Group Policy - Desktop Shortcuts Please Help!!!

[PaddyT]

I have recently installed Office 2003 across the network, and I want to use a Group Policy so that all users have a desktop shortcut to the appropriate applications (word, excel etc), rather than going to the start menu, MS office etc etc.. I work at a school with young children, so it makes life easier for them to work with the shortcuts. I cannot seem to figure out how to assign the relevant links to the programs. I am thinking this could be done with a script, but have no idea where to start.

Thanks in advance....!

 

[PhaseK]

Do all your users use a shared mandatory profile? If so just place the links in the desktop folder of the profile.

 

[PaddyT]

At the moment, they dont. I thought about doing that, but just wondered if the same could be achieved using a script of some discription. I have had issues with group policy and user profiles. If they have a user profile, then the Group Policy is not applied. As soon as I remove the user profile, then the Group Policy works again.. New to AD, so its a little trial and error at the moment!!

 

[rye8261]

If you are using a login script you can copy the link from the All Users menu and place it on their desktop. Here is a bat script to do it that works on my computer:

@echo off

copy "C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start Menu\Programs\Microsoft Office\Microsoft Office Word 2003.lnk" "c:\documents and settings\%username%\desktop\" /y

pause

Let me know if you need help if you use this method.

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[billieT]

For god's sake, use Group Policy properly rather than p*ssing about with scripts or mandatory profiles.

The setting for redirecting folders is in Policy > User Configuration > Windows Settings > Folder Redirection

http://www.microsoft.com/resources/documentation/windows/xp/all/proddocs/en-us/sag_sp_bestprac.mspx

Make sure you enable loopback processing!! I'm sure that's the problem you're having with inconsistent results with GPOs vs profiles:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;231287