Home Folders, Roaming and Redirection

On a domain, how should data storage and PC configuration be managed?

as centralized as possible

Why should data storage and PC configuration be as centralized as possible on a domain?

so that they can be more easily monitored and backed up

Where should user data be stored on a domain?

on file servers rather than on local client computers

What can Active Directory settings be used to do with user profile data?

redirect user profile data to network storage

What is a home folder?

a private drive mapped to a network share in which users can store personal files

Where is the home folder location configured?

via the account properties on the Profile tab using the Connect to box

What share format is entered for a home folder?

\SERVER\HOME$\%USERNAME%

What does \SERVER\HOME$ refer to in the home folder path?

a shared folder created with the appropriate permissions to allow users to read and write their own subfolder only

What happens when the user signs in after a home folder is configured?

the home folder appears under This PC with the allocated drive letter

Why can the home folders feature require extra user training?

users must develop the habit of using it

Why may users find home folders less natural?

most users expect to save personal files in their profile folders such as Documents, Pictures, and Downloads

What problem do users who work on more than one computer have with local profiles?

they will have separate profiles on each computer, and data files stored on the first computer will not be available on the second computer

What can mitigate the issue of separate profiles on different computers?

roaming profiles and/or folder redirection

What does a roaming profile do at logon and logoff?

copies the whole profile from a share at logon and copies the updated profile back at logoff

How are roaming profiles enabled?

by entering the path to a share in the Profile path box

What is the general form of the roaming profile path?

\\SERVER\ROAMING$\%USERNAME%

What is the main drawback of roaming profiles?

large profiles can have a big impact on network bandwidth and slow sign-in and sign-out performance

What does folder redirection do?

changes the target of a personal folder to a file share

Which personal folders are given as examples for folder redirection?

Documents folder, Pictures folder, and Start Menu folder

When is a redirected folder available?

only across the network

Can folder redirection be used with roaming profiles?

yes, independently or in conjunction with roaming profiles

How is folder redirection configured?

via a GPO