Topic: Folder redirection script?

[thymox]

Hi all,

So, I now have XP and Vista clients joining my SMEServer-handled "domain", authenticating against it and loading/creating roaming profiles nicely.

Next challenge... folder redirection.

Since Samba only imitates an NT4 server (until Samba 4 comes out, hopefully), I can't create a policy that redirects users' folders... but I can use logon scripts.

So... anyone know how to write a logon script that will automagically redirect users' folders to a network share?

Or would it be better, considering I'll be having users move between XP and Vista workstations, to do it manually when migrating the user across to the server?

Cheers.
Grant.

[Stefano]

Hi

this has nothing to do with SME, so it's OT

anyway, search the forum for "poledit"

Ciao
Stefano

[thymox]

You're right that it has nothing to do with SME in so much as I'm asking about a Microsoft technology.

However, if Samba could handle group policies then presumably it would find its way into SME?  Then I wouldn't have to ask this question as SME would then be able to handle a policy for redirecting folders.

I am presuming that some SME users will have faced this problem before and being the resourceful lot that you/we are, have overcome it.

[Stefano]

thymox..

as you said, many SME's users have faced with this problem.. so, why did you are asking again something you could find using the "search" function?

and, of course, have you tried to search for "poledit"?

Ciao
Stefano

[thymox]

thymox..

as you said, many SME's users have faced with this problem.. so, why did you are asking again something you could find using the "search" function?

"Searching" for the term 'folder redirection' gets a tonne of posts that would seem to bear no relevance to redirecting user folders.  Now that I have asked the question, you have provided me with a single term that I can search for:

and, of course, have you tried to search for "poledit"?

Ciao
Stefano

No, I hadn't searched for 'poledit'.  How would I know to search for 'poledit' without prior knowledge of 'poledit'?  And surely if I already knew about 'poledit' I wouldn't need to search for it.

But now that you've been kind enough to give me a keyword to search for, I shall indeed search for it.

Thank you, Stefano, for your partially helpful reply.

[Craig Cabrey]

I'm just curious...

If romaing profiles are working fine, why do you need folder redirection? If they are working correctly, the content in the Desktop & Documents folder should download to the client machine.

Oh BTW "poledit" is basically an older version of Group Policies that work well enough when using a good set of adm files.

Craig

[thymox]

I would like to use folder redirection for two reasons...

The first, and interestingly the least important reason, is that some of the users will be switching from XP and Vista workstations with some degree of regularity.  If the profile directories are different (which, it would seem, is the best way to have it) then when they log off the XP machine and log into the Vista machine... *bing* some of their files will have disappeared.  Redirect their "My Documents" (and the like) to consistent shares, and ensure they are redirected to the same place on both XP and Vista, and the issue is resolved.

Secondly, and (for me) the most important, is that some of these profiles will be pretty big.  As far as I can tell, both XP and Vista are pretty dumb in the way they handle them.  They won't simply copy over the parts of the profile that have changed since it was last seen... it will copy over the whole bloomin' thing, even if 99% of it already exists on the local machine... and then copies it back to the server on logout.  Redirect the crucial folders to a network share, and they don't get copied at all.  Bonus!

[Craig Cabrey]

I would like to use folder redirection for two reasons...
...snip...

Ahh ok that makes sense. Well you're best bet is to use System Policy's (poledit) as there is an option for folder redirection. If it's not illegal, I will post my copy of poledit.exe for you to download and you may also want to read this: http://wiki.samba.org/index.php/Implementing_System_Policies_with_Samba

Craig

[CharlieBrady]

If it's not illegal, I will post my copy of poledit.exe for you ...

I would be very surprised if Microsoft had given you a license to redistribute that file.

[Craig Cabrey]

I would be very surprised if Microsoft had given you a license to redistribute that file.

I will take it as being illegal then.
You can usually extract it from the Windows 2000 SP4 updater, however you have to find one that isn't a net installer.

[thymox]

Thank you for the offer.  I am trawling Microsoft's site for XP/Vista PolEdit now.

[thymox]

Haha!  Even better... I just remembered that I have an ISO of a Windows 2000 Advanced Server 180 Day Evaluation CD sitting on my server - got it when I took a Windows Server 2000 course at my college (they wanted me to teach it, so I had to go on the course first).

AdminPak.msi for Server 2000 has it.

[Craig Cabrey]

It should be able to install on XP client, however I couldn't get that MSI to install on a Windows 2003 Server, just an FYI. I had to extract is manually...

[thymox]

Yeah, it installs on XP.  It gives a dire warning about not working on "this version of Windows", but it does.  If it doesn't install on Vista, then I'll try copying the .exe and .adm files over manually.

[David Harper]

The Service Pack exes are just CAB files with self-extracting code. They can be opened by archiving programs like WinZip or 7-Zip.