Keep "My Documents" after user logs off.

[TekGreg]

Hi:

We are working with Microsoft Windows XP Professional Edition and we have not been able to keep the folder "My Documents" for that user after the users logs off. I've tried to join to a Domain and create a local user through "My Computer -> Properties -> Computer Name -> Network ID", and this worked for the users that we created as an Administrator, but the user we created as a Restricted User looses any file or folder that we create on his "Documents". I mean, we create a folder or file, and when the user logs off, the file or folder desappears.

We have another problem: We want that the users wont be able to install any software, we try to do this disallowing the user to run any unauthorized sofware. We have set (in the group policy editor: gpedit.msc) in "Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Windows Settings -> Software Restriction Policies" the Security Levels to "Disallowed" and in "Additional Rules" we have set the path to the software we want them to run, but there is one program that doesn't run, even when we created a rule that name the full path for that program.

Any help or direction will be welcome.

Thank you.


Regards,

Gregorio Granados

 

[Kaine]

Do you have Active Directory? If so you can do a My Documents redirection

 

[TekGreg]

Does this mean that I can redirect the creation of the documents to the local hard disks on each PC?

Because what we want to avoid is the traffic in our net.
That's why have had a hard time to leave "My Documents" on the local drive.

Thank you.

Regards,

Gregorio Granados

 

[arlems]

Yes, you can redirect "my documents" to a specific folder on your server, and then disable the "off-line" folders so that you don't get network traffic with cached documents on the clients. On your active directory, if not done already, create an Organizational Unit, and then move your users under it. Right click on the new OU > Properties > group policies > New (if you don't have this already setup). Edit the group policy > Windows Settings > Folder Redirection. Right click on "My document" > Properties > Target, and select the setting: "Basic - Redirect everyone's folder to the same location, then follow the instruction below.

 

[TekGreg]

Sorry, Sorry, Sorry. I'm really-really sorry.

I forgot to mention that right now we have 2 NT 4.0 servers and aprox 130 Win 95 clients, and soon we are going to migrate from NT/95 to XP Pro.

So, today the Win95's computers manage their own files (Documents) and they access Shared folders at the NT servers.

That's why we want to leave "My Documents" on each Ex-Win95 computer's local hard drive once they have migrated to XP.
In the tests that we have made, only the Administrators kept their Documents. The rest of the users, looses their Documents when they log off.

And what we want is to work like today: Shared folders on the servers and local documents on the clients. The difference is that soon, all of them (servers and cllients) will run on XP Pro.

Regards,

Gregorio Granados

 

[bcastner]

As Administrator, right-click My Computer, manage, Local Users and Groups, Local users, highlight the problem user, right-click, Properties, Profiles, and set a Home Directory to the local hard disk drive.

 

[TekGreg]

Well I guess that I would have to do that with each and every user.

I said "I guess" because I was playing with the Group Policy Editor, and I moved "something" after the "Local Computer Policy -> User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> Windows Components -> Microsoft Management Console -> Restricted/Permitted snap-ins, and now I'm not allowed (as administrator) to run any snap-in. (I have only two weeks working with XP).

And the migration should be done by the end of this month. OOPS!!!

While I wait for an answer to this issue, I will be preparing myself to reinstall the XP.

Regards,

Gregorio Granados