Network shares for home directories

When creating network shares for user home folders, is it best to have a
single shared folder containing all the user folders, or share each user
folder individually.
eg
1) \\server\sharedRoot$\user1
\\server\sharedRoot$\user2

or

2) \\server\user1$
\\server\user2$

Andrew E Chapman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> When creating network shares for user home folders, is it best to
> have a single shared folder containing all the user folders, or share
> each user folder individually.
> eg
> 1) \\server\sharedRoot$\user1
> \\server\sharedRoot$\user2
>
> or
>
> 2) \\server\user1$
> \\server\user2$

I vote for #1. Don't create shares for users' folders. In fact, you don't
even need home directories any longer - just use folder redirection for My
Documents (and possibly also Desktop and Application Data).

See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274443
How to dynamically create security-enhanced redirected folders by using
folder redirection in Windows 2000 and in Windows Server 2003

#1 is the model that we have been using for the last couple of years (after
migrating from #2), but recently we have started having problems with users
home drives not mapping correctly. Instead of their home drives being
\\server\sharedRoot$\user, the home drive intermittently maps to
\\server\SharedRoot$. Most perplexing. It made me wonder whether we'd made a
mistake migrating from #2 to #1 in the first place.

> I vote for #1. Don't create shares for users' folders. In fact, you don't
> even need home directories any longer - just use folder redirection for My
> Documents (and possibly also Desktop and Application Data).
>
> See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274443
> How to dynamically create security-enhanced redirected folders by using
> folder redirection in Windows 2000 and in Windows Server 2003
>
>
>

Andrew E Chapman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> #1 is the model that we have been using for the last couple of years
> (after migrating from #2), but recently we have started having
> problems with users home drives not mapping correctly. Instead of
> their home drives being \\server\sharedRoot$\user, the home drive
> intermittently maps to \\server\SharedRoot$. Most perplexing. It made
> me wonder whether we'd made a mistake migrating from #2 to #1 in the
> first place.

Not directly related, actually. You just need to enable the setting "Always
wait for
network at computer startup & logon" via Group Policy. That'll fix this
right up! I'd recommend doing this even if you were still using the one
share per user setup.
>
>> I vote for #1. Don't create shares for users' folders. In fact, you
>> don't even need home directories any longer - just use folder
>> redirection for My Documents (and possibly also Desktop and
>> Application Data).
>>
>> See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274443
>> How to dynamically create security-enhanced redirected folders by
>> using folder redirection in Windows 2000 and in Windows Server 2003

You need to get away from the whole resource hogging, connection dropping,
"mapped drive" thing.
A simple shortcut based on a UNC path works great and will have the
"appearance" of being a Folder in whatever location it is in (like on the
Desktop or in the My Documents).

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

"Andrew E Chapman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message news:963AC658-3FDC-4193-B998-(E-Mail Removed)...
> #1 is the model that we have been using for the last couple of years
> (after
> migrating from #2), but recently we have started having problems with
> users
> home drives not mapping correctly. Instead of their home drives being
> \\server\sharedRoot$\user, the home drive intermittently maps to
> \\server\SharedRoot$. Most perplexing. It made me wonder whether we'd made
> a
> mistake migrating from #2 to #1 in the first place.
>
>> I vote for #1. Don't create shares for users' folders. In fact, you don't
>> even need home directories any longer - just use folder redirection for
>> My
>> Documents (and possibly also Desktop and Application Data).
>>
>> See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274443
>> How to dynamically create security-enhanced redirected folders by using
>> folder redirection in Windows 2000 and in Windows Server 2003
>>
>>
>>

Phillip Windell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> You need to get away from the whole resource hogging, connection
> dropping, "mapped drive" thing.
> A simple shortcut based on a UNC path works great and will have the
> "appearance" of being a Folder in whatever location it is in (like on
> the Desktop or in the My Documents).

