Author: Jamil Parvez

Track Printer Usage with Event Viewer
In this blog, we can track printer usage with event viewer logs. How do you enable and configure print event logging in Windows, view print history in the Event Viewer, and search or filter print events using PowerShell? Organizations need to audit their print server to determine what data is being printed, its volume, and who is printing sensitive data. Regular auditing will help an organization identify vulnerabilities and focus on working on necessary security measures. Print server audit reports are more important than user management reports.

Track Printer Usage with Event Viewer Logs

You can track printer usage with Windows Event Viewer. All the print jobs sent to the print spooler are logged in the Event Viewer. If you have a print server installed on Windows, you can utilize these logs to organize a simple print audit solution that lets you understand who has printed on your printers, when, and how many pages.

Enable Print Logging with Command Prompt or PowerShell

Furthermore, you can enable Windows print logging using the built-in wevutil utility. Just open an elevated PowerShell or Command Prompt and run the below command.
```
wevtutil.exe sl Microsoft-Windows-PrintService/Operational /enabled:true
```
How to Enable Print Logging in Windows 10/11 and Windows Server 2022

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run box, type eventvwr.msc, and enter to open Event Viewer. In Windows Server 2022, you can access Event Viewer from server manager tools.

When the Event Viewer window opens, go to:
```
Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PrintService
```
Right-click on the Operational item and select Properties.

In the Log Properties dialog, select the Enable logging option. You can modify the maximum event log size or enable Overwrite events only to keep recent events.

From this point forward, Event Viewer will log all your print activities, and you can view the event logs under Applications and Services.
```
Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PrintService\Operatinal
```
The most intriguing event for printer usage tracking is event 307. Double-click the 307 event.

It tells you which document was printed, how many pages or copies were used, and the printing time.

How to Enable Allow Job Name in Event Logs in Group Policy

You must enable a particular GPO setting if you want the event log to display the file name sent for printing.
To open the Local Group Policy Editor, type gpedit.msc in the run box and hit enter.

Go to:
```
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Printers.
```
Double-click on the Allow job name in event logs to enable this option.

Select Enable.

Update group policy settings using the gpupdate /force command.

All print events will be logged into the Event Viewer.
Checking Print History on Windows with Event Viewer.
You can now view detailed information about all printing events on this computer.
Open the Event Viewer and go to:
```
Applications and Services Logs\Microsoft\Windows\PrintService\Operational
```
ID 307: Printing a document.
Open the event details:
The event description contains the following:
The print file’s name and the application were printed on it.
The name of the user who printed the file.
The printer’s name
Number of pages printed
The file size in bytes

How do I enable Windows Print Service Event logging?

By default, print jobs on Windows Server aren’t logged in the Windows Event Viewer, but they can be accommodating when resolving issues requiring tracing a job from the start to the end of its print trip! It can also be beneficial to assist with troubleshooting printing/driver-related issues.
26/08/2024
How to Enable Navigation Pane in Word 365

In this blog, we will learn how to enable navigation pane in Word 365. The Navigation pane is easy to access in a document from one place to the next. You can quickly move between headings, pages, or search results. The Navigation Pane is the most efficient and fastest way to move around a document. It is available in Word for Windows (Microsoft 365 and Office), while the Word for Mac version is similar but lacks variety.

The navigation pane is easy to locate from one location to the next in a document. You can quickly move between headings, pages, or search results. If you have already created section breaks in your Word document, you know that using the go-to command to navigate your long documents by section is a great feature and time-saving shortcut in Word.

Enable Navigation Pane in Word 365

Open a document in Word and click the view tab.
Tick the Navigation Pane box.

The pane appears on the left. It includes a search field to locate text in your document and three methods to browse: by heading page or search result.

Press the Ctrl + F key from the keyboard.

Use the Navigation Pane

Navigating your document by page or heading allows you to navigate it quickly.
Click on the Headings tab.
The Navigation pane is now displaying all the headings in the document.
Select a heading in the Navigation menu.
Word moves directly to that heading.

