want his My Docs to point back at his local computer (like it was before), then use this option. Simply disabling the "Folder Redirection" group policy will NOT return the user's My Docs to his local computer. This setting will.

The other choice on the My Docs properties window asks you to choose whether you use basic or advanced redirection. Basic is as described above. I think advanced lets you choose a different root path based on group membership. For instance, instead of everybody having their My Docs folder under \\stonewall\users, you could have administrators have theirs under \\stonewall\admins and Engineers under \\stonewall\engineering.

Seeing and Changing environmental variables

To see what the current value of an environmental variable is or to change it:

echo %comspec%
echo %PATH% (however, it works even if you don't capitalize it)

Or to do it in the GUI
Go to System Properties by either typing Windows+Break or by right clicking on My Computer and choosing properties.

Once in System Properties, go to the advanced tab and click on the Environmental Variables button.

Deleting a local user profile

To delete a user's profile (not the user himself, just his profile) from the local computer, go to:

control panel
system applet
advanced tab
user profiles -> settings

Then delete the profile for whichever user you want. The next time the user logs in, the default user profile will be loaded for the user.

Remote Desktop (Hello, Vienna calling....)

As with so many of my posts, this is really just a note to myself to remind me of how to do something that I don't do that often. Then when I need to do it, I fumble around for a half an hour trying to remember how to even get started!! Very embarrassing for a kick-ass network admin...

Remote Desktop - how to be there when you're not there.
If you are sitting in front of your computer and you wish you were sitting in front of another computer, the solution is to access that other computer using remote desktop (formerly known as terminal server client). To start a remote desktop session, go to Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Remote Desktop Connection. You will be asked to enter the name of the remote computer you want to access, and then click "connect". Then you'll see the desktop of the remote computer and a login box. Enter a username and password that are valid on the remote computer and you're in!

By the way, on the Remote computer, you must have previously enabled it to receive a remote desktop visitor. How to do that? Keep reading......

You have to physically go to the remote computer and access to the system properties dialog box. Both of the following ways will get you to the properties box:

1. Press the windows key and the break key at the same time (this is the fast way).

2. Go to Windows Explorer and right click on My Computer. Then choose properties from popup menu.

Once in system properties, choose the remote tab. Then check the checkbox labeled "Allow users to remotely connect to this computer". Don't get confused and check the checkbox labeled
"Allow remote assistance invitations to be sent from this computer".