Ach. Hate to disagree with you, Mr. Windell, but I still like mapped drives.
A drive letter is a variable easily changed. A UNC path means I'm
permanently stuck with the path and can't move stuff around on servers
without disrupting everyone. I don't use *many* drive mappings, but four or
five ain't going to slow down anyone's system.

Using "My Documents" folder redirection doesn't require a mapped drive - but
that isn't the only place people might want to store data.
>
>
> "Andrew E Chapman" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message news:963AC658-3FDC-4193-B998-(E-Mail Removed)...
>> #1 is the model that we have been using for the last couple of years
>> (after
>> migrating from #2), but recently we have started having problems with
>> users
>> home drives not mapping correctly. Instead of their home drives being
>> \\server\sharedRoot$\user, the home drive intermittently maps to
>> \\server\SharedRoot$. Most perplexing. It made me wonder whether
>> we'd made a
>> mistake migrating from #2 to #1 in the first place.
>>
>>> I vote for #1. Don't create shares for users' folders. In fact, you
>>> don't even need home directories any longer - just use folder
>>> redirection for My
>>> Documents (and possibly also Desktop and Application Data).
>>>
>>> See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/274443
>>> How to dynamically create security-enhanced redirected folders by
>>> using folder redirection in Windows 2000 and in Windows Server 2003

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
<(E-Mail Removed) hoo.com> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Phillip Windell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>> You need to get away from the whole resource hogging, connection
>> dropping, "mapped drive" thing.
>> A simple shortcut based on a UNC path works great and will have the
>> "appearance" of being a Folder in whatever location it is in (like on
>> the Desktop or in the My Documents).
>
> Ach. Hate to disagree with you, Mr. Windell,

Girls always do that...
Well,.. Ok,.. so do mothers, COPs, supervisors, teenagers, and the
neighbor's Pets,...

> but I still like mapped drives. A drive letter is a variable easily
> changed. A UNC path means I'm permanently stuck with the path and can't
> move stuff around on servers without disrupting everyone.

Depends on the Shortcut. I use one shortcut for the whole place. It only
points to the File Server itself, like \\fileserver . All the shares will
then appear in the window that comes up and the users can go anywhere they
want from that point. NTFS and Share Permissions control where they can go.
We only have one File Server and that does make things simpler. If there
were more than one File Serer then I supposed I would just have a shortcut
for each. There is also an "All Employees" share on the file server where I
can toss other shortcuts if they are required,..they can be "opened" from
there or the user can copy them to where ever they want them. Sicne
shortcuts use typical "long filenames" the name of the shortcut describes
exactly what they are for,...the users don't have to thnik or remember
anything.

If there is a chance that a Shortcut "target" would change often I would
based the shortcut off of a DNS CNAME or a Static WINS entry rather than the
actual server name. Then I would just adjust the CNAME of WINS entry if I
needed to. That's basically how I do the Proxy Autodetection as well.

> I don't use *many* drive mappings, but four or five ain't going to slow
> down anyone's system.

I still have a few for special situations with Applications that won't work
any other way,...but they are the exception to the rule.

--
Phillip Windell
www.wandtv.com

The views expressed, are my own and not those of my employer, or Microsoft,
or anyone else associated with me, including my cats.
-----------------------------------------------------

Phillip Windell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
> <(E-Mail Removed) hoo.com> wrote in
> message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Phillip Windell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> You need to get away from the whole resource hogging, connection
>>> dropping, "mapped drive" thing.
>>> A simple shortcut based on a UNC path works great and will have the
>>> "appearance" of being a Folder in whatever location it is in (like
>>> on the Desktop or in the My Documents).
>>
>> Ach. Hate to disagree with you, Mr. Windell,
>
> Girls always do that...
> Well,.. Ok,.. so do mothers, COPs, supervisors, teenagers, and the
> neighbor's Pets,...