Click the Pages tab on the Navigation page.
A thumbnail displays each page in the document. You can scroll through this list for a quick overview of the document’s structure.
Select a page in the list. The word sends you directly to the selected page.

You can collapse a section by clicking the arrow next to a section that contains subheadings. You can modify sections in a document by clicking and dragging a heading up or down.

Read more: How To Change Page Orientation in Word 365

24/08/2024
How to Setup Local Administrator Password Solution
This blog will explain how to setup local administrator password solution. This guide is for creating, configuring, and deploying LAPS, Microsoft’s Local Administrator Password Solution.

Microsoft LAPS can be utilized to manage local administrator passwords on your domain-joined devices. LAPS (Local Administrator Password Solution) creates a unique and random password for each device client in your network and stores it in the Active Directory.

Microsoft Local Administrator Password Solution resolves this issue by establishing a unique, complex password for the local administrator account in all domain-joined devices. This password, set by Microsoft LAPS, will automatically change the password policy. The new passwords will be saved in the Active Directory, and authorized administrators can retrieve them from the Active Directory server when necessary.

Install Microsoft LAPS Software on Management Computers

The LAPS software should be installed on both management computers and client computers. The management features will be used to set up, configure, and manage LAPS.
You can install the LAPS management software on the domain controller or another domain-joined computer, such as Windows 10/11.

Download the local administrator password solution download LAPS from Microsoft.

Select a language and click on download.

Choose the download you want and click on download.

Double-click the file LAPS.x64.msi to begin the installation.

Click on the setup wizard screen.

Accept the license agreement and click next.

Click on Management Tools, select “Entire feature will be installed on local hard drive,” and select the next option.

Click Install.

When the installation is complete, click Finish.

Open LAPS UI.

Create Security Groups for Local Administrator Password Solution

I have already created an OU named Organization and inside two more OU (Workstations,
Organization).
To create security groups, right-click on security groups (OU).
Select new and then group.

Type a security group name (LAPSAdmins) and click ok.

To assign security group permission, right-click on the security group and choose properties.

Select the Members tab and click on the Add button.

Type domain admins and click ok.

Verify security group permissions and click ok.

The LAPS software installation for the management computer is complete. The next step is to return to the management system to complete the LAPS setup.
In the above sample, “Workstations” is the OU I created for the PC components.

Assign Permissions to the Group for Password Access

In my demo environment, I possess a security group called “LAPSAdmins”. I require users in this group to verify the local administrators’ passwords. Before we assign permissions, let’s see who had the privilege to view the passwords by default.

Extend the Active Directory Schema

You must log in with an account member of the Scheme admins group in Active Directory.
Run the two commands below:
```
Import-module AdmPwd.PS
Update-AdmPwdADSchema
```
Set Permissions in the Active Directory

With the PowerShell window still open (e.g., Import the AdmPwd.ps again), we will set the required permissions for LAPS. We will need to provide the SELF built-in account on the computer with write access so it can update the password in the Active Directory. We must also permit the administrators to read the stored LAPS password. Type the following command.
```
Set-AdmPwdComputerSelfPermission -OrgUnit Workstations
```
```
Set-AdmPwdReadPasswordPermission -Identity Workstations -AllowedPrincipals "LAPSAdmins"
```
Setting up the LAPS GPO

Go to:
```
\\Srv2022\sysvol\xpertstec.local\scripts
```
Srv2022 is an active directory server name.
Create a new folder.

Type a name LAPS

in the LAPS folder, and paste the LAPSx64 exe file.

copy the path.

Configure Group Policy Settings for LAPS

The final configuration process is to create a group policy for the LAPS settings.
Open the group policy management console.

Create a new GPO on the OU that has your computers.
Right-click on group policy objects and choose new.

Give the GPO a name (LAPS) and select ok.

Edit the GPO

Go to:
```
Computer configuration\policies\software installation
```
Right-click, choose new, and then package.

Go to:
```
\\active directory server\sysvol\xpertstec.local\scripts\LAPS
```
Select the LAPSx64.exe file and select open.

Click ok

Now, you can see the local administrator password solutions that have been assigned.

