Changing user name yields inconsistent results with folder redirec

Hi,

I am having an issue with redirected folders after changing user names.
Here's the history:
We created folders using â??home foldersâ??, as follows:

\\server\users\office\joe_cool

Then we manually created the â??My Documentsâ?? folder as follows:

\\server\users\office\Joe_cool\My Documents

After the first logon/logoff, the â??My Documentsâ?? folder name changes to
the user nameâ??s docs:

\\server\users\office\Joe_Cool\Joe_Coolâ??s Documents


Then we use a group policy to redirect the My Documents to the following path:

\\server\users\office\%username%\My Documents

That has worked great, for years. Now we are changing the user names to the
format â??joe1234â??.

After logon/logoff with the changed name, some of the userâ??s â??My Documents
are changing to the following format:

\\server\users\office\joe_cool\joe1234â??s documents

While others remain as:

\\server\users\office\joe_cool\joe_coolâ??s Documents


This is happening with users that are in the same OU and have the same NTFS
permissions on their home folders. In most cases it doesnâ??t matter but in
one case the user was locked out of his â??My Documentsâ?? folder because of an
issue with the path. Can you think of any reason why we are getting
different results although we are doing the same thing with every user?

--
bb

Anthony
Thu May 08 10:24:24 PDT 2008

Brad,
You will get this if there are slight inconsistencies in the way the
original folders were created. Originally what you needed was:
- Home folder in user account: the folder is actually created by the
administrator creating the account, at the time the account is created
- a Redirection policy, redirecting to the same home folder location. The My
Documents folder is created by the group policy, when it is applied at the
time the user logs on.
If this varies, you will get inconsistent results.
Anthony,
http://www.airdesk.co.uk





"brad" <piraparana@community.nospam> wrote in message
news:48B66FBD-3E70-4B2E-85E9-79D3DC603A07@microsoft.com...
> Hi,
>
> I am having an issue with redirected folders after changing user names.
> Here's the history:
> We created folders using "home folders", as follows:
>
> \\server\users\office\joe_cool
>
> Then we manually created the "My Documents" folder as follows:
>
> \\server\users\office\Joe_cool\My Documents
>
> After the first logon/logoff, the "My Documents" folder name changes to
> the user name's docs:
>
> \\server\users\office\Joe_Cool\Joe_Cool's Documents
>
>
> Then we use a group policy to redirect the My Documents to the following
> path:
>
> \\server\users\office\%username%\My Documents
>
> That has worked great, for years. Now we are changing the user names to
> the
> format "joe1234".
>
> After logon/logoff with the changed name, some of the user's "My
> Documents
> are changing to the following format:
>
> \\server\users\office\joe_cool\joe1234's documents
>
> While others remain as:
>
> \\server\users\office\joe_cool\joe_cool's Documents
>
>
> This is happening with users that are in the same OU and have the same
> NTFS
> permissions on their home folders. In most cases it doesn't matter but in
> one case the user was locked out of his "My Documents" folder because of
> an
> issue with the path. Can you think of any reason why we are getting
> different results although we are doing the same thing with every user?
>
> --
> bb

v-dashen
Fri May 09 04:00:25 PDT 2008

Dear Customer,

Thank you for posting in newsgroup. And thanks to Anthony for the
contribution.

According to the description, the issue seems to be related to folder
redirection. If I have any misunderstanding, please feel free to let me
know.

Analysis and Suggestion:
=========================

I agree with Anthony. If the home directory folder was created by the
administrator the owner of \\server\users\office\Joe_cool\My Documents
should be the administrator. When the group policy setting of folder
redirection "\\server\users\office\%username%\My Documents", since the
%username% represents the variable of the user account. The moment the user
joe1234s logon and logoff, it will create a "\\server\users\office\
joe1234s\My Documents" for the user on the server.

To avoid this kind of inconsistencies, I would like to suggest that you
create a centralized share folder that granted the properly share and NTFS
permission for all the users. And then let the My Documents folder of every
domain users are created by the group policy, when it is applied at the
time the user logs on. This will prevent the inconsistence of the home
directory on the server.

For more detail information, please refer to:

Redirect My Documents to the home directory
http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/a1b7ce04-708b-4145-83
0a-cadfc003acd31033.mspx?mfr=true

Hope it helps.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

piraparana
Fri May 09 11:30:01 PDT 2008

Thanks for your responses. I tested this by creating "My Documents" folders
two different ways: manually and with group policies. In both cases the user
's folders retain the format of

\\server\users\office\Joe_Cool\Joe_Cool's Documents

after logon and logoff. So I don't think we have found the root of the
problem. I think we must be on the right track in general, that there may be
differences in the way the accounts are set up. It sounds like you are
saying that regardless of how iit got this way, there is a way to avoid this
in the future. David , I think your suggestion would work fine, except that
all of my users would have empty MyDocuments folders the first time they log
on. I guess we'll just have to live with the inconsistencies. Thanks again
for your comments.
--
bb


"David Shen [MSFT]" wrote:

> Dear Customer,
>
> Thank you for posting in newsgroup. And thanks to Anthony for the
> contribution.
>
> According to the description, the issue seems to be related to folder
> redirection. If I have any misunderstanding, please feel free to let me
> know.
>
> Analysis and Suggestion:
> =========================
>
> I agree with Anthony. If the home directory folder was created by the
> administrator the owner of \\server\users\office\Joe_cool\My Documents
> should be the administrator. When the group policy setting of folder
> redirection "\\server\users\office\%username%\My Documents", since the
> %username% represents the variable of the user account. The moment the user
> joe1234s logon and logoff, it will create a "\\server\users\office\
> joe1234s\My Documents" for the user on the server.
>
> To avoid this kind of inconsistencies, I would like to suggest that you
> create a centralized share folder that granted the properly share and NTFS
> permission for all the users. And then let the My Documents folder of every
> domain users are created by the group policy, when it is applied at the
> time the user logs on. This will prevent the inconsistence of the home
> directory on the server.
>
> For more detail information, please refer to:
>
> Redirect My Documents to the home directory
> http://technet2.microsoft.com/WindowsServer/en/Library/a1b7ce04-708b-4145-83
> 0a-cadfc003acd31033.mspx?mfr=true
>
> Hope it helps.
>
> David Shen
> Microsoft Online Partner Support
>
>

v-dashen
Sun May 11 22:46:36 PDT 2008

Dear Customer,

Thanks for your reply.

Based on the description, here is some information which may be helpful for
you.

Analysis and Suggestion:
======================

It is the default behavior that all of the users would have empty
MyDocuments folders the first time they log on. After the user logoff, the
system should save all the files and folders that have been put into the
local "MyDocuments" folder to the target redirected folder on the server.
It is better for us not to manually create user home directory "MyDocument"
on the server. I just would like to suggest that you create a centralized
share folder for the storage of all the users' "MyDocument". And then let
the My Documents folder of every domain users are created by the group
policy, when it is applied at the time the user logs on. If possible, you
may remove all the manually-created MyDocument on the server and only the
Group Policy with folder redirection settings.

Hope it helps.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support

v-dashen
Tue May 13 23:56:28 PDT 2008

Dear Customer,

How's everything going?

I'm wondering if the suggestion has helped or if you have any further
questions. Please feel free to respond to the newsgroups if I can assist
further.

David Shen
Microsoft Online Partner Support