Solved: Folder Redirection Group Policy not creating folders

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Windows Server 2012

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MISquared

Folder Redirection Group Policy not creating folders

New Server 2012 R2 DC with Folder Redirection GP. Logging into a separate 2012 R2 member server (to test) event log says GP was successfully applied, but some folders are not created under the user's directory. Here's some history:

- Setup GP originally to redirect to the share and create the folder, and it was fine. Then was asked to apply special NTFS permissions to give two users access to everyone's redirected folder.
- Had to delete the folders that were created for the users under the root of the share. Then changed NTFS permissions on the shared folder to allow the two users full control.
- Deleted and recreated the redirection policy, with "Grant the user exclusive rights..." unchecked.
-Now, logging into the member server, the Desktop folder is created and redirected, but the Documents (and its followers), Downloads and the Favorites folders are not created.
-Event log on the member server says that all folder redirection policies are applied successfully
-Triple checked share and NTFS permissions. All looks ok.
-GPResult /v on member server shows the appropriate policy that should be applied.

Any suggestions?

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FOX🇺🇸

MISquared,
In the GPO for folder Redirection did you right-click the subfolders in question >properties>Setting: Follow the Documents folder
?

MISquared

ASKER

Yes. Not even the Documents folder is getting created though. Nor do the Downloads and Favorites folders, which do not follow the Documents folder.

FOX🇺🇸

Double-click the policy, click the delegation tab, make sure the users/groups you want this policy applied to are there. click advanced, highlight the group again, at the bottom: Permissions for your "users/groups" make sure apply group policy is checked.

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MISquared

ASKER

Thanks, but no change. Authenticated Users was already there. I added Domain Users just for good measure. The GP seems to be getting applied. The problem is that the folders are not created.

FOX🇺🇸

Send me screenshots of the target tab and the settings tab of your gpo. Is this gpo inside your default domain gpo or a new gpo you created? If it is a new one check to see if another gpo is conflicting with this one for folder redirection.

MISquared

ASKER

Screenshot of Target tab and GP Mgmt window are attached. The GPO is new and separate from the default. The only other GPO is the default GPO. The server name is SBServer, but it is Server 2012 R2, not SBS.
Capture.JPG
Capture2.JPG

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FOX🇺🇸

You have grant user exclusive rights to the Documents folder disabled. Enable that, on the workstation do a gpupdate /force and check again.

MISquared

ASKER

That is intentional. I was asked to apply special NTFS permissions to give two users access to everyone's redirected folders. So, when the folder gets created, I want those special permissions, applied at the root of the share, to apply to the users' redirected folders. Is this not how to do that?

FOX🇺🇸

If you want each user to see their own folders that has to be turned on. If you want 2 users to see the contents of everyone's folder we can set those permissions on the server where the folders are hosted.

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MISquared

ASKER

Ok, changed it for the documents redirection. Did GPUpdate on Member Server. Logged off/on, and the Documents folder is still not created.

FOX🇺🇸

What is the OS on the workstation?

MISquared

ASKER

It's a member server, 2012 R2.

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FOX🇺🇸

The folder RedirectedFolders I'm assuming is a shared folder on the server. I want you to check the permissions of that folder, make sure domain admins have full control. Authenticated users have at least list contents.

MISquared

ASKER

These permissions are in there. Screenshot attached.
Capture3.JPG

FOX🇺🇸

All looks good. Now my question to you is, are you looking in the correct spot for the newly created folders. You just sent me a screenshot for a folder named Redirected. Your settings in the gpo show me a folder named RedirectedFolders make sure you are looking inside the correct folder, or make sure your foldername matches what you have in your gpo.

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MISquared

ASKER

The folder name is "Redirected", but the share name is "RedirectedFolders". The UNC path to the share is used in the GP.

FOX🇺🇸

Fair enough,
1. right-click my documents on one of the workstations where this gpo is applying and verify the location it is pointing to
2. See if you can create a test folder inside the RedirectedFolders share.

MISquared

ASKER

The folder doesn't exist; so, the attached error is being displayed.
Capture4.JPG

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MISquared

ASKER

I misread your last post. I'm testing as the administrator. When I logon to the member server, I can browse to the UNC path of the RedirectedFolders share and create a folder there.

FOX🇺🇸

Ok.. the screenshot where it says the Documents folder was unavailable, is that where you did the right-click and hit properties? Let's line everything up name wise, just as a test. Either name the folder RedirectedFolders or change the gpo to the path with the name of the folder Redirect. I want the foldername in the gpo to match the folder name on the server. Do a gpupdate /force and let's try again.

MISquared

ASKER

Ok, folder and share are both named RedirectedFolders, and ran the gpupdate, but it's still the same behavior.

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FOX🇺🇸

Is there any way you can restart this server as well.

FOX🇺🇸

Have you checked the default domain policy to see if there is anything set in redirected folders. If anything is set in there regarding folder redirects it needs to be disabled, and this policy needs to be linked to the default domain policy.

MISquared

ASKER

The default GP has no Folder Redirection settings. I'm not sure what you mean by "linked to the default..". The redirection policy is linked to the domain/OU.

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FOX🇺🇸

That's what I meant. Everything seems to be in order. The only other thing I can't suggest you do is restart the server if it is feasible at this time.

MISquared

ASKER

I've rebooted and ran GPUpdate a few times. It's still not creating the folders the way I'd expect. Sorry.

FOX🇺🇸

On the share that you created did you add SYSTEM and give it full control?

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MISquared

ASKER

yes.

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FOX🇺🇸

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MISquared

ASKER

I feel that's what got this all messed up to begin with, deleting and recreating the original GP. The strange thing is that the event viewer shows that the policy was successfully applied, and running gpresult from cmd shows the correct policy. Running rsop.msc, however, does not show all the correct policies. It's truly baffling.

MISquared

ASKER

We ended up ripping both the GP and share out and starting over.

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MISquared

ASKER

We ended up recreating the share and the GP.

FOX🇺🇸

Nice!!!! Glad it worked out for you.

MISquared

ASKER

Thanks. I was hoping to make sense out of it, which is why I didn't opt for the nuclear option off the bat...you know, to kind of learn from? But oh well!

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FOX🇺🇸

It would have been nice if time permitted. I imagine you are in a production environment and have to get things up and running which is the bottom line.

Windows Server 2012

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Windows Server 2012 is the server version of Windows 8 and the successor to Windows Server 2008 R2. Windows Server 2012 is the first version of Windows Server to have no support for Itanium-based computers since Windows NT 4.0. Windows Server 2012, now in its second release (Windows Server 2012 Release 2) includes Foundation, Essentials, Standard and Datacenter, and does not support IA-32 or IA-64 processors.