Vista - Redirecting Users Documents to File Server

In XP and lower versions I could right click My Documents and change the path
to a file server so they could be backed up and synchronized.

How can this be done in Vista? I have seen numerous posts saying to "Just
right-click on Documents, then go to properties." That justs gives security
and sharing.

"Brett S" <Brett S@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B36C0C53-DA38-4F0B-A078-02A87DB4CFE1@microsoft.com...
> In XP and lower versions I could right click My Documents and change the
> path
> to a file server so they could be backed up and synchronized.
>
> How can this be done in Vista? I have seen numerous posts saying to "Just
> right-click on Documents, then go to properties." That justs gives
> security
> and sharing.

If you go into C:\USERS\(name)\ and right click Documents and choose
properties, you don't see a "Location" tab?

What edition are you using? I'm seeing that tab in Vista Ultimate (RTM.)

Also, if you are running a domain, have you considered using roaming
profiles?


--
Colin Nash
Microsoft MVP (www.microsoft.com/mvp)
Windows - Shell/User

I've seen this question come up a few times with the same predictable
answers and responses. I think what the questioners should be asking is, how
can I move my USERS folder?
That folder is the main data storage unit for users. Programs seem to add
their own folder under Documents, which is ok I guess but they are not
really documents in the strict sense of the word are they?

What should have been done, and what I propose users do, is;
Rename the Document folder to Data.
Relocate all of the other folders in your C:\USERS\(name)\ folder to the
Data folder, this can be done by way of Properties-Location.
Then, because the Data folder is re-locatable, the user can now move it to
wherever he/she wants, be it a different drive or partition.

I haven't tried or tested this (I just thought of it) but I would be
interested in any thoughts on this.

Ray



"Colin Nash [MVP]" <abc@123.xyz> wrote in message
news:C5F41E39-B2B5-4A01-A460-DC42480DC012@microsoft.com...
>
> "Brett S" <Brett S@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:B36C0C53-DA38-4F0B-A078-02A87DB4CFE1@microsoft.com...
>> In XP and lower versions I could right click My Documents and change the
>> path
>> to a file server so they could be backed up and synchronized.
>>
>> How can this be done in Vista? I have seen numerous posts saying to
>> "Just
>> right-click on Documents, then go to properties." That justs gives
>> security
>> and sharing.
>
> If you go into C:\USERS\(name)\ and right click Documents and choose
> properties, you don't see a "Location" tab?
>
> What edition are you using? I'm seeing that tab in Vista Ultimate (RTM.)
>
> Also, if you are running a domain, have you considered using roaming
> profiles?
>
>
> --
> Colin Nash
> Microsoft MVP (www.microsoft.com/mvp)
> Windows - Shell/User
>
>
>
>

I am using Vista Business RTM.

Also roaming profiles won't work because I just need the documents, not all
of the other files.

There has to be a way to do this.

"Colin Nash [MVP]" wrote:

>
> "Brett S" <Brett S@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:B36C0C53-DA38-4F0B-A078-02A87DB4CFE1@microsoft.com...
> > In XP and lower versions I could right click My Documents and change the
> > path
> > to a file server so they could be backed up and synchronized.
> >
> > How can this be done in Vista? I have seen numerous posts saying to "Just
> > right-click on Documents, then go to properties." That justs gives
> > security
> > and sharing.
>
> If you go into C:\USERS\(name)\ and right click Documents and choose
> properties, you don't see a "Location" tab?
>
> What edition are you using? I'm seeing that tab in Vista Ultimate (RTM.)
>
> Also, if you are running a domain, have you considered using roaming
> profiles?
>
>
> --
> Colin Nash
> Microsoft MVP (www.microsoft.com/mvp)
> Windows - Shell/User
>
>
>
>

You can use a group policy if you are using Active Directory

https://www.microsoft.com/resources/....mspx?mfr=true

--
Kerry Brown
Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2




"Brett S" <Brett S@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B36C0C53-DA38-4F0B-A078-02A87DB4CFE1@microsoft.com...
> In XP and lower versions I could right click My Documents and change the
> path
> to a file server so they could be backed up and synchronized.
>
> How can this be done in Vista? I have seen numerous posts saying to "Just
> right-click on Documents, then go to properties." That justs gives
> security
> and sharing.

I guess that is what I need to do. One problem is some clients still have
2000 Server, time to push for the server upgrades.

"Kerry Brown" wrote:

> You can use a group policy if you are using Active Directory
>
> https://www.microsoft.com/resources/....mspx?mfr=true
>
> --
> Kerry Brown
> Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
> www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2
>
>
>
>
> "Brett S" <Brett S@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:B36C0C53-DA38-4F0B-A078-02A87DB4CFE1@microsoft.com...
> > In XP and lower versions I could right click My Documents and change the
> > path
> > to a file server so they could be backed up and synchronized.
> >
> > How can this be done in Vista? I have seen numerous posts saying to "Just
> > right-click on Documents, then go to properties." That justs gives
> > security
> > and sharing.
>
>

Why not change the location in the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\ProfileList entry? This seems to work, both for relocating
the enitre Users folder, or for relocating user folders underneath it (for
individual users, or to move the Public folder.)

1) If you use the ProfilesDirectory key to relocate the entire Users folder,
remember that if for some reason that folder becomes inaccessible Windows
won't boot, period. (Say, you add a drive and the drive letters change, or
the drive on which Users in located goes bad.)

2) To move an individual user's folder, you seem to have to create the user
first so that an SID entry appears beneath the ProfileList entry. Find that
entry and change the ProfileImagePage key to a new location. Then log on as
another administrator user and move the entire contents of the user folder
over. This won't update the hidden NTFS junctions, though, so you'll either
have to receate them (with MKLINK or whatever) mindful of their security
settings, or do without them. You should also then search the entite
registry for the old path (say, c:\users\username) and change the entires to
new path. Finally, make sure that the new user folder has appropriate
permissions set!! If not, odd things will creep up like Internet Explorer
not being able to save history, etc.

Fun!

Joe


"Brett S" <BrettS@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:2696BA3A-DF48-4416-9085-AD2F4B8B2FED@microsoft.com...
>I guess that is what I need to do. One problem is some clients still have
> 2000 Server, time to push for the server upgrades.
>
> "Kerry Brown" wrote:
>
>> You can use a group policy if you are using Active Directory
>>
>> https://www.microsoft.com/resources/....mspx?mfr=true
>>
>> --
>> Kerry Brown
>> Microsoft MVP - Shell/User
>> www.vistahelp.ca/phpBB2
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> "Brett S" <Brett S@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:B36C0C53-DA38-4F0B-A078-02A87DB4CFE1@microsoft.com...
>> > In XP and lower versions I could right click My Documents and change
>> > the
>> > path
>> > to a file server so they could be backed up and synchronized.
>> >
>> > How can this be done in Vista? I have seen numerous posts saying to
>> > "Just
>> > right-click on Documents, then go to properties." That justs gives
>> > security
>> > and sharing.
>>
>>

The "Managing Roaming User Data Deployment Guide.doc" which you can download
this from Microsoft (do a search on the Microsoft site for "redirect
documents in vista")
is a really good introduction to the Vista user's folder structure and also
contains a step-by-step guide for various folder redirection scenarios.

Ray

<Brett S@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:B36C0C53-DA38-4F0B-A078-02A87DB4CFE1@microsoft.com...
> In XP and lower versions I could right click My Documents and change the
> path
> to a file server so they could be backed up and synchronized.
>
> How can this be done in Vista? I have seen numerous posts saying to "Just
> right-click on Documents, then go to properties." That justs gives
> security
> and sharing.