Folder Redirection: STEP 1: Create Organization Unit (OU)

FOLDER REDIRECTION
User settings and user files are typically stored in the local user profile, under the Users folder. The files in local user
profiles can be accessed only from the current computer, which makes it difficult for users who use more than one
computer to work with their data and synchronize settings between multiple computers. Two technologies exist to
address this problem: Roaming Profiles and Folder Redirection. Both technologies have their advantages, and they
can be used separately or together to create a seamless user experience from one computer to another. They also
provide additional options for administrators managing user data.
Folder Redirection lets administrators redirect the path of a folder to a new location. The location can be a folder on
the local computer or a directory on a network file share. Users can work with documents on a server as if the
documents were based on a local drive.
The following are the steps in configuring folder redirection in windows server 2008:
STEP 1: Create Organization Unit (OU)
Open Server Manger and browse to your domain (in this case, our domain is rebeladmin.com). Right click on
the space as shown below and click New -> Organization Unit
A Dialog Box appears and type the name of your OU as shown below:
You domain now will be as shown below. The new OU Bench has been created.
STEP 2: Create Shared
Folder
You may also do

this step before the
configuration of
the Folder
Redirection in one
of the steps below.
The
shared folder path
is needed during
the redirection
set-up.
First create a folder
that you wanted to share.

Right-click on the folder and click Properties. Then
select the Sharing Tab. Below shows the properties
dialog with sharing tab selected.
Click on Advanced Sharing Button.

It is recommended to click Advanced Sharing Button
rather than Share button. Advanced Sharing provides
more options for your shared folder therefore providing
more control on how you wanted your shared folder
behaves.
The image in the right shows the dialog when Advanced

Sharing is clicked:
Tick on Share checkbox:
Click Permissions button to further modify the access

control of the folder. Check the Allow Full Control.
STEP 3: Create Group Policy Management Object
Now, we are going to create the folder redirection policy for our Organizational Unit. But first lets have first
create a Group Policy Management Object.
Select Start -> Administrative Tools -> Group Policy Management.
The window below then appears:
Browse through the Forest -> Domains then select you domain (in this case, the name of our domain is
rebeladmin.com). Then select the Organizational Unit (OU) we have created in step 1.
Right-click on your OU and select the Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here…..
Give a name of your Group Policy Object (GPO). The name must be unique throughout the entire domain.
STEP 4: Configuration of Folder

Redirection
Right-click on the newly

created
GPO and
click Edit
You may lead to

the windows
below:
Browse Through User Configuration

->
Policies -> Windows Settings ->
Folder
Redirection
Right Click on the folder you wanted to redirect. Say, we want to redirect Desktop.
This dialog will appear:
In the setting combo box, select “Basic – Redirect

everyone’s folder to the same location” as shown on
the image.
Type the shared folder path we created in step 2.
Click Ok.
Windows will do some confirmations on
the
actions to be executed.
Click Yes.
Repeat the same steps for other folders you wanted to redirect.
STEP 4: Populate you Organization Unit (OU) with users
What we did in steps 2 and 3 is defining the Policy for all the users under the OU Bench. Now let us create
the users that the policy will be applied to.
(you may also considering cleaning your screen through closing all the windows before doing
this) Go to Server Manager and browse and select the OU you created in STEP 1.
Right click on any space under the OU as shown below and select New -> User.
You will be lead to the dialog below.
Fill out the First name,

Initials, Last name, and
User logon name and
click Next>.
Provide the Password
of the user. As
suggested, use our
default password
“Password2017”.
You may consider
unchecking the “User
must change
password at next
logon” for faster
processing later when

logging on into the client PC. Other checkboxes are
self-expainatory.
This is a confirmation that the new user has been

created.
That’s it.
Now, try logging into the Client PC using the username you created in Step 4.
As you logged-in, observe the shared folder you created in STEP 2 and notice that a folder user2 is automatically
created and inside the folder user2 is/are folders for each folder redirections. For instance, you set-up 3 folder
redirections (desktop, documents, and pictures), then inside the user2 folder found 3 folders namely, desktop,
documents, and pictures. Anything you placed in your desktop in client will be routed to desktop folder in you
shared folder. The same applies to documents and pictures which are rerouted to their respective folders.
This is a great tool specially in a Laboratory setting where students have their individual accounts on the PC. For
instance a student use PC01 and created a document and saved it in his/her desktop. Later the next day, the same
student logged into the same account but in PC05, folder redirection allows the previous desktop files of PC01 to be
presented into the desktop of PC05. Isn’t it amazing?

Folder Redirection: STEP 1: Create Organization Unit (OU)

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FOLDER REDIRECTION

STEP 1: Create Organization Unit (OU)

You may also do

First create a folder

that you wanted to share.

Click on Advanced Sharing Button.

The image in the right shows the dialog when Advanced

Tick on Share checkbox:

Click Permissions button to further modify the access

Select Start -> Administrative Tools -> Group Policy Management.

The window below then appears:

STEP 4: Configuration of Folder

Right-click on the newly

You may lead to

Browse Through User Configuration

This dialog will appear:

In the setting combo box, select “Basic – Redirect

Type the shared folder path we created in step 2.

Fill out the First name,

processing later when

This is a confirmation that the new user has been

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