# My documents Sync to DOMAIN problem



## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

Hi Everyone

Me and a couple buddies started up a small business and we have a Domain + 5 workstation set up. A prof. IT guy helped me set it up a while back.

Basics that I know of:
1)We have a K:\ main network drive with all the network applications
-ie, clientele database program,
2)We have a H:\ serparate network drive that stores all the users "My Documents" this drive reconnects at start up like the main network drive.

The 'My documents' on each workstation use to sync when logging off, but after about a year now, I've noticed it stopped syncing after I log off.

I've googled this topic for about a month now and I've tried,
Start > explore > tools > Sync
- It shows the screen that lists everything I can choose to sync...
- BUT there's nothing on the screen and I can't add anything manually

Same thing happened with "Offline Files" setting.
-I wasn't able to add the folders I wanted to sync to my domain computer.

Tried to find the "Group policy" thing in the Domain machine but I don't see it and I can only find the "users" folder that lists all the created login accounts


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## wedor (Nov 7, 1999)

What Operating System on the server?


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## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

The server is running Windows Server 2003.

(not updated)


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## wedor (Nov 7, 1999)

If you have a domain you should be able to view the policies if you go to "Start">"Administrative Tools">"Group Policy Management"


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## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

I've tried looking in

Start > Admin tools.

But I cant' seem to find anything that begins with Group Policy...
Screenshot below


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## wedor (Nov 7, 1999)

Try this from "run" gpedit.msc


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## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

Hey Wedor,

Firstly thanks for all your help and such a quick reply!

I did the Run GPedit, and found that I dont' seem to have logon/off scripts anymore...which is weird because some of the workstations still sync when the log off, and only 2 don't....










Is there anywhere I can find some standard logon / off scripts I can use to just sync "my documents" everytime I log off / on?

Or is it hard to make one myself?


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## wedor (Nov 7, 1999)

Not much of a scripter myself so maybe someone else can answer that.

I will need to look up the fine points of this and get back to you as I don't recall the details off the top of my head.


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## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

Ahh okay,

Since there are some computers that are still syncing, then could it be that the IT guy before set each computer locally to run logon/off scripts?

Like, would I be able to find these local scripts on my machine and use them for the Group Policy Server?

*just curious*


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## wedor (Nov 7, 1999)

Here's a little light reading while you wait, it might even have your answer.

http://www.rlmueller.net/LogonScriptFAQ.htm


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## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

Thanks for the link!

I read it over a couple times last night and I have a much better idea of where to start.

So now I know where I can import a logon/off script to use in a Group Policy, and according to that link, group policy should work fine for me since all my workstations are XP Pro.

Now would I be better off asking a IT professional to help me write up a logon/off script that I can implement, or would I be able to put together something myself with say a standard template of a script and just insert my info in it?

All I'm looking to do is, sync each workstation's "my documents" to the DOMAIN server computer @ log off and log on.


Please help!


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## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

Update:

I just found out why the other workstations are Sync-ing. They are using offline files...but they aren't actually sync-ing anything. It seems their "my documents" are pointed directly to the DOMAIN's H:\ and their local "my documents" is empty.

I'm trying to set it up so that each workstation doesn't use the server's HDD for just merely accessing their "My Documents" to update some word docs / spreadsheets...


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## wedor (Nov 7, 1999)

One of the reasons for redirecting my documents to the server is back-up, the server is backed up while the individual workstations are not.

One of the only reasons to have the files sync is if you need access to the files if the server is offline for any reason.

In a normal server based network files are saved in a central server folder so everyone has access to them where they are regularly backed up along with the rest of the server and the back-up is taken offsite in case of a catastrophy.


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## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

Ah, I see,

The reason I wanted to see if I could set it up differently is because, the summers are getting a lot hotter, and unfortunately our Server is located in our warehouse where there's ventilation but no air-con.

And I was thinking maybe the less the server HDD has to be accessed the less heat the HDD's will create and possible the HDD's might last longer if we use it less


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## wedor (Nov 7, 1999)

The heat generated from that would be a drop in the bucket, I would look into a better cooling solution instead.

If the server is in a room you could use a portable AC unit to keep just that area cool.


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## parttimetechdude (May 4, 2008)

Do I have to worry about condensation or anything like that?

Also, as I was looking into my Server computer, I noticed it has 2 WD Veloci-Raptor drives (10k rpm) set RAID 0. I thought server computers usually had SCIS drives in order to handle all that accessing from different workstations...

If I were looking into expanding to about 15 workstations, is the 2 WD Veloci-Raptors going to be a problem?


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## wedor (Nov 7, 1999)

Man are you playing with fire, RAID 0 has no redundancy and is usually used for maximium speed, RAID 1 is the normal minimum for servers.

If you lose one drive in RAID 0 you lose everything, if you lose a drive in RAID 1 you still have the other as a back-up.

Depending on the type of data you are accessing those drives might work fine.

What sort of back-up do you have?


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## avisitor (Jul 13, 2008)

RAID 5/6 is normal for servers as well. 

Let me point out that gpedit.msc edits local policy. To edit group policies in your configuration, go to dsa.msc and right click on the container to which you want to apply/edit policy and click Properties.


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