<wink>

>
>> but I still like mapped drives. A drive letter is a variable easily
>> changed. A UNC path means I'm permanently stuck with the path and
>> can't move stuff around on servers without disrupting everyone.
>
> Depends on the Shortcut. I use one shortcut for the whole place. It
> only points to the File Server itself, like \\fileserver .

But that doesn't help if you've changed *servers* entirely :-)

> All the
> shares will then appear in the window that comes up and the users can
> go anywhere they want from that point. NTFS and Share Permissions
> control where they can go. We only have one File Server and that does
> make things simpler. If there were more than one File Serer then I
> supposed I would just have a shortcut for each. There is also an
> "All Employees" share on the file server where I can toss other
> shortcuts if they are required,..they can be "opened" from there or
> the user can copy them to where ever they want them. Sicne shortcuts
> use typical "long filenames" the name of the shortcut describes
> exactly what they are for,...the users don't have to thnik or
> remember anything.
> If there is a chance that a Shortcut "target" would change often I
> would based the shortcut off of a DNS CNAME or a Static WINS entry
> rather than the actual server name. Then I would just adjust the
> CNAME of WINS entry if I needed to. That's basically how I do the
> Proxy Autodetection as well.

I don't use proxy servers, myself.
>
>> I don't use *many* drive mappings, but four or five ain't going to
>> slow down anyone's system.
>
> I still have a few for special situations with Applications that
> won't work any other way,...but they are the exception to the rule.

I guess I just don't see the downside in a small network, really. Users like
knowing that something is on the S drive. They don't care where it points
to.
There are some applications that will cause you no end of future admin
headaches if people use UNC paths, such as AutoCAD and some Adobe stuff,
too.

I'm leaning now toward redirected folders for my documents and doing away
with H:, (plus also ditching our roaming profiles and using redirected
folders). The intermittent (yet constant with the number of users we have)
problems with home drive mapping and inordinate logon times are starting to
bend me well away from the way we do things at the moment.

"Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:

> Phillip Windell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
> > <(E-Mail Removed) hoo.com> wrote in
> > message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> >> Phillip Windell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >>> You need to get away from the whole resource hogging, connection
> >>> dropping, "mapped drive" thing.
> >>> A simple shortcut based on a UNC path works great and will have the
> >>> "appearance" of being a Folder in whatever location it is in (like
> >>> on the Desktop or in the My Documents).
> >>
> >> Ach. Hate to disagree with you, Mr. Windell,
> >
> > Girls always do that...
> > Well,.. Ok,.. so do mothers, COPs, supervisors, teenagers, and the
> > neighbor's Pets,...
>
> <wink>
>
> >
> >> but I still like mapped drives. A drive letter is a variable easily
> >> changed. A UNC path means I'm permanently stuck with the path and
> >> can't move stuff around on servers without disrupting everyone.
> >
> > Depends on the Shortcut. I use one shortcut for the whole place. It
> > only points to the File Server itself, like \\fileserver .
>
> But that doesn't help if you've changed *servers* entirely :-)
>
> > All the
> > shares will then appear in the window that comes up and the users can
> > go anywhere they want from that point. NTFS and Share Permissions
> > control where they can go. We only have one File Server and that does
> > make things simpler. If there were more than one File Serer then I
> > supposed I would just have a shortcut for each. There is also an
> > "All Employees" share on the file server where I can toss other
> > shortcuts if they are required,..they can be "opened" from there or
> > the user can copy them to where ever they want them. Sicne shortcuts
> > use typical "long filenames" the name of the shortcut describes
> > exactly what they are for,...the users don't have to thnik or
> > remember anything.
> > If there is a chance that a Shortcut "target" would change often I
> > would based the shortcut off of a DNS CNAME or a Static WINS entry
> > rather than the actual server name. Then I would just adjust the
> > CNAME of WINS entry if I needed to. That's basically how I do the
> > Proxy Autodetection as well.
>
> I don't use proxy servers, myself.
> >
> >> I don't use *many* drive mappings, but four or five ain't going to
> >> slow down anyone's system.
> >
> > I still have a few for special situations with Applications that
> > won't work any other way,...but they are the exception to the rule.
>
> I guess I just don't see the downside in a small network, really. Users like
> knowing that something is on the S drive. They don't care where it points
> to.
> There are some applications that will cause you no end of future admin
> headaches if people use UNC paths, such as AutoCAD and some Adobe stuff,
> too.
>
>
>

