How to Find GPO Folder Redirection

Analyze GPO folder redirection with PowerShell

When restructuring data to new file servers, DFS, or OneDrive, you need an overview of the as-is situation.

If you’re working as a consultant or was hired after the initial setup was done, you may need to dig out information on your own.

For other areas of GPO documentation, check out these articles:

PowerShell offers an easy way to analyze all GPO’s in your domain.

Using PowerShell to Identify Folder Redirection

Use the following script to identify all folder redirection in the GPO’s of your domain:

$KnownFolders = @{}
$KnownFolders.Add("{DE61D971-5EBC-4F02-A3A9-6C82895E5C04}" , "AddNewPrograms")
$KnownFolders.Add("{724EF170-A42D-4FEF-9F26-B60E846FBA4F}" , "AdminTools")
$KnownFolders.Add("{A520A1A4-1780-4FF6-BD18-167343C5AF16}" , "AppDataLow")
$KnownFolders.Add("{A305CE99-F527-492B-8B1A-7E76FA98D6E4}" , "AppUpdates")
$KnownFolders.Add("{9E52AB10-F80D-49DF-ACB8-4330F5687855}" , "CDBurning")
$KnownFolders.Add("{DF7266AC-9274-4867-8D55-3BD661DE872D}" , "ChangeRemovePrograms")
$KnownFolders.Add("{D0384E7D-BAC3-4797-8F14-CBA229B392B5}" , "CommonAdminTools")
$KnownFolders.Add("{C1BAE2D0-10DF-4334-BEDD-7AA20B227A9D}" , "CommonOEMLinks")
$KnownFolders.Add("{0139D44E-6AFE-49F2-8690-3DAFCAE6FFB8}" , "CommonPrograms")
$KnownFolders.Add("{A4115719-D62E-491D-AA7C-E74B8BE3B067}" , "CommonStartMenu")
$KnownFolders.Add("{82A5EA35-D9CD-47C5-9629-E15D2F714E6E}" , "CommonStartup")
$KnownFolders.Add("{B94237E7-57AC-4347-9151-B08C6C32D1F7}" , "CommonTemplates")
$KnownFolders.Add("{0AC0837C-BBF8-452A-850D-79D08E667CA7}" , "Computer")
$KnownFolders.Add("{4BFEFB45-347D-4006-A5BE-AC0CB0567192}" , "Conflict")
$KnownFolders.Add("{6F0CD92B-2E97-45D1-88FF-B0D186B8DEDD}" , "Connections")
$KnownFolders.Add("{56784854-C6CB-462B-8169-88E350ACB882}" , "Contacts")
$KnownFolders.Add("{82A74AEB-AEB4-465C-A014-D097EE346D63}" , "ControlPanel")
$KnownFolders.Add("{2B0F765D-C0E9-4171-908E-08A611B84FF6}" , "Cookies")
$KnownFolders.Add("{B4BFCC3A-DB2C-424C-B029-7FE99A87C641}" , "Desktop")
$KnownFolders.Add("{FDD39AD0-238F-46AF-ADB4-6C85480369C7}" , "Documents")
$KnownFolders.Add("{374DE290-123F-4565-9164-39C4925E467B}" , "Downloads")
$KnownFolders.Add("{1777F761-68AD-4D8A-87BD-30B759FA33DD}" , "Favorites")
$KnownFolders.Add("{FD228CB7-AE11-4AE3-864C-16F3910AB8FE}" , "Fonts")
$KnownFolders.Add("{CAC52C1A-B53D-4EDC-92D7-6B2E8AC19434}" , "Games")
$KnownFolders.Add("{054FAE61-4DD8-4787-80B6-090220C4B700}" , "GameTasks")
$KnownFolders.Add("{D9DC8A3B-B784-432E-A781-5A1130A75963}" , "History")
$KnownFolders.Add("{4D9F7874-4E0C-4904-967B-40B0D20C3E4B}" , "Internet")
$KnownFolders.Add("{352481E8-33BE-4251-BA85-6007CAEDCF9D}" , "InternetCache")
$KnownFolders.Add("{BFB9D5E0-C6A9-404C-B2B2-AE6DB6AF4968}" , "Links")
$KnownFolders.Add("{F1B32785-6FBA-4FCF-9D55-7B8E7F157091}" , "LocalAppData")
$KnownFolders.Add("{2A00375E-224C-49DE-B8D1-440DF7EF3DDC}" , "LocalizedResourcesDir")
$KnownFolders.Add("{4BD8D571-6D19-48D3-BE97-422220080E43}" , "Music")
$KnownFolders.Add("{C5ABBF53-E17F-4121-8900-86626FC2C973}" , "NetHood")
$KnownFolders.Add("{D20BEEC4-5CA8-4905-AE3B-BF251EA09B53}" , "Network")
