Hi,

I have an issue where some users are not able to access their My Documents
folder. This is an intermitant problem and not with all users.  The My
Documents folder is redirected to \\domain.local\home\username\my documents.
This also affects the offline files as when a user logs off, the folder will
not sync.  Also the pc keeps going offline and when the user tries to snyc, a
Username and Password box is desplayed.  Eventually the 'Multiple
Connections....' message is desplayed.  The drives are mapped with a login
script.

We are using XP clients and Windows server 2003 R2. We use DFS on the mapped
drives.

Anyone any ideas on this?

Thanks

Anything useful in the event viewer on the server or the workstations?

Are the workstations in question joined to the domain?

All affected workstations are on the LAN? (as opposed to connecting via
VPN or WAN)

Most recent network drivers on server and workstations?

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Hi Ben,

Thanks for your reply. 

Nothing useful in the event logs.  All of the workstations are connected to
the domain and are on a LAN. Network drivers are all up to date.

Thanks

Bob


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Do the users have Full Control permissions on the Share permissions AND in the Security tab permissions for their home folders?

Are the client machines only using the internal DNS server, and not any ISP's DNS server or the router as a DNS address in their IP properties?

Hi,

Yes, they have full permissions on both and we are using an internal DNS
server.

Thanks
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Ok, good.

Can you describe the steps that you've take to create a folder redirection GPO, please?

The following is my blog on redirection. It works like a charm. I have it running on multiple customer sites without a hitch, including Offline feature, which automatically is enabled. I hope it helps.

======================================================================================================
Folder Redirection

I believe Folder Redirection with using Offline Files will be the better solution for many environments. I have it implemented in all my customer sites. All data with redirection set, as well as offline files, are cached locally and only synch up at scheduled, manually set times, or when logging on or off. It vastly reduces client to server traffic. Here are some links regarding redirection.

Using Folder Redirection for the My Docs, App data, Start Menu and Desktop, a user will get their data no matter where they login. Enabling Offline Files as well, will provide an additional performance increase on the user side, as well as the ability to take machines off-site (such as laptops) and the folks will have their data no matter where they are. However, I usually just implement Folder Redirection with the My Documents folder, and not the others, due to the overhead of data and backup capacities on the server. You know how large the application folder can get, and not always a good choice to implement redirection with. Keep that in mind when you implement this feature.

There are a few things that need to be setup in place to make redirection work. If in a mixed Vista/XP environment, as many are going through right now, it may be a little challenging, but they can use the same home folder setting, but the user must stick with one OS or the other, not logon to an XP, then to a Vista, or things may get skewed.

1. The user accounts need to be in the OU the Redirection Policy will apply to. It doesn't matter where the computer accounts are. This is because Redirection is a User based Policy.

2. More than likely, the Redirection policy is probably setup to apply to a group. Therefore, make sure the  user account is part of that group.

3. Only the internal DNS servers must show up in a machine's IP properties.

4. They way I setup the shares, is create a root folder called Users. I share it out as Users$ and set share permissions to only System=FC and Domain Admins=FC.

5. Then I would create child folders, one for each user. For example, for a user named Bill, I create a Bill folder, then share it out as Bill$, and set the share permissions to Domain Admins=FC, System=FC, and Bill=FC. The share permissions for the user MUST BE FC or it won't work. Then I set the NTFS permissions (the Security tab), to Domain Admins=FC, System=FC, and Bill=FC. The user MUST have FC for both the share and the NTFS permissions.

6. In the user's AD properties, Profile tab, you want to configure a home folder, and this is assuming you want their stuff redirected to the home folder, such as clicking on G, H, or whatever letter, then configuring something like \\servername\%username%$ (the $ makes it hidden). Whether to hide it or not depends on corporate SOP. The %username% is a variable that will create the folder for you, but I usually do it manually, as in the previous steps.

7. Create the Redirect policy based on the group membership, for example the My Documents folder, should be redirected to \\servername\username$\. You can also create it as \\servername\username$\MyDocuments Documents, which I like because their data goes into a subfolder under the user folder as My Documents. Now many places simply use \\servername\username$ and is easy, and it works. However, with this method, ALL of their documents wind up directly in the root of the home folder. However, this could be a little problematic with Vista. For more info on Vista and XP in a mixed environment, and problems that may occur, read the bottom to articles in the list of links provided below.

8. In the policy, select "Basic - Redirect everyone's folder to the same location. For the target folder location, Redirect to the following location, and it will create a UNC in the form of: \\%HOMESERVER%%HOMEPATH%. Under the settings tab, check the box that says Grant the user exclusive rights to My Docs. Also select to Move the Contents, as well as Leave the Folder in the new location when the policy is removed.

9. I usually create a logon bat script, place it in the NETLOGON share, and specify the script name in thier AD properties, to manually map the same drive letter specified under the Profile tab for the home folder to the home folder, such as with a command line of "net use h: \\servername\username$". It can also be done using VB and a logon script in their GPOs. The script normally does multiple other things as well. I'm just pointing out this portion of it. It is your choice of using VB, CMD or bat files when creating a script.

10. Enable Offline Use for the redirected My Documents.

11. Repeat for the other folders, if you choose to include them. I would set them to use subfolders, such as Application Data, so the data doesn't get intermixed with the My Docs.



Recommendations for Folder Redirection: Group Policy
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc785925.aspx

Folder Redirection feature in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/232692

How To Configure Folder Redirection, Aug 22, 2007 ... How to use Group Policy
to redirect the "Desktop", "My Documents", "Start Menu" and "Application
Data" folders.
www.msterminalservices.org/articles/Configure-Folder-Redirection.html

How to Configure Folder Redirection
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc782799.aspx

How To Configure Folder Redirection
http://www.msterminalservices.org/articles/Configure-Folder-Redirection.html

User Profiles and Folder Redirection FAQ
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/community/en-us/management/manage_faq.mspx

Enabling the administrator to have access to redirected folders
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/288991

Folder Redirection in a mixed environment XP/Vista
http://www.gpanswers.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=2257
===========================================

Ace

Bobj <B***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:
Show quoteHide quoteI suggest disabling offline files unless a) these are all laptop users and
b) you really really need it.

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