When you use the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) or Windows Vista Setup to apply the FolderLocations unattend settings, some system directory junctions do not point to the new target location

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Symptom

When you use the System Preparation Tool (Sysprep) to apply the FolderLocations unattend settings, some system directory junctions do not point to the new target location. The following system directory junctions continue to point to the old locations:

• 
  C:\Documents and Settings continues to point to C:\Users.
  

• 
  C:\ProgramData\Desktop continues to point to C:\Users\Public\Desktop.
  

• 
  C:\ProgramData\Documents continues to point to C:\Users\Public\Documents.
  

• 
  C:\ProgramData\Favorites continues to point to C:\Users\Public\Favorites.
  

If you use the Windows Vista Setup program to apply the FolderLocations unattend settings, the system directory junctions do not point to the new target location. The following system directory junctions continue to point to the old locations:

• 
  C:\Documents and Settings continues to point to C:\Users.
  

• 
  C:\Users\Default User continues to point to C:\Users\Default.
  

• 
  C:\Users\All Users continues to point to C:\ProgramData.
  

Cause

The junction points point to incorrect targets.

Resolution

To recreate the junction points so that they point to the correct target, follow these steps:


1.       Install the User Profile directory on another volume, and then delete the incorrect junction point(s).


2.       Use MKLink to recreate the junction points using the following command line:


MKLink /J <link name> <target path>


For example, to recreate the junction point Documents and Settings in a new target volume where the Users directory is F, the command line would then be:


MKLink /J <drive letter>:\documents and settings f:\users


So the following could be used:

• 
  mklink /j "c:\Documents and Settings" D:\Users
  

• 
  mklink /j %ProgramData%\Desktop d:\Users\Public\Desktop
  

• 
  mklink /j %ProgramData%\Documents d:\Users\Public\Documents
  

• 
   mklink /j %ProgramData%\Favorites d:\Users\Public\Favorites
  

3.       Recreate the permissions for the new junction point.


a.       For the junction points Desktop, Default User, Documents and Settings, Favorites, and Documents, use the ICACLS tool. For more information about the ICACLS tool, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc753525.aspx .


Note      The following commands must be done in the order shown as it affects the resulting permissions on the junction point.

• 
  icacls "c:\Documents and Settings" /grant:r System:(F) /inheritance:r
  

• 
  icacls "c:\Documents and Settings" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:(F)
  

• 
  icacls "c:\Documents and Settings" /grant *S-1-1-0:(RX)
  

• 
  icacls "c:\Documents and Settings" /deny *S-1-1-0:(S,RD)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Desktop" /grant:r System:(F) /inheritance:r
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Desktop" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:(F)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Desktop" /grant *S-1-1-0:(RX)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Desktop" /deny *S-1-1-0:(S,RD)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Documents" /grant:r System:(F) /inheritance:r
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Documents" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:(F)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Documents" /grant *S-1-1-0:(RX)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Documents" /deny *S-1-1-0:(S,RD)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Favorites" /grant:r System:(F) /inheritance:r
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Favorites" /grant *S-1-5-32-544:(F)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Favorites" /grant *S-1-1-0:(RX)
  

• 
  icacls "%ProgramData%\Favorites" /deny *S-1-1-0:(S,RD)
  

b.      For the junction point All Users, use ICACLS with the following command lines.


Note      The following commands must be done in the order shown as it affects the resulting permissions on the junction point.

• 
  icacls "<drive letter>:\users\all users" /grant:r System:(CI)(OI)(F) /inheritance:r
  

• 
  icacls "<drive letter>:\users\all users" /grant Administrators:(OI)(CI)(F)
  

• 
  icacls "<drive letter>:\users\all users" /grant "Creator owner":(OI)(CI)(IO)(GA)
  

• 
  icacls "<drive letter>:\users\all users" /grant Users:(OI)(CI)(RX)
  

• 
  icacls "<drive letter>:\users\all users" /grant Users:(CI)(WD,AD,WEA,WA)
  

More Information

This article presents means to resolve junction issues described in "A description of known issues with the FolderLocation settings in the Windows Vista Unattend.xml file." See http://support.microsoft.com/kb/929831

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