Configure Windows Local Administrator Password Solution

Browse to the following policy settings:
```
Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\LAPS
```
Open enable local admin password management.

Click on Enable and then OK.

Click on the Policy Password Settings.
Select Enable. Then select the password complexity settings and click OK.

Enable “do not allow password expiration time longer than required by policy”.

If you have a custom local administrator account that you want to manage, you can enable the administrator account name to be managed.
Note: Even if you changed the built-in admin account, you do not need to configure this policy. This policy is only applicable for custom local admin accounts.

Link an Existing GPO

Right-click on workstations and choose link an existing GPO.

Select LAPS and click ok.

That completes the configuration process of Microsoft Laps.

How to View the Local Administrator Password with LAPS

Open the LAPS UI program on your management computer.
Enter a computer name and click the search.
No password is found.

Login to your client’s computer and update the group policy.
Open the command prompt and type the following command.
```
Gpupdate /force
```
You need to restart your client’s computer.

After restarting, update the group policy again.

Go back to your active directory computer and click on search again.

Now, you can select expiration time.

Above, you can see the local administrator password for Windows11 and when the password expires.
Using PowerShell.
```
Get-AdmPwdPassword Windows11
```
Or right-click on the Windows11 client computer and select properties.

You can also view the password in Active Directory by opening the computer and selecting the Attribute Editor.
23/08/2024
How to Fix Remote Desktop Session Freezes Disconnects on Windows
In this blog, we will provide the different methods to fix Microsoft Remote Desktop session freezes and demonstrate the possible reasons. Remote Desktop appears to freeze constantly if your experience is anything like mine. Mouse clicks seem to work, but the remote screen stops redrawing. The only resolution is to disconnect your Remote Desktop session and establish a new one, only to freeze up again a few minutes later.

There is a solution to this freezing issue. Since I made this change to my computers, remote desktop sessions have stopped responding once on any of them. I work remotely every day, so there are a few hours behind this test. I hope this solution works for you.

Fix Remote Desktop Session Freezes

The connection to the remote computer is excellent, and UDP is enabled.
Microsoft says that using the UDP protocol can speed up the Remote Desktop session by reducing the number of retransmissions and enabling work over unstable, high-latency links.

Fix RDP Sessions Freezing Randomly by Running CMD

Search the command prompt in the search box and choose “Run as Administrator.”

Type the following command line:
```
reg add "HKLM\software\policies\microsoft\windows nt\Terminal Services\Client" /v fClientDisableUDP /d 1 /t REG_DWORD
```
Reboot the computer and check whether the RDP still freezes.

Fix Remote Desktop Freezing over VPN by using Group Policy Editor

Press the Win + R key and then enter gpedit.msc to open the local group policy editor.

Go to:
```
Computer Configuration\Administrative templates\Windows components\Remote Desktop Services\Remote Desktop Connection client
```
Right-click on Turn Off UDP On Client and choose to edit.

Select Enabled to fix the error RDP session disconnects.

Unfreeze the Remote Desktop by using the Registry Editor

Press the the Win + R key, type regedit, and click ok.

Select yes

Go to:
```
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Terminal Server Client
```
Right-click on the Terminal Server Client, select New and then choose the DWORD(32-bit) value.

Name it “fClientDisableUDP”, the new DWORD Value.
Right-click on it and choose to modify to fix the remote desktop freezes after the login issue.

Set the value data to 1, choose Decimal, and click ok.

Restart the computer and check whether the RDP connection is smooth.
22/08/2024
How to Disable Server Manager At Startup on Windows Server
In this blog, we will examine the steps to disable Server Manager dashboard at logon on Windows Server 2022. You can prevent Server Manager from opening at startup using different methods. Server Manager is a tool that guides system administrators through the installation, configuring, and management of server roles and features that are part of Windows Server.

Let’s examine how to disable the automatic start of the Server Manager dashboard in Windows Server 2022 and other versions.

Disable Server Manager at Startup

Using the Manage and Server Manager Properties menu, you can disable the automatic start of the Server Manager console for the current user.

