Windows Folder Redirection

KB ID 0000467 

Problem

Q: What is Folder Redirection?

A: Essentially you can take folders that hold things like your “My documents” or your “Favorites” folder, and put them out on a network server, which is great if you want to back that sort of information up for disaster recovery.

Q: What’s the difference between this and a roaming / roving profile?

A: Folder redirection keeps information on a server and you access it remotely, Roaming profiles are designed to sync that information (and your WHOLE user profile) backwards and forwards to a network share as your users logon and log off.

Q: What folders can be redirected?

A: From Server 2008 onwards, and with Windows 7 clients and above, the following can be redirected.

  • AppData(Roaming)
  • Desktop
  • Start Menu
  • Documents
  • Pictures
  • Music
  • Videos
  • Favorites
  • Contacts
  • Downloads
  • Links
  • Searches
  • Saved Games

Solution

1. On a server create a folder to hold the redirected data, In this case you will notice I’ve called my share Redir$ (The dollar sign just means it’s a hidden share, and can’t be seen if people are network browsing).

Folder Redirection: Permissions for the Root Folder

2. Set the share permissions to Everyone: Full Control (Don’t worry we will secure it with NTFS permissions).

3. On the security tab of the folder click advanced.

4. For Server 2012 / 2016 you should see something like this;

For Server 2008 and older it should look more like this;

5. For server 2012 / 2016 Disable Inheritance and select ‘Convert’.

For 2008 and older, untick “Include Inheritable permissions from this objects parent” > At the warning click “Add”.

6. Select each User in turn (You will need to add the Everyone group) > Then Edit the permissions so that they are as follows.

  • CREATOR OWNER – Full Control (Apply onto: Subfolders and Files Only).
  • System – Full Control (Apply onto: This Folder, Subfolders and Files).
  • Domain Admins – Full Control (Apply onto: This Folder, Subfolders and Files).
  • Everyone – Traverse Folder/Execute File (Apply onto: This Folder Only).
  • Everyone – List Folder/Read Data (Apply onto: This Folder Only).
  • Everyone – Read Attributes (Apply onto: This Folder Only).
  • Everyone – Create Folder/Append Data (Apply onto: This Folder Only).

2012 / 2016

‘Show Advanced Permissions’

2008 and older.

7. Now REMOVE BOTH the entries for USERS > Apply  > OK.

7. On your domain controller open the Group Policy Management Console, (Under Administrative Tools) and either create a new USER policy of edit one that already linked to the users you want to enforce this policy upon.

8. I prefer to create a new policy and call it something sensible so if there’s a problem it’s easy to find in the future.

9. Navigate to:

[box]User Configuration > Policies > Windows Settings > Folder Redirection[/box]

Locate the folder you want to redirect (In this case its just the documents folder) > Right click > Properties.

10. I’m going to redirect all my users documents to the one folder I created earlier, so I will choose basic.

Note: You can choose “Advanced” and redirect different groups folders to different locations.

Enter the path to the root folder AS A UNC PATH, DONT click the browse button and browse to it.

11. I’m going to accept the defaults on the settings tab, the option I’ve highlighted creates the folders with exclusive rights on the folders for the user in question and SYSTEM, so the domain admin had no access (this is OK, it’s the same way user profiles work, you can still back them up).

12. Now as your users log on their folders will be redirected to the share you setup.

Backing up Redirected Folders

13. Even with exclusive rights you can still back this data up:

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Original Article written 22/06/11

Windows – “Windows Explorer Stops Working” When you open Control Panel

KB ID 0000457 

Problem

Seen today on four brand new Windows 7 machines. Whenever you attempt to open the control panel, you see the error message, “Windows Explorer has stopped working”

And the event log yields no clues, it does log an Event ID 1000, but that does not seen to help much?

Solution

Essentially this error is caused by a .cpl file that Windows does not like, these are control panel applets (small programs), we use them all the time without realising it..

(from command line run “ncpa.cpl” without the quotes, you should see your network connections).

Anyway, to fix it:

1. First lets get a list of all our .cpl files, open a command window and issue the following two commands:

[box]cd c:windowssystem32<br /> dir *.cpl >>cplfiles.txt[/box]

2. Now using Windows explorer browse to C:windowssystem32 and locate the text file cplfiles.txt, open it in notepad.

3. This will show you all the cpl files in this folder, anyone of these could be the culprit. I’ve read some posts that say “double click each one and the one that crashes explorer is the culprit”, but for me THAT WAS NOT THE CASE! the offending .cpl file on my machine opened and ran without error. What I suggest you do is MOVE all the .cpl files to another folder, then move them back a few at a time, then open control panel, at the point it starts crashing again, the culprit was in the last batch you moved back.

4. The offender in my case was Firebird2control.cpl (Installed with Firebird database software) deleting this file did not appear to cause any harm to the Firebird product but check with your software vendor.

5. As soon as that file was removed from the System32 folder the problem ceased.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

NA

Windows – Force into Safe Mode or”Cannot Boot into Safe Mode”

KB ID 0000521

Problem

With modern PC’s, the boot time is a LOT less than it used to be. There was a time when you would have a few seconds to press F8 when a Windows machine started and it would boot to “safe mode”. Now even with the reflexes of a fighter pilot, you are hard pushed to press the key before it says “Starting Windows”.

Solution

1. Boot Windows normally, and in the search/run box type msconfig, (or run from command line, whichever you prefer).

2. When msconfig opens select the boot tab > Select “Safe Boot” with the Minimal option selected > Apply OK > You will be asked to reboot.

3. The machine will now reboot into safe mode, when you have done what you need to do simply run msconfig again and Untick “Safe boot” >Apply > OK > Reboot.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

NA

How to Play .MKV files in Media Center

KB ID 0000564 

Problem

You have a video encoded in .mkv format, and that video is not listed and cannot be played in Windows Media Center.

Solution

Playing an MKV file is one problem, getting them to be displayed in Media Center is another.

1. First we need to get Windows to “understand” what a .mkv file is, to do that we need to install a codec. The one I’m using is from the shark007 website. If you’re x32 or x64 bit Windows download and install this file. Then if you are x64 bit Windows you will also need to install this additional file.

How to Tell if Windows is 32 or 64 bit

2. To get Media Center to recognise MKV files download this zip file, inside you will find an x32 and an x64 bit registry file, run the one that applies to your version of Windows. Then reboot the machine.

3. Now you can see your files listed and play them.

Related Articles, References, Credits, or External Links

Force Media Center to Update its Libraries