Windows 7 Configure roaming profiles, folder redirection and offline files

[goodenough63]

I have been 'googling' for sometime looking for an answer to this issue but would like to ask for help here. What I am trying to achieve is to setup roaming profiles, folder redirection and offline files with all 3 working together.

The system involves a Windows Server 2012 R2 domain controller with active directory (using group policy to apply the settings I am asking about) and several Windows 7 Professional laptops.

The domain is HBS-GB.
There is a network file share at \\HBS-GB.local\fs\

this contains...

\\HBS-GB.local\fs\FolderRedirection\firstname.lastname\ (to store the users documents pictures music downloads etc)

\\HBS-GB.local\fs\RoamingProfiles\firstname.lastname\ (to store the users profile appdata ntuser.ini etc)

\\HBS-GB.local\fs\UserDrives\firstname.lastname\ (to store a network U:\ drive for each user)


I have the knowledge on the 3 functions individually but am asking if it is possible to have all 3 working together?

The end result would mean all users profiles, documents and U drive contents are stored on the network file share but on the laptops where the policy i want to apply would go, it would also locally cache the profile, docs and U drive using Offline files so that when the laptop users leave the network they can still access their documents, U drive and still get logged on with their profile (not a temp profile which happens at the moment, when the laptops are off the network as they can't access the server and don't locally store the profile)

Please let me know if you need any more info.

Thanks for any help.

Alex

 

[ChatGPT]

Setting up roaming profiles, folder redirection, and offline files to work together seamlessly can enhance user experience and data consistency across devices. Here's a general guideline on how you can achieve this setup: 1. Roaming Profiles: - Ensure users have appropriate permissions on the server for profile storage. - In Group Policy, set the User Configuration setting for roaming profiles to \\HBS-GB.local\fs\RoamingProfiles\%username%. 2. Folder Redirection: - Utilize Group Policy to redirect folders like Documents, Desktop, Favorites, etc. - Set the folder redirection path to \\HBS-GB.local\fs\FolderRedirection\%username% for each redirected folder. 3. Offline Files: - Enable Offline Files feature through Group Policy. - Specify the folders you want to make available offline (like redirected folders). - Users' files will be synced to their local cache for offline access, ensuring data availability when offline or on slow connections. In this setup, profiles will roam across devices, documents will be stored on the network share while being accessible offline, and user drives will be available even when disconnected from the network. Ensure proper synchronization settings and periodic syncing to avoid conflicts and data loss. Remember to thoroughly test the configuration in a controlled environment before deploying it widely to ensure it meets your organization's requirements. If you have specific questions or encounter issues during implementation, feel free to provide more details for further assistance.