Tick the box “Do not start Server Manager automatically at logon”.

You can use PowerShell to disable the server manager.
Type the below command to disable Server Manager at startup.
```
Get-ScheduledTask -TaskName ServerManager | Disable-ScheduledTask
```
There are several ways to disable Server Manager auto-launch for all administrators.

Disable Server Manager AutoStart Using Group Policy

A separate Group Policy option allows disabling server manager on startup GPO.

You can use the local gpedit.msc editor to enable this setting on a single computer. To apply this policy to all servers in the AD domain, create a GPO via the gpmc.msc console and link the policy to the organizational unit containing the Windows Server computers or the domain root.

Go to
```
Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\System\Server Manager
```
open “Do not display server manager automatically at logon”.

Enable the “Do not display Server Manager automatically at logon” policy and click ok.

Disable Server Manager at Logon via Registry

Type regedit in the run box to open the Windows register editor.

Go to
```
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\ServerManager
```
Open DoNotOpenServerManagerAtLogon

You can alter the value of this parameter from 0 to 1 to prevent the Server Manager from starting automatically.

Disable the Server Manager with the scheduled task

A separate scheduled task is utilized to disable the Server Manager automatically when the user logs on. Open the taskschd.msc console.

Navigate to Microsoft\Windows\Server Manager. Right-click on the ServerManager and choose disable.
21/08/2024
How to Change App Icons Back to Normal in Android Phone

This blog post will show you how to change app icons back to normal on every Android device. It is easy to change your app icons on Android, but it is not intuitive. Can you locate some installed apps or games on your Android phone? Don’t worry; it is a common issue that can be easily resolved.

Whether you accidentally hid the app, placed it in an app folder, or disabled it, you can use several troubleshooting techniques to restore the missing app icons on your Samsung phone. It is also beneficial to know how to alter that theme to the default if necessary.

I will guide you through the steps to restore normalcy this time. As I stated, it will be shown on the smartphone; sorry to the other phone users. Before we begin this process, please check out my other blogs about Android.

Restore Disabled Apps

If you have disabled an app such as Play Store, it may not appear on your smartphone. Open the Settings menu, navigate to Apps, scroll down or use the search tool to locate the app, tap on it, and then tap Enable. The app should be replaced in the app drawer.

Change App Icons Back to Normal

I will be using the Huawei Y9s Android phone for these steps.
On your Android smartphone home screen, click on the settings icons.

Select home screen & wallpaper.

A screen will appear at the bottom of the screen. Click on the Themes icon.

Click on the profile icons.

Select customize.

Now that we are on the Icons tab, you can see the Icon Theme you have running with a check mark. In this guide, we want to change them to the default. Tap the Default option. Once you do that, a confirmation window will appear at the bottom.

Now that we are on the Icons page, you can see the Icon Theme you have running with a check mark. In this blog, we want to change them to the default. Click on colors.

Click on customize.

Tap the Default option. Once you complete that, a confirmation window will appear at the bottom. If you are ready to go, tap Apply on the bottom.

Now you can see your phone home screen.

Now, your Android phone icons are set back to the default version.

19/08/2024
How to Update VirtualBox on Windows

This blog post discusses how to update VirtualBox on Windows while preserving the existing configuration of VirtualBox and virtual machines. What steps should you take when upgrading your VirtualBox to the latest version, but your older version is configured and fine-tuned? The beneficial news is that your configuration will be preserved when you update VirtualBox.

Oracle VM VirtualBox is free virtualization software for Windows and other operating systems. It allows you to create virtual machines and operate one or more guest operating systems on your physical computer’s operating system.

Update VirtualBox on Windows

Open your VirtualBox and verify its version by going to Help, About VirtualBox. In the current version, the VirtualBox version is 6.0, as shown in the screenshot below, and the newest version is 7.0.

You can go to the File tab and click on Check for Updates to check if any updates are available.

Download VM Oracle VirtualBox

This new notification pop-up window usually appears immediately after launching VirtualBox when a minor update is available 7.0.18. Click on the download link located in the interface below if you wish to download that version for an update. The installer that is downloaded can be utilized as an updater.

