Auto create new directory for new user on Windows File Server

active-directoryfile-serveruser-management

On our network we give each user a network share at \\fileserver\users\username. These are intentionally NOT set up as their home directory, and are instead mapped by a login script every time the user logs on. For new users, this drive mapping fails, since the folder does not exist yet.

Is there a way that when we create a new user in Active Directory, it can automatically create the folder at \\fileserver\users\username? Or alternatively, that the folder can be created the first time it is accessed?

Failing that, can somebody show me how to manually create a folder with vbscript?

edit

So it appears that the logon script solution is not going to work for me, because the user doesn't have permission to create folders in \\fileserver\users. (and the script runs with the user's privileges) Any other ideas?

Best Answer

Set the permissions of \\fileserver\users as described in the Microsoft TechNet article entitled "Security Considerations when Configuring Folder Redirection" http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc775853(WS.10).aspx. The situation you are describing is exactly the situation in which folder redirection operates. The permissions described will allow regular user accounts to create their own folders and then to access them, but they will not allow users to access folders belonging to others. Thus, a logon script will operate as you desire once these permissions are set.

For what it's worth, your next step along the road to best practices is to actually use folder redirection and get rid of drive mapping altogether. Windows surfaces redirected folders throughout the user interface, and so it is easier for users to find a redirected folder than a mapped drive. Also, folder redirection requires no scripting, and folder creation is automatic, which is what you want.

Related Solutions

PostgreSQL – Default Superuser Username/Password After New Install

CAUTION The answer about changing the UNIX password for "postgres" through "$ sudo passwd postgres" is not preferred, and can even be DANGEROUS!

This is why: By default, the UNIX account "postgres" is locked, which means it cannot be logged in using a password. If you use "sudo passwd postgres", the account is immediately unlocked. Worse, if you set the password to something weak, like "postgres", then you are exposed to a great security danger. For example, there are a number of bots out there trying the username/password combo "postgres/postgres" to log into your UNIX system.

What you should do is follow Chris James's answer:

sudo -u postgres psql postgres

# \password postgres

Enter new password:

To explain it a little bit. There are usually two default ways to login to PostgreSQL server:

By running the "psql" command as a UNIX user (so-called IDENT/PEER authentication), e.g.: sudo -u postgres psql. Note that sudo -u does NOT unlock the UNIX user.
by TCP/IP connection using PostgreSQL's own managed username/password (so-called TCP authentication) (i.e., NOT the UNIX password).

So you never want to set the password for UNIX account "postgres". Leave it locked as it is by default.

Of course things can change if you configure it differently from the default setting. For example, one could sync the PostgreSQL password with UNIX password and only allow local logins. That would be beyond the scope of this question.

Windows – Minimum permissions needed to create a user Home Folder in Windows Active Directory

You could use a batch script written with CPAU. This tool is basically like "runas" except that there is an option to pass the password for a privileged account in an "encoded" form (i.e. difficult to read, but not encrypted.)

The script would sit in the root of the share and the Helpdesk would have to run the script with a parameter such as "username". The CPAU tool would run the folder creation in an elevated context (maybe a local login with modify permissions on the HomeDirs folder).

And so on. It requires a little bit of thought to line up your ducks with this.

Best Answer

Related Solutions

PostgreSQL – Default Superuser Username/Password After New Install

Windows – Minimum permissions needed to create a user Home Folder in Windows Active Directory

Related Topic