Using DSC v3 to change location of user folders.

[ward-horsfall]

Hi how would I use DSC to move the current user profile folders to a specific path.

Before the folder redirect format a specific disk and create folders

Then:

For example C:\Users\Fred\Documents to F:\Data\Users\Fred\Documents

The same would happen for the other folders like Downloads and so on.

Thanks
Ward

[mimachniak]

Hi you can yous those 2 approche

Option 1:

$schema: https://aka.ms/dsc/schemas/v3/bundled/config/document.json

metadata:
  Microsoft.DSC:
    requiredSecurityContext: current # this is the default and just used as an example indicating this config works for admins and non-admins
resources:
  - type: Microsoft.DSC.Transitional/PowerShellScript
    name: CreateSelfSignedCertificate
    properties:
      GetScript: |
          @{
            Result = (Test-Path 'C:\DestFolder')
          }
      TestScript: |
           if (Test-Path "C:\DestFolder") {
             $true
           } else {
             $false
           }
      SetScript: |
        Copy-Item -Path 'C:\SourceFolder' -Destination 'C:\DestFolder' -Recurse -Force

Option 2:

Baseon dscv 2

Configuration CopyFolderExample
{
    Import-DscResource -ModuleName PSDesiredStateConfiguration

    Node localhost
    {
        File CopyFolder
        {
            Ensure          = 'Present'
            Type            = 'Directory'
            SourcePath      = 'C:\SourceFolder'
            DestinationPath = 'D:\TargetFolder'
            Recurse         = $true
            MatchSource     = $true
        }
    }
}

CopyFolderExample
Start-DscConfiguration -Path .\CopyFolderExample -Wait -Verbose -Force

Setup Config

$schema: https://aka.ms/dsc/schemas/v3/bundled/config/document.json

resources:
  - name: CopyFolder
    type: Microsoft.DSC/PowerShell
    properties:
      resources:
        - name: DirectoryCopy
          type: PSDesiredStateConfiguration/File
          properties:
            Ensure: Present
            Type: Directory
            SourcePath: C:\SourceFolder
            DestinationPath: D:\TargetFolder
            Recurse: true
            MatchSource: true

[SteveL-MSFT]

I'm not aware of an existing DSC resource to do this, but looking at https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/topic/how-to-redirect-user-shell-folders-to-a-specified-path-by-using-profile-maker-ed6289ae-1f9c-b874-4e8c-20d23ea65b2e and finding https://github.com/r3dvorak/userfolder-relocator it wouldn't be difficult to do the same which seems to be changing the registry settings and copying the files to the new location.