How to create Home Folders for users - Active Directory (AD) Quick Tips | Windows Server 2022 / 2019

In this quick tips video, I explain how you can create Home Folders (usually associated with H drive) for your Active Directory (AD) users. Users will have access to their own home folders located within the Windows Server but not the root home folder or the folders of other users. This demo is done using Windows Server 2022 and Windows 11 Professional versions. But the steps shown here are same for Windows Server 2019 and pervious versions of Windows client operating systems (Windows 7, 8, 10 , etc.). You can find the text document at: sanuja.com/blo...
Hide folder syntax:
FOLDER_NAME$
Inherited Security Settings to be removed:
*Don't forget to "Disable inherence" with Convert inherited permissions into explicit permissions on this object option.
-Users | Read & execute
-Users | Special
Home Folders shared root folder path typical syntax to auto generate folders based on individual user Active Directory logon name:
\\SRVER_NAME\ROOT_FOLDER_LOCATION\%username%
-Create Active Directory OUs and Users: • Create Active Director...
-Install AD DS on Windows Server 2022 Core: • Install Active Directo...
-Initial configs: • Windows Server 2022 Co...
-Windows Server Admin playlist:
• Windows Server Adminis...
-Microsoft Windows playlist:
• Microsoft Windows
Track: Gajaga Wannama (EDM Remix) - Yaxer
Watch: • Gajaga Wannama (EDM Re...
sanuja.com
Co-producer:
Manuja Senanayake
#windowsserver2022 #activedirectory #adds #homefolder #networking

[@NetITGeeks]

Please read the video description for key details that may help you create user home folders in AD. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me with a comment. What to learn more? Check out my other videos on System Administration concepts based on Microsoft Windows Server, AD DS and Linux. If like these tutorials, please don't forget to thumbs up and Subscribe to my channel. Thank you.

[@CcHill_TSTC]

you just saved my life😫 thank you so much!

[@NetITGeeks]

You are welcome.

[@anewbeginningquinn]

you saved me from my broken homework who wouldn't work, thank you so much !

[@NetITGeeks]

You are welcome. I am happy to hear it.

[@yasirmehmood6694]

A.A. thanks for sharing such a great knowledge, you really convey the exact information which required, please keep sharing knowledge. Thanks again

[@NetITGeeks]

It's my pleasure. Thank you for the comment.

[@JastaCon]

you cannot believe how you saved my day. im learning this because of a test and not a single person showed this correclty and slowly..and the trick with marking everyone is just so awesome. i tried doing homefolders with a GPO but it just never worked...

[@NetITGeeks]

Thank you for the positive feedback.

[@TrickLuhDaKidz]

Excellent work. You've saved many of us. Thank you kindly!

[@NetITGeeks]

Thank you so much for the kind comment. Please share the video and subscribe to my channel for future updates. 😁

[@shantiswroop28]

Thank you so much sir it is very informative video for me, very nice

[@DavidBanner-gp2wp]

Amazing you answer my question that was placed on another video. You are great teacher

[@NetITGeeks]

Happy to help!

[@byron_vera]

Great Video / Learned how do this! Thank you 😀

[@vibhavsahni]

Awesome video, Pls never remove it from this channel!

[@NetITGeeks]

Thanks, will do!

[@karkavelas]

How can i hide the network path of the home folder? I want the user to see only the network adress as home and not the whole network path. Do i have to use group policy for that?

[@RizaAlamsyah786]

Hello, thanks for the video, it is very well explained. Is there a way to make the Documents, Pictures, Downloads, etc folders that exists in each username to move on other drives or network path? Because when these users logged in, their document and download files or activity use the C drive a lots

[@NetITGeeks]

Once a User has been created in AD, the user can login to any domain connected client given there are no other restrictions GPOs applied. Under C:\Users\USER-ID, they will have Documents, Pictures, Downloads, etc. folders. These are used by Windows to save files on to the server automatically. You do not need to configure anything else as this is part of the AD user accounts.

[@BonkeMiya]

Great stuff, Thank you very much

[@NetITGeeks]

You are welcome.

[@HarpreetSingh-rg5cy]

IT HELPS ME ALOT THANK YOU

[@NetITGeeks]

You are welcome.

