Make your desktop background follow you!

This is building on the previous post about redirecting your files to a network share. I have implemented this on my network with 2 computers.
1. Grab a copy of the excellent Flexrefresh (go here). This program refreshes the wallpaper amongst other things - I haven't found a better way to refresh the wallpaper - if you do please leave a comment!

2. Place it in a convenient folder on all client computers.

3. We're going to create a batch file so open up notepad. We are going to have the image copied to the local computer from the server (computer with user's files on). In notepad, enter:
xcopy /y "\\server-name-here\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\wallpaper1.bmp" "%userprofile%\local settings\application data\microsoft\wallpaper1.bmp"
You will have to change the server-name-here to the network name of your server computer. (see previous post if you have no idea what I'm on about!)

4. Make sure flexrefresh.exe is in the same folder as the batch file you are creating and enter this in the batch file underneath the previous text:
start flexrefresh.exe
This will run flexrefresh.exe straight after copying the wallpaper image from the server.

5. Save this batch file in the same place as you saved flexrefresh.exe (remember to save it with a .bat extension) and place a shortcut to it in the startup folder (C:\Documents and Settings\username\start menu\startup) of each networked user on each client computer.

This will synchronise the users' wallpaper but if it is changed on any other computer than the server, the change will be lost next time the user logs in - to fix this, after changing the wallpaper the user will need to run a batch file - open up notepad again and enter this:
xcopy /y "%userprofile%\local settings\application data\microsoft\wallpaper1.bmp" "\\server-name-here\%username%\Local Settings\Application Data\Microsoft\wallpaper1.bmp"
Again, replace server-name-here with the network name of your server computer. Save this as a .bat file (e.g. Update Wallpaper Image.bat) and place it in a convenient location so it can be run each time the wallpaper is changed.

This is by no means perfect but I have found this works on my setup - leave a comment with your experiences or suggestions!

Redirect files to a network share

Remap user folders to network share for centralised storage and backup

As a simpler way of having your files follow you around your home network, remap your user folders to a network share.

One downpoint of having a small workgroup of computers is that if you use one computer, and then the other, that file you were working on last is not on the second computer! A solution is to remap your user folders to a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device or a network share on another computer. I have implemented this on a network with 2 computers both running Windows XP. Make sure all users exist on all computers before starting this.

Using a NAS

1. Create a network share on your NAS named the same as each of your users.

2. Move the folders you want remapping to the network share (e.g. move the desktop, documents etc from c:\documents and settings\John to \\NAS\John).

3. Install TweakUI on each computer.

4. In each user, and on each computer, open TweakUI, and expand My Computer, then click on Special Folders.

5. Select the first folder from the drop-down menu you want to remap, in this case, the desktop.

6. Click change location, you will get a warning here, click on Yes.

7. Browse to the network location with your special folders on, then click on the folder you want to be your desktop folder.

8. Repeat for each folder you are remapping.

I would recommend mapping Desktop, Favorites, Documents, Music, Pictures, and Videos

Using a network share on another computer

Note: for this to work the computer hosting the files will have to be switched on for users' files to be available on any other computers.

1. Make sure the user you want to host the files for has a user account on the host computer.

2. Open My Computer and navigate to C:\Documents and Settings\, right click the first user's folder, select 'sharing and security' and enable sharing this folder on the network.

3. Repeat this for each user.

4. Depending on your setup before starting this, you may need to move the first user's files over to the host computer, do this now.

5. Carry out above steps from step 3 onwards.