If you need to download the latest version and perform a significant VirtualBox update, visit the VirtualBox website and download the updated version of the VirtualBox installer. The VirtualBox 7.0 contains new features, including virtual machine export, high-resolution support, improved 3D graphics support, GUI improvements, etc. VirtualBox 7.0 supports 64-bit host operating systems. If you use a 32-bit host operating system, you must use VirtualBox 32-bit.

Once VirtualBox 7 is installed, the virtual machines that are running and then closing the VirtualBox instance will be shut down. Right-click on the VirtualBox 7.0 installation file and then click Run as Administrator.

Welcome to the VirtualBox 7.0.18 setup wizard; choose the next.

You can adjust any components you desire to install accordingly. Click next if you intend to install all the software’s features.

Accept the “warning network interfaces” that will be permanently disconnected during the VirtualBox installation. Select Yes to go to the next screen; for instance, a critical downloading process could be halted.

Missing Dependencies Pathon Core

Again, click yes

Choose Install.

If you haven’t been able to close the VirtualBox application yet, the VirtualBox updater will ask you to do so. You must close the application before you can continue. The software name and process are shown in the warning message window. Retry to restart the VirtualBox update after closing a running VirtualBox process.

Updating VirtualBox.

Finally, on the Installation Complete screen, click the “Start Oracle VM VirtualBox 7.0.18 after installation” and choose Finish.

Once the upgrade of VirtualBox is completed, you can see some changes in the graphical user interface. All configured virtual machines and VirtualBox settings are maintained after upgrading. About VirtualBox

18/08/2024
How To Show Character Count in Word 365

This blog will explore how to show character count in Word 365. You may need to ensure that your document has a certain number of words. Microsoft Word allows you to keep track of your word count in two different ways: by the status bar at the bottom of the screen and in the Review tab of the ribbon. It’s less common to require the character count, but it’s just as easy to find through the Ribbon’s Review tab.

Microsoft Word makes it incredibly easy to count the number of characters in your documents. You can view that information by accessing the status bar or the dedicated Word Count option.

Show Character Count in Word 365

I will provide this using the Microsoft 365 Word desktop app and the online version.
Open Word on your computer and click it to open the program.

Once Word is open, search for the document you want to use or create a new document. Click to open the document.

Now that we are in the document and you have filled out all you want look at the bottom. You will see a status bar likely to have the word count already on it. Right-click the bar.

The menu called Customize Status Bar will be displayed. Look for the Character Count in Word Count. Click it.

Look at the bottom status bar and see the character count displayed along with the word count.

That is the way you do this in the Desktop version. It’s time to show you where to find this in the Online app.

Show Character Count in Word Online

The online version of Word does not allow you to display it at the bottom like the desktop version. I will show you where you can locate the count.
Once you open your document in the Online Word app, look to the top menu bar. Click the Review option and click it.

You should now have another menu ribbon below that one. Find the Word Count and click the arrow to the left of it.

A drop-down menu will appear, and you must click the Word Count option.

This will display the word count window that shows the Character Counts. I wish they could add this to the bottom status bar as in the desktop version. At least now you are aware of where the count is hiding.

You now know how to locate those counts in the Desktop App and the Online one.

17/08/2024
How to Disable Auto Open Previous Files in Notepad

This blog will teach you how to disable auto open previous files in Notepad. When I open Notepad on Windows, different tabs can be opened automatically with previous sessions. I do not want this. Is there any way to stop this? This is a strange behavior, and I have no idea what Microsoft’s reasoning might be.

When it happened to me, I wondered what was going on. However, digging into Notepad’s settings soon revealed a simple fix. Here is how to stop Notepad from automatically opening previous files.

Whenever I open a file, I have other open tabs with all my previous files. I don’t wish that. When I hit the close button, I expected the program to do what I had hoped and close it. If I wanted to save a session, I would utilize the built-in session save feature.

Change the Default Setting in the App

The tabbed Notepad has two options to consider: open content from the previous session or open a new window. Switching to the second option and opening a new window will cause all previously saved text files to disappear. Recovering both saved and unsaved Notepad files can be challenging after this change.

