Shortcut on User Desktops

[dwessell]

Is it possible to have a shortcut automatically created (If not in existence) on a users workstation desktop when they login to the domain? If so, can someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks
David

 

[terrywilson]

Do you run login scripts? If so all you need to do is put the shortcut somewhere the user can see (ie make a folder called Shortcuts on the NETLOGON share of your domain controller and put the files that you want to be on the desktop in there) and add something like this to your login script

COPY /Y \\%LOGONSERVER%\SHORTCUTS %USERPROFILE%\DESKTOP

 

[dwessell]

Hi Terry,

Thanks for the information..

I have a server running SBS, and one running Server 2003... The SBS server is the domain controller, and the 2003 server is going to function as a file server.

On the 2003 server I have d:\Company Shared Folders.

I would like for each user to have a shortcut to that directory on their desktop. I want all of the files to still reside on that 2003 server, but each user to have a shortcut to that dir.

There are a fair amount of computers that the shortcut would be installed on.. So I thought there might be an automated way of doing it.

As well, it helps to teach me about Active Directory..

Thanks
David

 

[terrywilson]

I assume that the d:\Company Shared Folders is shared? So users will connect to it as \\2003\folders?

(We will call 2003 the 2003 server, SBS the small business one)

If so, you will want to create a shortcut on your desktop that points to \\2003\Folder, then make a folder on \\SBS\NETLOGON called Shortcuts and copy the .LNK file from your desktop to that location. Then add the previous text I posted to your login script and it should work - to test, open a comamnd prompt and run the copy command from there.

 

[dwessell]

Terry,

That's awesome! Thanks a ton.. I'm a programmer learning Networking.. It's pretty amazing what Server 2k3 can do..


Thanks again..

dw

 

[dwessell]

Oh, quick addendum question.. If the shortcut exists, will that line be ignored? Or will it try and create a duplicate?

Thanks
David

 

[terrywilson]

The /Y will copy it again but not prompt. That way you can update the shortcut in the Shortcuts folder and people will always get the latest.

One thing I meant to mention is that you may also like to consider mapping a drive for them? Using the command
NET USE Z: \\2003\Folder would give them a new drive letter that they can see from word etc.

One word of caution though; dont fall into the trap of using drive letters for this, that and the other thing. Try and have a top level drive which acts as a workspace area for all of the things underneath it. Then you give authenticated users read+write access to the top share and control the folders within it by NTFS security.

 

[dwessell]

I've almost got it.

If I do COPY /Y %LOGONSERVER%\SHORTCUTS %USERPROFILE%\DESKTOP

I get that the syntax of the command is incorrect..

If I do

COPY /Y %LOGONSERVER%\SHORTCUTS c:\

It works..

I had to drop the // in front of %LOGONSERVER%, it was being added automatically... Thanks for the assistance..

dw

 

[dwessell]

Addedum.. I fixed it, by adding quotes before each part.

However, the profile is not running the script at login..

In Active Dir, I have on the Profile tab, in Login Script

\\SERVER\NETLOGON\loginAddShortcut.bat

And I can access that file, from the workstation, but it's not being excecuted on startup.

Thanks
David

 

[Hagfish]

Here's what I have in my script.. Works like a charm..

copy "\\server\shortcut*.lnk" "c:%HOMEPATH%\Desktop\

 

[dwessell]

For anyone in this thread in the future.. In the login script field, don't put the whole path //Server/NETLOGON/File.bat

Just put file.bat..