Redirect MyDocs after Novell Login

[Guest]

I'm in a Novell / Microsoft environment where all the users files are stored
on the Novell servers (H: Drive). I'm rolling out AD, and would like to
force each user's MyDocs folder to be redirected to their H: Drive, but it
doesn't work because the GPO's are applied before the H: Drive mapping is
created.

Can anyone think of a way to force the redirection to happen, even if the h:
drive doesn't yet exist?

I guess if all else fails, I can have their Netware login script set the
local registry key after it runs, but that's a little more manual then I
wanted.

Thanks,
Gabe

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

I'm in a Novell / Microsoft environment where all the users files are
stored on the Novell servers (H: Drive). I'm rolling out AD, and
would like to force each user's MyDocs folder to be redirected to
their H: Drive, but it doesn't work because the GPO's are applied
before the H: Drive mapping is created.

Can anyone think of a way to force the redirection to happen, even if
the h: drive doesn't yet exist?

I guess if all else fails, I can have their Netware login script set
the local registry key after it runs, but that's a little more manual
then I wanted.

Thanks,
Gabe

If you use redirection to "a subfolder under the home directory" and have
the home directory specified in their ADUC properties, this should work, I'd
think.

 

[Gabe Knuth]

Well, I was optimistic there, but it didn't work. Appears to be the same
problem - the H:\ drive doesn't get connected until after all the Windows
settings have been configured. The home path IS getting set to H:\, but
when the MyDocs redirection is being configured, the homedrive\homepath is
apparently still set to c:\documents and settings\blah blah.

Any other thoughts? We're closer...

Thanks much,
Gabe


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Well, I was optimistic there, but it didn't work. Appears to be the
same problem - the H:\ drive doesn't get connected until after all
the Windows settings have been configured. The home path IS getting
set to H:\, but when the MyDocs redirection is being configured, the
homedrive\homepath is apparently still set to c:\documents and
settings\blah blah.

Any other thoughts? We're closer...

Hm. You're using the default domain policy for this? I do this a lot and
have never had it not work. Sounds like the computer isn't picking up the
policy. More info might help.

Thanks much,
Gabe


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

If you use redirection to "a subfolder under the home directory" and
have the home directory specified in their ADUC properties, this
should work, I'd think.

 

[Gabe Knuth]

The policy is configured for the container that the users are in,
permissions are set correctly.

Other items are configured (and working) in the same policy, like Screen
Saver settings and desktop settings, but it appears that you are correct -
the MyDocs redirection isn't getting pushed.

Workstation is WinXP Pro SP1. Novell Client 4.9SP2. Win2k3 AD.

Any other information that might be helpful?


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

Well, I was optimistic there, but it didn't work. Appears to be the
same problem - the H:\ drive doesn't get connected until after all
the Windows settings have been configured. The home path IS getting
set to H:\, but when the MyDocs redirection is being configured, the
homedrive\homepath is apparently still set to c:\documents and
settings\blah blah.

Any other thoughts? We're closer...

Hm. You're using the default domain policy for this? I do this a lot and
have never had it not work. Sounds like the computer isn't picking up the
policy. More info might help.

Thanks much,
Gabe


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

Gabe Knuth wrote:
I'm in a Novell / Microsoft environment where all the users files
are stored on the Novell servers (H: Drive). I'm rolling out AD,
and would like to force each user's MyDocs folder to be redirected
to their H: Drive, but it doesn't work because the GPO's are applied
before the H: Drive mapping is created.

Can anyone think of a way to force the redirection to happen, even
if the h: drive doesn't yet exist?

I guess if all else fails, I can have their Netware login script set
the local registry key after it runs, but that's a little more
manual then I wanted.

Thanks,
Gabe

If you use redirection to "a subfolder under the home directory" and
have the home directory specified in their ADUC properties, this
should work, I'd think.

 

[Matt Anderson]

"Gabe Knuth" <[email protected] (not for legit emails, use my first name @
gabeknuth.com for those)> wrote in message

The policy is configured for the container that the users are in,
permissions are set correctly.

Other items are configured (and working) in the same policy, like Screen
Saver settings and desktop settings, but it appears that you are correct -
the MyDocs redirection isn't getting pushed.

Workstation is WinXP Pro SP1. Novell Client 4.9SP2. Win2k3 AD.

Any other information that might be helpful?

Can you redirect to a UNC path? \\server\%username%

Just an idea. I'm not too up on folder redirection.

Matt
MCT, MCSE

 

[Gabe Knuth]

Sorry, I should've posted that. I tried that already - no success.

I think it's odd that just one setting won't apply, but the others will in
the same policy. The only other time I've seen that is when trying to push
down a Group Policy Loopback Processing setting in the same policy as Admin
Template settings. Guess I could try moving the folder redirection setting
to its own policy.

 

[Gabe Knuth]

That didn't do it either.

"Gabe Knuth" <[email protected] (not for legit emails, use my first name @
gabeknuth.com for those)> wrote in message

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

That didn't do it either.

Do you have a computer not running the Novell client, and can you test it
there?

 

[Gabe Knuth]

Ooh...Good call. I'll do that.


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

 

[Gabe Knuth]

Nope, still doesn't work. This is nuts!

"Gabe Knuth" <[email protected] (not for legit emails, use my first name @
gabeknuth.com for those)> wrote in message

Ooh...Good call. I'll do that.


"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"

Do you have a computer not running the Novell client, and can you test it
there?

 

[Gabe Knuth]

Ok, so here's what's new.

I created a second policy just for folder redirection, which is apparently
working now, but still not remapping MyDocs to the H:\ drive.

The problem is what I suspected before - Since the H: drive doesn't exist
when the GPO is applied, I get a failure event in the Application log. The
error follows:

Error 101
Source FolderRedirection

Failed to perform redirection of folder My Documents. The new directories

for the redirectedc folder could not be created. The folder is configured to
be redirected to <\\%HOMESHARE%%HOMEPATH%>, the final >expanded path was
<h:\>. The following error occurred: The system cannot find the path
specified

so my original problem is confirmed, which begs the question again - can I
force the GPO to apply, even with that error? Or, can I apply it in or
after the Novell Login (I know, not exactly the best group to ask)?

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

Ok, so here's what's new.

I created a second policy just for folder redirection, which is
apparently working now, but still not remapping MyDocs to the H:\
drive.

The problem is what I suspected before - Since the H: drive doesn't
exist when the GPO is applied, I get a failure event in the
Application log. The error follows:


for the redirectedc folder could not be created. The folder is

cannot find the path specified

Hmmm - curious as to why it specifies %homeshare% instead of the actual UNC
path? In ADUC I specify \\server\home$\%username for each user's home
directory....and have never had a problem. I am pretty much a complete moron
with regards to the finer points of group policy, but this has worked well
for me in the past. Maybe I'm missing something here?

 

[Gabe Knuth]

Well, I told the GPO to redirect to ther user's home drive. I think it
replaced that with %HOMESHARE%%HOMEPATH%, which is the env var for the
user's home drive.

So I think the problem goes back to the fact that their home drive doesn't
yet exist. I'm thinking I'm up a creek...

Thanks for all your suggestions.

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"