[Help] Changing Docs/Settings Folder Using Domain Policy

[gamehead200]

Hey everyone,

I really have no experience with domain policies... However, I just helped ghost 100+ laptops at my school, all of which have WinXP installed on the C:\ partition and an empty D:\ partition for file storage. One thing we missed before ghosting them is the fact that the entire contents of the Documents and Settings folder (profile folders) had to be placed in the root of the D:\ partition.

Now, after missing this, and not wanting to go to each machine and changing it manually, is it possible to have all new users that login to the domain on each laptop have their profile folder stored automatically in the D:\ partition instead of in C:\Documents and Settings\ using a domain policy? If so, how, because as I said, I have no experience creating or managing these policies, and this would probably be a good time to learn how to do so.

I believe we are using Windows Server 2000.

Thanks.

[allen2]

A simple gpo should not work if you want to move all documents and settings folder as it also contains profiles for users "network service" and "local service". Maybe a gpo with a startup script would do it.

[chilifrei64]

yeah what your asking is not completely possible with GPO. Especially if the workstations are already deployed and users have already logged on.

your best bet for moving the proviles now is either redirecting the important folders (My Docs, Desktop) using the redirected folders in GPO or just setting them up roaming profiles...

Here is a thought.. in there user account under the profile tab in ADUC, there is an option for profile path(this is one way on setting up roaming profiles) see if you can change that to a local path(ie. D:\users) instead of a UNC. I havent tried this but in theory....... it should work..

You would however also have to run a script to copy their current profile to the new one.

There is my little brain dump....

[gamehead200]

No one has logged onto these laptops except for myself and the other admins. The only profiles that have to be on the D:\ drive are those of the students, who have not even touched them yet. So nothing really has to get copied over.

[sTe]

Just thinking how we do it at work.

If you are using AD to point to a server path profile.

And you then change the profile path via GPO ... even though you have the profile stored on the C: drive, because the profile has been changed in the GPO, it will see there isnt a profile on D: drive, and will then attempt to down the server copy to the D: drive.

Pretty much how roaming profiles work, it doesnt matter if you havent logged on to the PC before, just that the server copy exists should be enough.

However, I dont know enough about editing GPO profile paths though... I dont know if its even possible.

I think microsoft wrote some vbs script which redirected profile folders on bootup ... I think I recall they wrote it for some game sites because they wanted it to revert C: drive back to the same install once it rebooted. The only thing the game site wanted to keep was the profile on the D: drive. Or something like that. But I cant remember where I saw the vid ... maybe channel9.msdn.com