Andrew E Chapman <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> I'm leaning now toward redirected folders for my documents and doing
> away with H:,

Users may still want the drive mapping for My Documents, but sure, you can.

> (plus also ditching our roaming profiles and using
> redirected folders).

I use both. There's too much else that needs to roam with users - mail
profiles, IE favorites, wallpaper, desktop preferences, etc. If you use
folder redirection for My Docs, App Data, and Desktop, the profile itself is
usually so tiny that it doesn't hurt to have it roam.

> The intermittent (yet constant with the number
> of users we have) problems with home drive mapping and inordinate
> logon times are starting to bend me well away from the way we do
> things at the moment.

If you set up roaming profiles carefully they can work well. I still use
them and don't have a lot of problems.
>
> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]" wrote:
>
>> Phillip Windell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>> "Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]"
>>> <(E-Mail Removed) hoo.com> wrote in
>>> message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> Phillip Windell <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>>> You need to get away from the whole resource hogging, connection
>>>>> dropping, "mapped drive" thing.
>>>>> A simple shortcut based on a UNC path works great and will have
>>>>> the "appearance" of being a Folder in whatever location it is in
>>>>> (like on the Desktop or in the My Documents).
>>>>
>>>> Ach. Hate to disagree with you, Mr. Windell,
>>>
>>> Girls always do that...
>>> Well,.. Ok,.. so do mothers, COPs, supervisors, teenagers, and the
>>> neighbor's Pets,...
>>
>> <wink>
>>
>>>
>>>> but I still like mapped drives. A drive letter is a variable easily
>>>> changed. A UNC path means I'm permanently stuck with the path and
>>>> can't move stuff around on servers without disrupting everyone.
>>>
>>> Depends on the Shortcut. I use one shortcut for the whole place.
>>> It only points to the File Server itself, like \\fileserver .
>>
>> But that doesn't help if you've changed *servers* entirely :-)
>>
>>> All the
>>> shares will then appear in the window that comes up and the users
>>> can go anywhere they want from that point. NTFS and Share
>>> Permissions control where they can go. We only have one File Server
>>> and that does make things simpler. If there were more than one
>>> File Serer then I supposed I would just have a shortcut for each.
>>> There is also an "All Employees" share on the file server where I
>>> can toss other shortcuts if they are required,..they can be
>>> "opened" from there or the user can copy them to where ever they
>>> want them. Sicne shortcuts use typical "long filenames" the name
>>> of the shortcut describes exactly what they are for,...the users
>>> don't have to thnik or remember anything.
>>> If there is a chance that a Shortcut "target" would change often I
>>> would based the shortcut off of a DNS CNAME or a Static WINS entry
>>> rather than the actual server name. Then I would just adjust the
>>> CNAME of WINS entry if I needed to. That's basically how I do the
>>> Proxy Autodetection as well.
>>
>> I don't use proxy servers, myself.
>>>
>>>> I don't use *many* drive mappings, but four or five ain't going to
>>>> slow down anyone's system.
>>>
>>> I still have a few for special situations with Applications that
>>> won't work any other way,...but they are the exception to the rule.
>>
>> I guess I just don't see the downside in a small network, really.
>> Users like knowing that something is on the S drive. They don't care
>> where it points to.
>> There are some applications that will cause you no end of future
>> admin headaches if people use UNC paths, such as AutoCAD and some
>> Adobe stuff, too.