Profiles

I suggest to forget about roaming profiles and to configure Folder Redirection


http://www.virtualizationadmin.com/articles-tutorials/terminal-services/performance/configure-folder-redirection.html


You can also set Quotas on the folders so they dont exceed values you set

And for keeping them secure


How to dynamically create security-enhanced redirected folders by using folder redirection in Windows 2000 and in Windows Server 2003

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274443



Implementing Access-Based Enumeration in Windows Server 2003 R2
http://www.windowsnetworking.com/articles_tutorials/Implementing-Access-Based-Enumeration-Windows-Server-2003.html

Is folder redirection a better way to hand profiles that roaming profiles.

Yes, normally you only need to redirect users "My Documents" and their "Desktop" as these are the most common folders to bloat. I also redirect "Favorites"

If I am going to redirect the following:
My Documents
Desktops
Application Data
Start Menu

Do I have to redirect them to on share for example 192.168.1.1\all
and point the all to it.
or
Do I have to redirect them to 4 different share for example

192.168.1.1\mydocuments
192.168.1.1\Desktops
192.168.1.1\Application Data
192.168.1.1\Start menu

Please help

no its like this

usersshare/my documents
usersshare/desktop
usersshare/application data
usersshare/start menu

for each user...its definitely the way to go, then its easy to destroy mesesd up profiles by having the user logout, then add .bad to the folder, and they log in again...

however to dstewardjr....how do you move favorites...i've never found a good way so i just wrote a script to copy it and keep the directory structure, so i have a documents and settings folder i can just merge fully or users to get the favorites back.

this is done through group policy...i'd read up before doing it but don't be daunted..although you can do a lot of complicated thigns with gpos, there are lots of very simple things as well

i felt ileft it incomplete or cloudy..for example have 3 shares, exec, mngr, user.  based on what a person is you apply a group policy to their OU in AD.  then you have that folder as the target for redirection... my entry looks like this

\\servername\sharefoldername

a practical example is

\\fileserver\managers$

Hi,

You can apply this setting through Group policy:

GPEditor-user configuration - administrative templates - user profiles - limit profile size. Configure the profile size accordingly.

Apart from that if you want to profile rediction you can do:

User configuration - Windows Settings - Folder redirection (configure the path here for profile redirection)

No, you should redirect to 1 share, lets say "Home"

so then

\\server\home\

When you select "Basic-redirect everyones folder to same location" and "Create a folder for each user under root path"

then folders with the "Users" name will be created automatically under the share \\server\home



@rxdeath

I use GP preferences

http://share.intelliem.com/cs/blogs/danholme/archive/2008/06/06/group-policy-preferences-rock.aspx

Also for me I found that redirecting application data was more trouble than it was worth(had problems with certain applications-adobe reader for one)

yea i only do desktop and mydocuments


@dstewartjr
figures you'd have to summon a registry demon to do something simple like that, i'll check it out on a test system, i try not to evem think too hard about the registry too be honest

That's been one of the best new things with GPP, is the ability to make registry changes so easily.

dstewartjr:
I don't quite understand this.

When you select "Basic-redirect everyones folder to same location" and "Create a folder for each user under root path"

then folders with the "Users" name will be created automatically under the share \\server\home
___________________________________________________________________________________

Can you be more specific

As per your recommendation I will be redirecting Desktop and My documents.  Should the Root Path be the same for Desktop and My Documents

Thanks

"Basic-redirect everyones folder to same location"

\\server\share


"Create a folder for each user under root path"


You dont need to pre create the users folders.

\\server\share\%username% <<<will be automatically created


"Should the Root Path be the same for Desktop and My Documents"

Yes

Some more info here:


http://www.tech-faq.com/implementing-folder-redirection-using-group-policy.html


Note: My previous mention of "Home" for the share folder was only an example name for the folder, so dont get confused by the mention of "Only redirect the My Documents folder to the user' home folder if you have an existing home folder environment."

Ok, now I am beginning to understand.  In users and computers, should I remove all the previous path defined in Profiles and Home folders, assuming the redirection will take care of that.

Yes

Works like a charm.  I have 1 little problem; I wend ahead and redirected application data and so every time a user logs off, it synchronizes.  How can I address this issue.

Thanks

Dont redirect appdata :)


That was the other reason I dont do it


But on the share folder properties advanced there is a caching tab where you can disable.

Is there any cons to disabling caching

Do i select....

Files or programs from the share will not be available offline

to disable caching

Excellent.  Right on the money