[@André-q4u]

Cool Video, but please have in mind that dynamic data on c-drive isn't very good. Mount a new Drive and store there the home files

[@NetITGeeks]

You are right. But in this tutorial, I am demonstrating AD features in a lab environment. In the real world, you should follow your organizational internal procedures for drive locations. Typically the home drive and shared folder locations are placed on secondary drives and volumes.

[@ZQPK]

I have 25 PCs. 3 PCs don't show the home folders. They are connected otherwise, connection and login authentication is not a problem. The same user can see his drive other computers. I have checked on the PCs, the drive letter is available and not assigned to any other drive. However, I changed the drive letter for one user to 'k' and worked on one 'problem' PC. I will check on the other 2 'problem' PC. How do I solve this issue? I'm sure the drive letter 'h' is available. I've checked Disk Management.

[@NetITGeeks]

Do you have any GPOs enforced on the domain? If you are, try gpupdate /force on the client (end) device experiencing this issue. Another option is to run s PowerShell or other script (search my channel for logon script) that will force connect and assign the H driver each time the user is logging into the device. This is not ideal so this would be a workaround as opposed to a proper solution to the problem.

[@thecoretechnology3828]

How can I set deligation permission for a user to install software and join domain to Computers.

[@NetITGeeks]

Did you mean allowing end users with no admin privileges to install software on domain joined client machines? There should be an GPO that you could apply to restrict or allow installation of software by end user. Remember, once a device joined your domain, by default only the domain admins can install software on the device. However, you may permit installation of software by setting up a GPO that would allow end-users to install software without admin privileges.

[@kevinnjuliann]

i was confused between how to create a home common folder for every user in the domain and i wondered why it doesnt appear, turns out i didnt log off... Also i had a doubt on creating a shared folder (I did but i added a network location to double click it instead of typing the address manually) is it okay if i add a network location for users in the domain for easier access instead of requiring them to type //server/sharedfolder manually? Thanks in advance aiya!

[@NetITGeeks]

Thank you for the comment. Yes, you can map multiple network folders/locations to a user account by assigning driver letters. Most companies would use a script that will be launched at Windows logon in order to map the drives. You create the shared network folders, add the users with correct permissions, then update the script. Each user will have their own script and the script can be located inside the home drive (main mapped network location). I explained logon scripts here and it will help you: kzbin.info/www/bejne/oGLLfoOQm95sl68si=w3NJ0lh6MbR0RCkG and I also have a tutorial on how to create the home drive. Hope this helps.

[@dimitristsoutsouras2712]

I am trying this procedure with a G.P.O instead and I can t make this damn thing to work. Can you make a video or write down the appropriate steps in order to compare and see if I am missing something? Thank you in advance PS What I am trying to achieve here is every time I create a user and add him to the appropriate group (sales /management / wharehouse ...etc) the G.P.O wil be applied upon the groups and since the user belongs to the group each time he signs in or the first time as well, he will have his personal home folder under network locations tab.

[@chickennugget8525]

could you also do this in a powershell script ?

[@NetITGeeks]

Yes, you can automate the process using a PowerShell script. I will cover some PowerShell scripting later in my PowerShell lecture series. I am still covering the basics for beginners to PowerShell right now.

[@ayaanaxmed7933]

Thank you bro but we would like make from fresh to advanced all the steps can work to the windows server thanks alot

[@MultiChanelo]

Is the process same in case the file server is separated from the AD server ?

[@NetITGeeks]

Yes if the file server is either running AD or support AD DS or can handle Security Groups from AD. Basically the file server should be setup in a way that it uses AD user accounts for permissions so it is integrated to the Windows Kerberos system.

[@praveen1undifined]

HI , CAN WE ADD USER PROFILE TO HOME FOLDER FOR BACKUP PURPOSE?

[@NetITGeeks]

There is no native way of automatically backing it up but maybe able to achieve this using a PowerShell script. The best way of making sure all User Profile configs and data are backed up is to use USMT (User State Migration Tool). This would be a manual backup. If not you will have to create PS scripts or use Windows Server backups/shadow copies.

[@AbhiGangwar-wv1vj]

This is a very informative video, but my question is, can we apply same policy to group, like we create new user then we have to give share path for that user, but we create security group and add new user. If you add it to the same group, will a home drive in the user's name be automatically created? please provide your email id so that we can discusses on this topic

[@dineshaloria2902]

Thank You

[@SamyKulche-wi6jt]

Thanksyou

[@NetITGeeks]

You’re welcome 😊