Exclude Group Policy Shortcuts from OneDrive Sync

Question

Hi,

I have shortcuts deployed via Group Policy to the desktop for users and these work great, however the desktop is also redirected to OneDrive and as such this is now duplicating the shortcuts - however it doesn't do this for Shortcuts of installed applications on the machine.

Any idea how I can exclude these shortcuts from the sync as the application runs from a server share and therefore we need to be able to change it centrally fairly easily. Individual user shortcuts in user homedirectories become hard to manage.

Thanks

Peter.

Answer 1

Hi Peter,

Thanks for posting the question on our forum.

According to your description, you deployed some shortcuts via Group Policy on desktop, but the desktop has been redirected to OneDrive, you didn’t want to sync the shortcuts of Group Policy.

It is not feasible to exclude the shortcuts of Group Policy to sync on OneDrive now.

I could understand your feeling, I know that it will be more convenience for you if we can exclude them.

Given the situation, we suggest you submit your idea via UserVoice and hope to provide better products and service for you.

It is the best way to let our related team hear your voice.

Thanks for your understanding.

Qing

Answer 2

OK -  I don't understand why OneDrive is duplicating these though. It's not syncing other system shortcuts such as Chrome or Adobe Reader etc.

Answer 3

Hi Peter,

Thanks for your reply.

I could understand your feeling.

I also think if OneDrive didn't sync the shortcuts via Group Policy may be a good idea.

In this case, I'd like to invite you to submit this idea at our UserVoice. Many features have been designed or upgraded based on customers’ comments.

Your understanding is highly appreciated.

Qing

Answer 4

I need Microsoft to fix this as well.

Any GPO-deployed shortcut that goes to the %userprofile%\desktop folder has this issue and it expounds each time a user signs into a new computer.

For example, if we have a shortcut deployed as "Tech Work Orders.lnk" to the %userprofile%\desktop - when a user signs into one system - it's fine.  When that user signs into a second computer, the Known Folder Move sync kicks in and the shortcut that was created on another system gets created a second time.  So, you end up with a shortcut called "Tech Work Orders - Copy.lnk".

I'm going to play with changing my GPOs to robocopy scripts that can maintain the time stamp and hopefully it will be smart enough to not duplicate if the file is identical.

Another example of this failing is the Microsoft Teams shortcut that gets deployed to the Per-user desktop as well.  I have Microsoft Teams and Microsoft Teams - Copy.

It will keep making copies as you expand computers as well.

I would like to see the ability to exempt .lnk, .url, .website, and .ini.  Desktop.ini files keep duplicating as well - super annoying or logic programmed in to realize when a shortcut is deployed via GPO to not duplicate it.

Answer 5

I ended up just writing a batch script to run on logon of each user.

Just replace your **OrgName** with the proper organization name.  This should clean up anything with -Copy or -Copy(*) for .website, lnk, and all the extra Desktop.ini files.

@echo off

if exist "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop" del /f /q "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop\*- Copy.website"

if exist "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop" del /f /q "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop\*- Copy (*).website"

if exist "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop" del /f /q "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop\*- Copy.lnk"

if exist "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop" del /f /q "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop\*- Copy (*).lnk"

if exist "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop\Desktop (1).ini" del /f /q "%userprofile%\OneDrive - **OrgName**\Desktop\Desktop (*.ini"

Just create a scheduled task.  I would recommend copying the scheduled task locally so it doesn't try to run off a network share and then running it from there.