Documents and Settings in Vista

[razormoon]

It is absolutely possible to copy files via $OEM$ directory into any user directory in \Users (Documents and Settings in XP). It took a bit of experimenting, but the root of X:\Users\ = $OEM$\$Docs\

Also, if in Folder Options you tic "Show Hidden Files", you can navigate X:\Users and explore where Start Menu and Quick Launch is located.

I add a lot to Default User during Vista Unattend and the above directories are located here:

Start Menu

$OEM$\$DOCS\DEFAULT\APPDATA\ROAMING\MICROSOFT\WINDOWS\START MENU

Quick Launch

$OEM$\$DOCS\DEFAULT\APPDATA\ROAMING\MICROSOFT\INTERNET EXPLORER\QUICK LAUNCH\

We are told in Technet and .chm that this directory is NOT supported in Vista.

Not true.

These are tested and WORKING.

Enjoy!

Edited August 31, 2007 by razormoon

[maxXPsoft]

Give it up, they phasing "Documents and Settings" out

I had to look for a simple reason to explain whats going on here and here is a brief explanation

In Vista "Documents and Settings" isn't really a folder. It's a "junction

point" - like a soft link, in Unix.

The *real* directory where user data is kept in Vista, is called "C:\Users".

If you use "Users" in place of "Documents and Settings" you should be sweet.

Eg, C:\Users\Bogey\Documents, etc.

The "Documents and Settings" junction point exists to preserve compatibility

for applications which have this path name hard-coded. Well-behaved

applications should not have a hard-coded "Documents and Settings" string;

they should call SHGetSpecialFolder() instead, to find the User directory on

a system. But just a sad fact of life, many apps out there do look for a

"Documents and Settings" directory ....

"Users" is preferable to "Documents and Settings" because many apps have

problems with path names containing spaces. It also soaks up more chars

from the limited 260 char MAX_PATH length for directory names. Finally,

"Users" is more intuitive for folks coming from Unix and other, more normal

operating system environments :-)

The "Documents and Settings" junction point is usually hidden and not

visible in Explorer. If you are seeing it in an obtrusive way, you may have

turned ON the folder option to see hidden files?

you ever wonder why its a shortcut link in Vista SP1?

Edited September 1, 2007 by maxXPsoft

[razormoon]

Like I said. Tested and working.

I have not seen a Documents and Settings shortcut. The directory I've provided is a link to \Users. If you haven't tested the above directory then I can't explain any further. During UA the $OEM$\$DOCS does not behave as junction point. It is not virtual nor hidden as Documents and Settings. Like I said before, if you haven't tried it yourself as described above, then I see no reason to explain any further. It is what it is and it works.

If you're trying to explain how Documents and Settings behave, especially on a programmer's side, then we have gotten away from the scope of my original post. Test and you shall see. Tic 'Show hidden..' and you tell me if you see Documents and Settings.

Edited September 1, 2007 by razormoon

[maxXPsoft]

I never said it don't still work but I studied that quite awhile with the restructuring of folders since I have the obligation to copy/move everything correctly with my programs as best as I can.

The Users folder is setup similar to what the Docs and Sets was so they are saying use that instead. Its only because of rogue apps that have Docs and Sets hard coded that they haven't completely eliminated it as the explanation above shows. People are changing their apps to conform but it takes time.

Tic 'Show hidden..' and you tell me if you see Documents and Settings.

Apparently you didn't look at my pic above. I always show all files and extensions and thats Vista M8 with the Docs and Sets with a shortcut link on it.

EDIT: BTW, In Vista you see the shortcut link on that folder where in XP it don't have it.

Edited September 2, 2007 by maxXPsoft

[danholme]

For anyone who finds this thread, there's been some back and forth about what "can" versus "should" be done. I just care what WORKS, so I'd like to confirm, per the first post, that the $DOCS folder works.

I am using XPSP2 *and* VISTA RTM. My deployment is through the BDD 2007.

In the BDD's .\Distribution folder, I created the following folder structure with the indicated "test files":

$OEM$
	$DOCS
		All Users
			Desktop
				"All Users Desktop Test File.txt"
			Start Menu
				Programs
					"All Users Start Menu Shortcut.lnk"
					Startup
						"All Users Startup Test.bat"

		Default User
			Desktop
				"Default User Desktop Test File.txt"
			Start Menu
				Programs
					"Default User Start Menu Shortcut.lnk"
					Startup
						"All User Startup Test.bat"

			My Documents
				"Default User My Documents Test File.txt"
			Application Data
				Microsoft
					Internet Explorer
						Quick Launch
							"Default User Quick Launch Shortcut.lnk"

NOTE!! The entire structure under $DOCS uses *LEGACY* folder names (Application Data, not AppData; Default User not Default; All Users not Public; My Documents not Documents).

And it works PERFECTLY in both XPSP2 and Vista RTM deployments.

Hope this helps!

[razormoon]

NOTE!! The entire structure under $DOCS uses *LEGACY* folder names (Application Data, not AppData; Default User not Default; All Users not Public; My Documents not Documents).

And it works PERFECTLY in both XPSP2 and Vista RTM deployments.

Hope this helps!

Interesting. I've been using first post directories and it works fine. It's interesting to know that *legacy* works also.

So, we now have two methods.

[urie]

deleted

Edited September 10, 2007 by urie

[danholme]

Razormon...

Did your (first post) folder structure work for XP *also*? That would be interesting to know. Mine works for both XP and vista, but there may be situations where changes should be LIMITED to Vista, so if yours achieves that, that'd be cool. Then the next question would be what if you used BOTH structures...?

[razormoon]

I've never tried the directories I use in XP, however yours seem to work across both platforms. I think your method is headed toward what MaxXP was aluding to (aka: Junction Point). As he stated, this is being phased out.

[tazmaniandevil]

I still use the $OEM$ folders to copy files and folders with WDS, even though it is frowned upon by MS. I find it much quicker than the preferred 'data image' method, which I have not been able to implement successfully yet.

I use the new 'Users' folder to add bits 'n pieces to the default user profile, but do so using $1\Users\Default\AppData etc. structure. It works fine.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.