Configure Folder Redirection in Window Server 2012 R2

As a Server Admin, you can use GPOs to deploy scripts to users and computers.

You also can redirect folders that are included in the user’s profile to a File Server. These features enable you to configure the users’ desktop settings more easily and, where desirable, to create a standardized desktop environment that meets your organization’s needs.

So, what is Folder Redirection? 

You can use the Folder Redirection to manage data effectively and, if you choose, to back up data.

By redirecting folders, you can ensure user access to data regardless of the computers from which a user logs in.

So in this post, lets go through a simple step on how to configure Folder Redirection…

1 – 1st, make sure that you have share folder for this step, for this demo, i had my shared folder created previously (MCT Docs – OSI Branch 01)…

2 – Next, we need to create a new GPO and link it to the IT OU (you can use any OU you prefer)…

– On the Group Policy Management console, right click IT OU and then click Create a GPO in this domain and Link it here…

3 – In the Name box, type MCT Folder Redirection, and then click OK…

4 – Next, expand IT OU, right-click MCT Folder Redirection, and then click Edit…

5 – In the Group Policy Management Editor, under User Configuration, expand Policies, expand
Windows Settings, and then expand Folder Redirection…

– Next, right-click Documents, and then click Properties…

6 – In the Document Properties dialog box, on the Target tab, next to Setting, click the drop-down
arrow, and then select Basic – Redirect everyone’s folder to the same location…

– Ensure the Target folder location box is set to Create a folder for each user under the root path…

– In the Root Path box, type \\dc01\MCT Docs – OSI Branch 01, and then click OK…

7 – In the Warning dialog box, click Yes…

8 – Next, lets try test the folder redirection settings, switch to your client PC and log in as any of your domain user, right-click the desktop, and then click Personalize…

9 – In the navigation pane, click Change desktop icons…

10 – In Desktop Icon Settings, select the User’s Files check box, and then click OK…

11 – On the desktop, double-click Steve Winfield folder…

– Right-click Documents, and then click Properties…

12 – In the Document Properties dialog box, verify that the location of the folder is now the network
share in a subfolder named for the user…

OK, that’s it for now..

In my next post, i will go through on how to configure Direct Access…