$KnownFolders.Add("{31C0DD25-9439-4F12-BF41-7FF4EDA38722}" , "Objects3D")
$KnownFolders.Add("{2C36C0AA-5812-4B87-BFD0-4CD0DFB19B39}" , "OriginalImages")
$KnownFolders.Add("{69D2CF90-FC33-4FB7-9A0C-EBB0F0FCB43C}" , "PhotoAlbums")
$KnownFolders.Add("{33E28130-4E1E-4676-835A-98395C3BC3BB}" , "Pictures")
$KnownFolders.Add("{DE92C1C7-837F-4F69-A3BB-86E631204A23}" , "Playlists")
$KnownFolders.Add("{76FC4E2D-D6AD-4519-A663-37BD56068185}" , "Printers")
$KnownFolders.Add("{9274BD8D-CFD1-41C3-B35E-B13F55A758F4}" , "PrintHood")
$KnownFolders.Add("{5E6C858F-0E22-4760-9AFE-EA3317B67173}" , "Profile")
$KnownFolders.Add("{62AB5D82-FDC1-4DC3-A9DD-070D1D495D97}" , "ProgramData")
$KnownFolders.Add("{905E63B6-C1BF-494E-B29C-65B732D3D21A}" , "ProgramFiles")
$KnownFolders.Add("{F7F1ED05-9F6D-47A2-AAAE-29D317C6F066}" , "ProgramFilesCommon")
$KnownFolders.Add("{6365D5A7-0F0D-45E5-87F6-0DA56B6A4F7D}" , "ProgramFilesCommonX64")
$KnownFolders.Add("{DE974D24-D9C6-4D3E-BF91-F4455120B917}" , "ProgramFilesCommonX86")
$KnownFolders.Add("{6D809377-6AF0-444B-8957-A3773F02200E}" , "ProgramFilesX64")
$KnownFolders.Add("{7C5A40EF-A0FB-4BFC-874A-C0F2E0B9FA8E}" , "ProgramFilesX86")
$KnownFolders.Add("{A77F5D77-2E2B-44C3-A6A2-ABA601054A51}" , "Programs")
$KnownFolders.Add("{DFDF76A2-C82A-4D63-906A-5644AC457385}" , "Public")
$KnownFolders.Add("{C4AA340D-F20F-4863-AFEF-F87EF2E6BA25}" , "PublicDesktop")
$KnownFolders.Add("{ED4824AF-DCE4-45A8-81E2-FC7965083634}" , "PublicDocuments")
$KnownFolders.Add("{3D644C9B-1FB8-4F30-9B45-F670235F79C0}" , "PublicDownloads")
$KnownFolders.Add("{DEBF2536-E1A8-4C59-B6A2-414586476AEA}" , "PublicGameTasks")
$KnownFolders.Add("{3214FAB5-9757-4298-BB61-92A9DEAA44FF}" , "PublicMusic")
$KnownFolders.Add("{B6EBFB86-6907-413C-9AF7-4FC2ABF07CC5}" , "PublicPictures")
$KnownFolders.Add("{2400183A-6185-49FB-A2D8-4A392A602BA3}" , "PublicVideos")
$KnownFolders.Add("{52A4F021-7B75-48A9-9F6B-4B87A210BC8F}" , "QuickLaunch")
$KnownFolders.Add("{AE50C081-EBD2-438A-8655-8A092E34987A}" , "Recent")
$KnownFolders.Add("{BD85E001-112E-431E-983B-7B15AC09FFF1}" , "RecordedTV")
$KnownFolders.Add("{B7534046-3ECB-4C18-BE4E-64CD4CB7D6AC}" , "RecycleBin")
$KnownFolders.Add("{8AD10C31-2ADB-4296-A8F7-E4701232C972}" , "ResourceDir")
$KnownFolders.Add("{3EB685DB-65F9-4CF6-A03A-E3EF65729F3D}" , "RoamingAppData")
$KnownFolders.Add("{B250C668-F57D-4EE1-A63C-290EE7D1AA1F}" , "SampleMusic")
$KnownFolders.Add("{C4900540-2379-4C75-844B-64E6FAF8716B}" , "SamplePictures")
$KnownFolders.Add("{15CA69B3-30EE-49C1-ACE1-6B5EC372AFB5}" , "SamplePlaylists")
$KnownFolders.Add("{859EAD94-2E85-48AD-A71A-0969CB56A6CD}" , "SampleVideos")
$KnownFolders.Add("{4C5C32FF-BB9D-43B0-B5B4-2D72E54EAAA4}" , "SavedGames")
$KnownFolders.Add("{7D1D3A04-DEBB-4115-95CF-2F29DA2920DA}" , "SavedSearches")
$KnownFolders.Add("{EE32E446-31CA-4ABA-814F-A5EBD2FD6D5E}" , "SEARCH_CSC")
$KnownFolders.Add("{98EC0E18-2098-4D44-8644-66979315A281}" , "SEARCH_MAPI")
$KnownFolders.Add("{190337D1-B8CA-4121-A639-6D472D16972A}" , "SearchHome")
$KnownFolders.Add("{8983036C-27C0-404B-8F08-102D10DCFD74}" , "SendTo")
$KnownFolders.Add("{7B396E54-9EC5-4300-BE0A-2482EBAE1A26}" , "SidebarDefaultParts")
$KnownFolders.Add("{A75D362E-50FC-4FB7-AC2C-A8BEAA314493}" , "SidebarParts")