You can turn off Notepad’s behavior if it saves the previous session from Notepad settings.

Disable Auto Open Previous Files in Notepad

Open Notepad and select the Settings icon in the top right corner.

Select the drop-down arrow next to when Notepad starts in the Notepad’s Settings page.
You can find two options here, with the Open content from the previous session option selected by default.

Press the radio button next to Open a new window to select and close Notepad.
If any previous sessions are open on Notepad, you will receive a prompt asking you to save or not save it. Please locate it in your preferred location and close the window.
When you open Notepad, the previous files will not open; a new window will open.

This Notepad will not restore the files you have previously worked on when launching Notepad. Additionally, you can use Windows 11’s Run Command box (Windows key + R), type notepad.exe, and press Enter to launch the classic Notepad.

Does AutoSave appear in Notepad?

No, AutoSave is available in Notepad. This feature ensures you do not lose crucial data due to unforeseen circumstances such as power outages or unintentional closures by automatically saving your work regularly.

16/08/2024
How To Change App Icons on Android Phone

In that article, I will teach you how to change app icons on Android smartphone. You could alter the bubble shape around your icons using Motorola. Android devices provide more options for changing the icons. You can modify the theme of your phone, which will affect all the icons. I made this with my Huawei Y9s Android phone. You love to customize things that show your personality to the world if you know me. I will share this information with all of you since the Android phone will let me do this with great detail.

It’s time to take out those Android phones and show off some personality.

Change App Icons on Android Device

I will be displaying this on a Huawei Android phone. It has been tested on the Huawei Y9s.
On your Android mobile home screen, click on the settings icons.

In the settings, click on home screen & wallpaper.

You should now see some options on the screen. We must select the Themes option, the second one on the left.

Android settings themes, click on your profile icon.

Click on Customize.

This will take you to the Android customize screen. The first thing you will want to do is tap the Icons icon.

Click on a screen.

Select Customize.

Now you will be able to select many Icon Options to choose from. From the bottom of the screen, you will find the icons menu. Select an icon to change the image and click on the apply icons to apply the changes.

Go back to the smartphone home screen to see the new look.

Now you know how to enhance the personality of your Huawei phone.

15/08/2024
How To Change Page Orientation in Word 365

This article explains how to change page orientation in Microsoft Word 365. We included inserting a section break in a previous post, and I promised to follow up by changing the page orientation. There are different reasons why one might need to change the orientation in your documents, and I believe you will be happy to have learned about this.

Once you have inserted your section breaks into your document, you can now modify the page orientation of any of your sections without affecting the layout of the other sections. You can now move your insertion point to a part and change page orientation for one page in Word.

Change Page Orientation in Microsoft Word

Follow the steps below to learn how to change the page to portrait and landscape:
Select the Layout tab and click on Orientation in the page section, which will open a menu with two options: “Portrait and Landscape”.

Select Landscape
The section you selected earlier should show landscape now, and the rest of your document should remain in portrait format.
That is how you modify the layout of your documents. This is a simple example of how you can accomplish sections.

You will discover that sometimes the Word inserts section breaks automatically, without you even knowing it, which happens when you insert columns in your documents. If you select any text in your document and then go to Layout > Columns > Two, Word will automatically create continuous section breaks before and after the selected area. Occasionally, when adding certain formatting features in Word, you may not always be aware that Word is inserting sections for you.

Is it a big deal? If you use section numbers and start to notice randomly that your numbering appears to be a bit off, this could be why. You may have encountered a feature in Word that has added a section break. I always suggest having your Show/Hide enabled so that you can see all formatting marks.

Click on the File tab and then Options.

Click on display options.

Changing the orientation of pages in Word is very beneficial, especially when you are using charts or tables that do not fit in portrait mode.
However, you will likely not be using this formatting as frequently as you are numbering sections and pages.

