How to get folder, redirection policy, working for downloads folder in windows 11

Question

We’ve been using folder direction for many years now lately with Windows 11, the downloads folder fails to redirect

Within the group policy, we have the standard UNC paths \server\home

The group policy then appends the %username%\downloads to the path as normal

instead of redirecting it, it fails to recognize the variable, and instead sees it as a clear text

thus it makes a folder called “%username%” in the target location and put downloads for every user in that same location, causing all kinds of problems as you can imagine

Anyone know how to fix this behavior so it works normally to redirect in each individual users home location?

this happens only with only downloads

The desktop folder that we have redirected works fine

Answer 1

Techie365,

Thank you for your question and for reaching out with your question today.

If you are experiencing issues with redirecting the Downloads folder using folder redirection in Group Policy on Windows 11, there are a few potential solutions you can try:

1. Verify Group Policy settings: Double-check the Group Policy settings related to folder redirection for the Downloads folder. Ensure that the correct UNC path is specified, and that the variable "%username%\Downloads" is used properly. Make sure there are no typographical errors or incorrect syntax.
2. Reset folder redirection settings: Sometimes, resetting the folder redirection settings can resolve the issue. You can do this by first disabling folder redirection for the Downloads folder in Group Policy, applying the changes, and then re-enabling it with the correct settings.
3. Clear user profile cache: In some cases, issues with folder redirection can be caused by cached user profile data. Clearing the user profile cache can help resolve such issues. You can accomplish this by deleting the local user profile cache on the affected computers. This can be done manually or by using tools like the "Delprof2" utility.
4. Test with a new user account: Create a new user account on one of the affected computers and see if the Downloads folder redirection works as expected for the new user. If it does, it may indicate that the issue lies within the user profiles. In that case, you may need to recreate the user profiles for the affected users.
5. Check for conflicts with other settings: Review other Group Policy settings or scripts that might interfere with the folder redirection settings for the Downloads folder. Conflicting settings or scripts can cause unexpected behavior.
6. Update Windows and Group Policy templates: Ensure that the Windows 11 operating system is up to date with the latest patches and updates. Additionally, check if there are any updates available for the Group Policy templates on the domain controller. Keeping both the OS and Group Policy templates updated can help address known issues and improve compatibility.

I used AI provided by ChatGPT to formulate part of this response. I have verified that the information is accurate before sharing it with you.

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Answer 2

We have the same Problem. Win10 Desktop works fine, Win11 Desktop failed.

@Techie365 Have you found a solution?