Folder redirection
Folder Redirection Overview
Applies To: Windows 8, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012
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
documents in the folder are available to the user from any computer on the network. Folder
Redirection is located under Windows Settings in the console tree when you edit domain-
based Group Policy by using the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). The path
is [Group Policy Object Name]\User Configuration\Policies\Windows Settings\
Folder Redirection .
Recent changes to Folder Redirection
Folder Redirection now includes the following features:
The ability to redirect more folders in the user profile folders than in earlier Windows
operating systems. This includes
the Contacts , Downloads , Favorites , Links , Music , Saved
Games , Searches , and Videos folders.
The ability to apply settings for redirected folders to Windows® 2000, Windows 2000
Server®, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 computers. You have the option to
apply the settings that you configure on Windows Server® 2008 R2, Windows® 7,
Windows Server 2008, or Windows Vista® only to computers that are running those
operating systems, or to apply them to computers that are running earlier Windows
operating systems also. For these earlier Windows operating systems, you can apply
these settings to folders that can be redirected. These are the Application
Data , Desktop , My Documents , My Pictures , and Start Menu folders. This
option is available in the Settings tab in the Properties for the folder, under Select
the redirection settings for [FolderName] .
The option to have the Music , Pictures , and Videos folders follow
the Documents folder. In Windows operating systems earlier than Windows Vista,
these folders were subfolders of the Documents folder. By configuring this option,
you resolve any issues related to naming and folder structure differences between
and earlier and more recent Windows operating systems. This option is available in
the Target tab in the Propertiesfor the folder, under Settings .
The ability to redirect the Start Menu folder to a specific path for all users. In
Windows XP, the Start Menufolder could be redirected only to a shared target
folder.
Note
This capability is new only to the Start Menu folder. All other redirectable folders in Windows Vista
and later versions can also be redirected to a specific path for all users.
Folders that can be redirected
You can use the GPMC to redirect folders.
Folder in Windows 7 and Equivalent Folder in Earlier Windows Operating
Windows Vista Systems
AppData/Roaming Application Data
Contacts Not Applicable
Desktop Desktop
Documents My Documents
Downloads Not Applicable
Favorites Not Applicable
Links Not Applicable
Music Not Applicable
Pictures My Pictures
Saved Games Not Applicable
Searches Not Applicable
Start Menu Start Menu
Videos Not Applicable
Advantages of Folder Redirection
Even if users log on to different computers on the network, their data is always
available.
Offline File technology (which is turned on by default) gives users access to the folder
even when they are not connected to the network. This is especially useful for people
who use portable computers.
Data that is stored in a network folder can be backed up as part of routine system
administration. This is safer because it requires no action by the user.
If you use Roaming User Profiles, you can use Folder Redirection to reduce the total
size of your Roaming Profile and make the user logon and logoff process more
efficient for the end-user. When you deploy Folder Redirection with Roaming User
Profiles, the data synchronized with Folder Redirection is not part of the roaming
profile and is synchronized in the background by using Offline Files after the user has
logged on. Therefore, the user does not have to wait for this data to be synchronized
when they log on or log off as is the case with Roaming User Profiles.
Data that is specific to a user can be redirected to a different hard disk on the user's
local computer from the hard disk that holds the operating system files. This makes
the user's data safer in case the operating system has to be reinstalled.
As an administrator, you can use Group Policy to set disk quotas, limiting how much
space is taken up by user profile folders.
Selecting a Folder Redirection target
The Target tab of the folder's Properties box enables you to select the location of the
redirected folder on a network or in the local user profile. You can choose between the
following settings:
Basic—Redirect everyone's folder to the same location . This setting enables
you to redirect everyone's folder to the same location and is applied to all users
included in the Group Policy object (GPO). For this setting, you have the following
options in specifying a target folder location:
o Create a folder for each user under the root path . This option creates a
folder in the form\\server\share\User Account Name\Folder Name . Each
user has a unique path for their redirected folder.
Note
If you enable the Also apply redirection policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows
XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems option on the Settings tab, this option is not
available for the Start Menu folder.
Redirect to the following location . This option uses an explicit path for the
redirection location. This can cause multiple users to share the same path for the
redirected folder.
Redirect to the local user profile location . This option moves the location of the
folder to the local user profile under the Users folder.
Advanced—Specify locations for various user groups . This setting enables you
to specify redirection behavior for the folder based on the security group
memberships for the GPO.
Follow the Documents folder . This option is available only for
the Music , Pictures , and Videos folders. This option resolves any issues related to
naming and folder structure differences between Windows 7 and Windows Vista, and
earlier Windows operating systems. If you choose this option, you cannot configure
any additional redirection options or policy removal options for these folders, and
settings are inherited from theDocuments folder.
Note
This behavior also occurs by default if you enable the Also apply redirection policy to Windows
2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems option on
the Settings tab when you configure redirection settings for the Documents folder.
Not configured . This is the default setting. This setting specifies that policy-based
folder redirection was removed for that GPO and the folders are redirected to the
local user profile location or stay where they are based on the redirection options
selected if any existing redirection policies were set. No changes are being made to
the current location of this folder.
Configuring additional settings for the redirected
folder
In the Settings tab in the Properties box for a folder, you can enable these settings:
Grant the user exclusive rights . This setting is enabled by default and is a
recommended setting. This setting specifies that the administrator and other users
do not have permissions to access this folder.
Move the contents of [FolderName] to the new location . This setting moves
all the data the user has in the local folder to the shared folder on the network.
Also apply redirection policy to Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server,
Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating systems . This enables
folder redirection to work withWindows 7 and Windows Vista, and earlier Windows
operating systems. This option applies only to redirectable folders in earlier Windows
operating systems, which are the Application Data , Desktop , My
Documents , My Pictures , and Start Menufolders.
Note
The AppData/Roaming (previously Application Data in earlier Windows operating systems) folder in
Windows Vista now contains several folders that were previously under the root folder of the User
Profile folder in earlier Windows operating systems. For example, in earlier Windows operating
systems, the Start Menu folder was not under the Application Data folder. It might not make sense to
redirect all the folders under Application Datawhen you enable the Also apply redirection policy to
Windows 2000, Windows 2000 Server, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003 operating
systems setting. Therefore, if you choose this setting, Windows 7 and Windows Vista do not redirect
the following folders automatically: Start Menu , Network Shortcuts , Printer
Shortcuts , Templates , Cookies , Sent To . If you do not choose this setting, Windows 7 and
Windows Vista automatically redirect all folders under the Application Data folder.
Policy Removal . The following table summarizes the behavior of redirected folders
and their contents when the GPO no longer applies, based on your selections for
policy removal. The following policy removal options are available in
the Settings tab, under Policy Removal .
Policy Removal
Selected setting Result
option
Redirect the Enabled The folder returns to its user profile location.
folder back to
the user profile The contents are copied, not moved, back to
location when the user profile location.
policy is removed
The contents are not deleted from the
redirected location.
The user continues to have access to the
contents, but only on the local computer.
Redirect the Disabled The folder returns to its user profile location.
folder back to
the user profile The contents are not copied or moved to the
location when user profile location.
policy is removed
Note
If the contents of a folder are not copied to
the user profile location, the user cannot see
them.
Leave the folder EitherEnabled orDisabled The folder remains at its redirected location.
in the new
location when The contents remain at the redirected
policy is removed location.
The user continues to have access to the
contents at the redirected folder.
