deploy desktop shortcuts using group policy — pc-addicts

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Server 2012 Deploy Desktop Shortcuts using GroupPolicyOctober 3, 2012 by Chris Davis 4 Comments

How to deploy desktop shortcuts

using Windows Server 2012.

A very common task in any domain

environment is to deploy desktop

shortcuts (icons) to either all of your

users computers or to a certain

group of users computers depending

on what group(s) the user is a

member of.

For this tutorial, our environment

consists of the following:

Windows Server 2012 domain controller

Windows 8 client

Both are 64 bit (not needed, but thought I would mention it)

Want a shortcut to PC-Addicts.com placed on all desktops in the environment

Deploying Desktop Shortcuts to All UsersComputers

The screenshot below is what we will be accomplishing in this tutorial. All computers (and

servers) will be getting this new desktop icon shortcut.

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oy Desktop Shortcuts Using Group Policy PC-Addicts http://pc-addicts.com/server-2012-deploy-desktop-shortcuts-using

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Open up Group Policy Management on your Windows Server 2012 box.

Launch Server Manager

Click on Tools

Select Group Policy Management

Expand the tree and right-click on the OU you want this policy to be applied to.

For this example, I want all of the users in the environment to have this shortcut.

Right-click NOTCREATIVE OU and select Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here.

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(but it's required)

Anyone here ever get Freenas

working with AD on a 08r2 server?

WOOHOO back home from a long,

eventful weekend in Wisconsin!

Now time to go to work

What Content Filter/Proxy is everyone

using at work?

This is a must have for all computertechs, itll save the customer a lot of

money and you time.

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/watch?v=7BtUK7t8orE

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LOL! I like how its only been up for 1

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Poll. Chris is an idiot for posting this

question. lol.

Started my day with a grin.

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(Wednesday, Sep 4. 2013 07:37 PM)

Chris Davis

(Tuesday, Sep 3. 2013 06:23 AM)

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(Monday, Sep 2. 2013 09:37 PM)

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(Sunday, Sep 1. 2013 08:40 PM)

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Give the policy a descriptive name so its easy to determine exactly what this policy is for.

I am giving this policy the name: Shortcut PC-Addicts.com. Then press OK.

Now right-click on the newly created and linked policy and select Edit.

In the Group Policy Management Editor window, expand User Configuration |

Preferences and click on Shortcuts.

Right-click in the white empty area, select New and then select Shortcut.

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On the General tab, fill in the following:

Name: PC-Addicts.com Website (this is the name that will show up on the shortcut on

the desktops)

Target type: URLLocation: Desktop

Target URL: http://pc-addicts.com

Click on the Common tab.

Select Remove this item when it is no longer applied and select OK to the prompt about

changing the Action field to Replace.

What this will do is remove the icon if we delete this policy, or if the user falls out of the OU

structure that has this policy applied to it.

In the Description field, I find it best practice to write a short not about the policy. Over time

when you start to have a lot of polices, this can save you a lot of time from having to

remember or figure out when and why you set the policy.

Here I will write All users shortcut pointing to web address pc-addicts.com. Added

10/3/2012 by CD


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Exciting news: We are done!

Jump over to your client machine and open a command prompt (better yet, PowerShell).

Type gpupdate at the prompt.

After a few seconds, you should now see your new shortcut on your desktop.

Removing Deployed Shortcuts

As long as you followed the steps above and selected to Remove this item when it is no

longer applied in the policy properties, the following will work.


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For this tutorial and testing purposes, we will Delete the policy from the OU, but will not delete

the enitre policy. It will still be avai lable for future use if we want to link it to another OU.

In Group Policy Management, right click the policy and select Delete.

If you read the next window that pops up, its telling us we are only deleting the link, not the

GPO, which is a good thing.

Select OK on the warning.

Now jump back on your client computer, open a command prompt (better yet, PowerShell)

At the prompt, type gpupdate and press Enter.

After a few seconds, your shortcut should disappear.


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Filed Under: Server 2012, Windows 8 Tagged With: Deploy, GPO, gpp, Group Policy, Group Policy

Preferences, Server 2012, Shortcuts

About Chris Davis

Computer enthusiast for way too many years. You can follow Chris on

Google+ if you'd like.

Comments

[email protected] says:

June 28, 2013 at 6:44 pm

Great post; unfortunately Microsoft hasnt resolved the issue whereby Group Policy

updates to the shortcut are not reflected on the desktop. It is forcing us to to rethink our

strategy for desktop shortcut deployment.

Reply

Jim bonneau says:

August 6, 2013 at 12:29 pm

Using server 2012. Your instructions work, the link shows up as predicted, as a internet

explorer shortcut, but when I double click it, internet explorer opens but the page does not

load. Just get a blank shell, nothing in address bar.

Reply

Chris Davis says:

August 15, 2013 at 4:59 am

Hmm no errors?

Reply

Jim bonneau says:

August 15, 2013 at 9:35 am

I had to allow the web site through on the server by adding it to the list of approved

web sites.

Reply

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