GPO and Redirected folders - shift to DFS - files get deleted

henrik ravn 1 Reputation point
2020-09-27T13:46:06.997+00:00

Our Redirected folders is currently pointing to an old physical server and it is time to replace it.
We have installed an new server, configured DFS with replication between the old and new server, and now we want to change the configuration of the redirected folders to the DFS path.
The redirected folders is configured with a GPO, this GPO is linked to the user OU and is for all "Authenticated Users":

  • Under Target:
  • Settings: Basic
  • Target folder location: Create a folder to each user under the root path
  • Root Path: "\The old server\RedirectedFolders"
  • Under Settings:
  • Move the content of x to the new location
  • Leave the folder in the new location...

The GPO-Target folder and the DFS target is currently the same (the old server) and the new server is set to Disabled under Folder Targets in DFS. The DFS Replicaiton is working fine.
To test the new setup I made a new OU, in a sub-OU to the standard User OU, and added a new GPO where the Redirected folders pointed to the new DFS name. This worked fine and the test users in the sub-ou got hit by new GPO with the DFS path.
When I removed the new DFS GPO, the test users returned to the the old GPO, got the direct path to the old server - but their data in the redirected folders got deleted!

I can't understand why their data got deleted?

I have tried the operation 2 times with the same result.
Is it the "Move the contents of xxx to the new location" and the old and new location is the same (we just go from the direct path to a DFS path to the file server)?

Kind regards
Henrik Ravn

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  1. Fan Fan 15,291 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor
    2020-09-28T05:00:57.55+00:00

    Hi，
    Based on your description, i did a test the same you.
    But the result was different with you. The files weren't deleted in the folder .

    But based on my research, it is not the best practice for the moves of redirected folders.
    And we should not configured the path change in the sub ou, since there is a policy conflict ,it will make the environment more complex .

    To change the path of the redirection folder, we'd better enable optimized move in Group Policy ,then Relocate the file share for redirected folders.
    For more details you can refer to the following link:
    https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/storage/folder-redirection/enable-optimized-moving

    For security , we also need to back up the share folder before any changes for the path.
    Best Regards,

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  2. henrik ravn 1 Reputation point
    2020-09-28T11:54:05.35+00:00

    Thanks for the answer.
    The GPO in the sub OU was only for a test on few test users. The way I plan to do the migration is:

    • Create the DFS folders with the old and new server (done)
    • Setup replication between them (done)
    • Change the Root Path in the existing Folder Redirection GPO to the DFS path

    The existing GPO has the settings:
    Under Target:

    • Settings: Basic
    • Target folder location: Create a folder to each user under the root path
    • Root Path: "\The old server\RedirectedFolders"
    • Under Settings:
    • Move the content of x to the new location
    • Leave the folder in the new location...

    Which I will change to:
    Under Target:

    • Settings: Basic
    • Target folder location: Create a folder to each user under the root path
    • Root Path: "\DFS path\RedirectedFolders"
    • Under Settings:
    • Leave the folder in the new location...

    Any comments on this?

    Thanks and best reagards
    Henrik Ravn