14/08/2024
How to Map Network Drives via Group Policy

In this blog, you will learn how to map network drives via Group Policy in Windows Server 2022. How can I configure a GPO for mapping shared drives and automatically provide users with access when they log on? Providing users with access to shared folders can be beneficial. It allows you to control your IT infrastructure while allowing people to share the necessary resources.

Map Network Drives via Group Policy

Map a Department Network Drive

I will map network drives with group policy for the Accounts department. I will use item-level targeting, so it only maps this drive for users in the Accounts organization unit.
You could also use a Security Group to target a certain group of users. This will be mapped to a network share that only the HR department has access to.
I have created two shared folders (Shared for Accounts department and Users for individuals).

Open the users’ folder.

Right-click on a user, select properties and verify the permissions.

Active Directory Users and Computers

We have created organization units (Account, etc.….) in the Active Directory users and computers. I am going to map a network drive for accounts departments. I have moved a user named user2 to the accounts organization unit.

Create a GPO & Link a New GPO

Open the Group Policy Management Console by searching in Windows.

In the Group Policy Management Console, click on the group policy object and select Create a new GPO.

You can name the new GPO whatever you like; I’ve created a map network drive for all computer users.
I can also add additional drive mappings to this GPO.

The new GPO is now created and linked, so it is time to configure the settings.

Configure GPO Settings

Right-click on the GPO (Map Network Drives) and select edit.

Access User Configuration/Preferences/Windows Settings/Drive Mappings.
Right-click Drive Maps, Select New and then Mapped Drive.

Configure Drive Mapping Properties

General Tab Settings
Action updates
Locate the path to the shared/folder you want to map a drive.
Select a drive letter
Label as: This is optional, but may be beneficial for users.

Click on the Common Tab
Select Run in the logged-on user’s security context.
Select Item-level Targeting
Click on the Targeting Button

Select New Item
Select Organization Unit

Click on the three dots buttons.

Select your OU, the one you want to use for this network drive mapping.

Click ok.

Click the ok button to close the new drive properties.

This completes the GPO settings.

This will be a user-based GPO, so make sure you link it to a location that will attract users. I have all my users separated into an OU called Accounts so that I can create and link the GPO there.

How to Link Existing GPO to OU

Right-click on an Organization Unit and select the existing GPO.

Select a group policy object (Map Network Drives) and click ok.

Now you can see the GPO successfully linked.

Log in with a user’s PC, and you can see the map drive not displayed.

Reboot User’s Computer to Process GPO

I must reboot the user’s PC or run gpupdate /force.

The next time a user from the accounts users logs in, they should be able to see a mapped drive.

In the active directory users and computers, now, any user I put in the HR folder can access this drive. If you don’t want to use an organizational unit, you can also target a group of users by using a Security group.

Map a Network Drive Using Group Policy for Individual Users

This example maps a drive for individuals, providing each user with a personal folder to save files.
You can create a new GPO or add to an existing one, I have all my drive mappings available in one GPO.

This example requires a folder to be created on a network share that matches the user’s login name. You will need to modify the NTFS permissions so that only the individual user has permission to access it.

Create Roaming Profiles

Roaming profiles allow users to log on to any computer in their organization and have all their personal files and settings available to that computer. This is a powerful feature that is easy to configure.
Create a folder on your server’s local hard drive.
Click the folder you created, scroll down, and click Properties.

Open the sharing tab and click Advanced Sharing.
Check the Share this Folder and click on Permissions.
Select Everyone from Group or usernames and click Remove.
Click Add and add a user to who you want to provide access.
Click on the security tab and select edit.

Select add

Enter a user and select click ok.

Allow full control by checking the checkboxes and clicking OK.

Active Directory Users and Computers

Select all users who would like their roaming profile to be created. Right-click and click Properties.

Check the connect under the home folder and use a letter to map the network drive. Provide the network path of the folder you copied. It should be in the format \ServerName\FolderName\%username%. Click OK. You are creating a roaming profile for Active Directory users.

Click ok.

Now login with the user’s PC.

Please visit Microsoft to learn more about GPO.

#MapNetworkDrive #GroupPolicy #WindowsServer2022 #gpo

13/08/2024