Folder redirection configured in GPO does not create Documents folder and does not redirect

Question

Hi
Another Folder Redirect-post - sorry for that, but I could not find an answer for my problem so far: even with consulting many threads here...
We have an existing environment under Windows XP and want to move away from that. Now I ran into troubles with folder redirection...
The following folder- and permission structure exists so far:
\\<server>\<Users$-share>: This is the base folder for all users-directories
-> Permissions: SYSTEM: Full / Administrators: Full / Users: Read&Execute, only this folder
-> Share-permissions: Authenticated users: Full control
\\<server>\<Users$-share>\<username>: base folder for the specific user
-> Permissions: SYSTEM: Full / Administrators: Full / User: Change, all permissions inherited onwards
-> Giving only change permission prevent further problems with self-called "advanced users"... ;-)
\\<server>\<Users$-share>\<username>\profil.V2: Profile directory of the user
-> Of course here the permissions are set by the system: override the predefined permission
\\<server>\<Users$-share>\<username>\daten: Atcual Home directory of the user
\\<server>\<Users$-share>\<username>\daten\Documents: Suposed Documents directory of the user
Now I am going to Server 2012 and Windows 8.1, configured the GPO to redirect Documents folder into the above mentioned:
GPO - User configuration - Policies - Windows settings - Folder Redirection - Documents:
Setting: Standart - redirects all folders to the same path
Destination folder: Copy to base directory of the user
I apply policy to the user, log out and in - it doesn't work, no folder Documents created in my home-folder, Folder Documents still configured at C:\Users\<user>\Documents
A very special point:
I also do Redirection of the My Pictures-folder: Define it to follow the Documents folder. Funnily that one works and creates and configures \\<server>\<Users$-share>\<username>\daten\Pictures
-> So in my eyes, it should work!
Then: I want to do the folder redirection without Offline Files, due to the fact, that our users work with dynamically assigned virtual desktops, which are been cleaned everytime a user logs off a machine. Therefore synchronizing doesn't make sense...
I just cannot see, why this redirection does not work :-(
Thank you very much for any help!
Kind regards
David

Answer 1

Hi David,
Before going further, would you please let me confirm the OS version of the Windows Server which you used to
configure folder redirection? Based on your description, did you mean that those users (who will be applied folder redirection settings) logged on Windows XP client computer?
When you configure the folder redirection setting in Document Properties (path:
User Configuration-> Policies-> Windows Settings-> Folder Redirection-> Documents), please check if you checked “Also apply redirection policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating system” in Settings
tab. As below picture shows.
à
GPO - User configuration - Policies - Windows settings - Folder Redirection - Documents:
à•Setting: Standart
- redirects all folders to the same path
à•Destination
folder: Copy to base directory of the user
Would you please provide a screenshot of those settings you describe? Meanwhile, please summarily describe
that how you configure. For example, where this GPO link to? Or any other. It will help me to understand clearly. Thanks for your understanding.
In addition, please use
gpresult command to check if the folder redirection group policy was really applied.
If any update, please feel free to let me know.
Hope this helps.
Best regards,
Justin Gu