Folder Redirection, files missing after disjoin

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ccbutler

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Sep 2, 2004
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This may belong in the OS thread instead, but because it's folder redirection I thought maybe networking instead, but anyway.


I have a desktop that was joined to the domain and had Folder Redirection enabled. The desktop was moved offsite (Satellite) where it continued to run; i presume in offline mode. There is no VPN or WAN tunnel back to the domain, it was completely stand-alone.

To simplify things I did an easy transfer wizard on the user account, and changed the PC to workgroup mode. There is no domain connectivity back to the DC/fileserver. Then I created a local user account and migrated the user data back via the easy transfer wizard.

The user's My Documents, Desktop Icons, and Pictures are missing. Is there any way of getting these back? What is the recommended procedure? Do I transport the PC to the domain controller/file server and re-join it to the domain, login as the user and get all of my files back?
 
When you leave a domain, any domain user's local files on the computer essentially become locked up. Windows has security measures in place to prevent domain work ending up where it shouldn't. (Really any OS does).

Now, typically what happens is in a domain, user profiles are created for every user within the Users folder - at least those folders are created when said user logs on to the machine at least once. Within their folder names, My documents, Desktop Icons, etc. all exist in their own sub-folders. When you leave a domain, all Domain user folders are typically deleted (this is a security feature baked in). If the User folders are deleted, you're SOL. If they're somehow not, then re-joining the domain will grant access to anything previously there.
 
Which OS?
At any rate, check the old domain account's profile folder on the local machine.
 
It sometimes can take up to a day and 3 log-ins before the files will show backup.

Also try a gpupdate /force to force the group policy make sure you run it as an administrator.
 
ccbutler said:
A: win 7 pro
Click to expand...

C:\Users\domainusername\ ?

Profile folders don't get deleted when a machine is removed from the domain, so the data should still be there.
Although I would think the transfer wizard should have picked it up, unless there's something special about the folders that were being redirected.
 
transfer wizard didn't pick up jack

I didn't bother rejoining the PC to the domain... i found that the "offline files" folder is stored in C:\WINDOWS\CSC. After taking owner ship of that folder and sub-folders I was able to recover all of the data.
 
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