$KnownFolders.Add("{625B53C3-AB48-4EC1-BA1F-A1EF4146FC19}" , "StartMenu")
$KnownFolders.Add("{B97D20BB-F46A-4C97-BA10-5E3608430854}" , "Startup")
$KnownFolders.Add("{43668BF8-C14E-49B2-97C9-747784D784B7}" , "SyncManager")
$KnownFolders.Add("{289A9A43-BE44-4057-A41B-587A76D7E7F9}" , "SyncResults")
$KnownFolders.Add("{0F214138-B1D3-4A90-BBA9-27CBC0C5389A}" , "SyncSetup")
$KnownFolders.Add("{1AC14E77-02E7-4E5D-B744-2EB1AE5198B7}" , "System")
$KnownFolders.Add("{D65231B0-B2F1-4857-A4CE-A8E7C6EA7D27}" , "SystemX86")
$KnownFolders.Add("{A63293E8-664E-48DB-A079-DF759E0509F7}" , "Templates")
$KnownFolders.Add("{5B3749AD-B49F-49C1-83EB-15370FBD4882}" , "TreeProperties")
$KnownFolders.Add("{0762D272-C50A-4BB0-A382-697DCD729B80}" , "UserProfiles")
$KnownFolders.Add("{F3CE0F7C-4901-4ACC-8648-D5D44B04EF8F}" , "UsersFiles")
$KnownFolders.Add("{18989B1D-99B5-455B-841C-AB7C74E4DDFC}" , "Videos")
$KnownFolders.Add("{F38BF404-1D43-42F2-9305-67DE0B28FC23}" , "Windows")
$Reports = Get-GPO -All | Get-GPOReport -ReportType Xml
$FolderRedirections = @()
ForEach ($Report In $Reports) {
  $GPO = ([xml]$Report).GPO
  $LinkCount = ([string[]]([xml]$Report).GPO.LinksTo).Count
  $Enabled = $GPO.User.Enabled
  ForEach ($ExtensionData In $GPO.User.ExtensionData) {
    If ($ExtensionData.Name -eq "Folder Redirection") {
      $Redirections = $ExtensionData.Extension.Folder
      ForEach ($Redirection In $Redirections) {
        $FolderRedirection = New-Object PSObject -Property @{
          GPO         = $GPO.Name
          LinkCount   = $LinkCount
          Enabled     = $Enabled
          Folder      = $KnownFolders[$Redirection.Id]
          Target      = $Redirection.Location.DestinationPath
        }
        $FolderRedirections += $FolderRedirection
      }
    }
  }
}
Write-Output $FolderRedirections | ft GPO, LinkCount, Enabled, Folder, Target

Known folders are stored in the GPO with a GUID reference. For your convenience, I’ve included the GUID to folder mapping in the script.

The output from the script will look similar to this:

GPO               LinkCount Enabled Folder    Target
---               --------- ------- ------    ------
FolderRedirection         2 true    Documents \\Files-01\UserProfiles\%USERNAME%\Documents
FolderRedirection         2 true    Desktop   \\Files-01\UserProfiles\%USERNAME%\Desktop

You now have a clear view of the GPO’s that include folder redirection and the settings.

Summary

Using PowerShell to analyze GPO settings is very powerful.

If you want to find other types of GPO settings, have a look at this article.

For an overall GPO primer, have a look at this article.

If you are running a hybrid AD / Office 365 environment, have a look at Easy365Manager.

Easy365Manager is a snap-in for Active Directory Users & Computers. With Easy365Manager, you can:

  • Manage email attributes in AD Users & Computers
  • Manage Office 365 mailboxes in AD Users & Computers
  • Manage Office 365 licenses in AD Users & Computers
  • Remove your on-premises Exchange Server

Save time and money. Download the free 30-day trial now.

Create an Office 365 mailbox using Easy365Manager
Assign Office 365 licenses from AD Users & Computers - in a few seconds!