Folder redirection was introduced in Cloud Drive Mapper version 1.5.4. This functionality allows users to access their known folders (e.g my documents, videos, favorites, desktop, downloads) via Cloud Drive Mapper and OneDrive For Business. This greatly streamlines the user experience and allows organisations to fully utilise OneDrive for Business without any loss of existing functionality to users.
Please note that any existing folder redirection needs to be disabled first, otherwise redirection via Cloud Drive Mapper will not work.
This feature uses a bitmask style MSI parameter and/or registry setting called FolderRedirectionSettings. The correct value can be acquired by adding up all the values for the features you want to be enabled. So if you wanted to redirect Documents (2) and Desktop (4) but have no other elements enabled then you should use the value '6'. Some example reg key options can be found further down below.
| Bitmask value | Feature | Description |
| 1 | FolderRedirectionDocumentstoRoot | When set the Windows Documents folder will be redirected to the OneDrive root, e.g. OneDrive:\ If false or not set, all redirected folders will be created under a folder called 'MyProfile' in each user's OneDrive, i.e. OneDrive:\MyProfile\Documents except when 65536 is enabled (see below). This setting must be used with setting '2'. |
| 2 | FolderRedirectionDocuments | Redirects the Documents folder |
| 4 | FolderRedirectionDesktop | Redirects the Desktop |
| 8 | FolderRedirectionPictures | Redirects the Pictures folder |
| 16 | FolderRedirectionVideos | Redirects the Videos folder |
| 32 | FolderRedirectionMusic | Redirects the Music folder |
| 64 | FolderRedirectionFavorites | Redirects the Favorites folder |
| 128 | FolderRedirectionDownloads | Redirects the Downloads folder. Be aware that this means that any file downloads will actually be uploaded at the same time, which may have a performance impact on the download. Consideration required. |
When enabling folder redirection for the first time, Cloud Drive Mapper will create new folders in each user's OneDrive if they don't already exist, with the relevant names (e.g. Documents). This will use English names by default, but if you'd like the folders to use foreign language names instead you can include the relevant language setting below in the FolderRedirectionSettings value based on the values below.
| Bitmask value (cont.) | Feature | Description |
| 256 | UseSpanish | Will change the default English folder names to the Spanish equivalent |
| 512 | UsePortuguese | Will change the default English folder names to the Portuguese equivalent |
| 1024 | UseArabic | Will change the default English folder names to the Arabic equivalent |
| 2048 | UseFrench | Will change the default English folder names to the French equivalent |
| 4096 | UseDutch | Will change the default English folder names to the Dutch equivalent |
| 8192 | UseRussian | Will change the default English folder names to the Russian equivalent |
| 16384 | UseItalian | Will change the default English folder names to the Italian equivalent |
| 32768 | UseGerman | Will change the default English folder names to the German equivalent |
| 131072 | UseChinese | Will change the default English folder names to the Chinese equivalent |
| 262144 | UseTraditionalChinese | Will change the default English folder names to the Chinese equivalent |
Please note: For obvious reasons, you can only select one of the language options above - and if you don't use any of them and it will default to English.
| Bitmask value (cont.) | Feature | Description |
| 65536 | UseRoot | By default Cloud Drive Mapper creates and redirects any redirected folders you have enabled in CDM into a sub-folder called MyProfile, e.g. OneDrive:\MyProfile\Documents OneDrive:\MyProfile\Videos If you would like to change this behaviour so that instead of going into into MyProfile, CDM creates and redirects the redirected folders into the root of the OneDrive, use the UseRoot setting (65536). e.g. OneDrive:\Documents OneDrive:\Videos If setting 1 plus setting 65536 plus setting 2 are used together then the redirection pattern will look like this: Documents will redirect to: OneDrive:\ All other enabled redirected folders will redirect to, e.g: OneDrive:\Videos OneDrive:\Desktop |
The FolderRedirectionSettings registry string can be deployed to either:
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\IAM Cloud\CloudDriveMapper
Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\IAM Cloud\CloudDriveMapper
HKEY_CURRENT_USER takes priority.
Or it can be deployed as an MSI parameter.
EXAMPLES:
The most commonly used value is FolderRedirectionSettings = 65790
This will direct all folders to the root of OneDrive in the format OneDrive\FolderName
The value of 65790 is made up of:
| 2 | Documents |
| 4 | Desktop |
| 8 | Pictures |
| 16 | Videos |
| 32 | Music |
| 64 | Favourites |
| 128 | Downloads |
| 65536 | UseRoot |
| Total = 65790 |
The value can be modified to suit your needs. For example if you didn't want to redirect downloads then use the value of 65662 (65790 - 128)
To redirect all folders to OneDrive\MyProfile\FolderName then the value would be 254 - this is made up of the bitmask values for each folder less UseRoot.
As above this value can be modified to suit your requirements.
IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR WINDOWS 10
When applying folder redirection on windows 10 you will find there is two separate keys within the user shell registry hive. The keys used on Windows versions prior to Windows 10 only update the quick links. The root known folders have a separate key however it is important to note – the name visible in explorer will always be the name of the final part of the path. For example, if we redirect to M:\MyProfiles\Docs then you will see “Docs” in the explorer because it is the last path.
We have found that folder re-direction via CDM can be blocked when the policy below is in place:
Folder redirection not applying
reg query "HKCU\software\microsoft\windows\currentversion\policies\explorer" /v "DisablePersonalDirChange"
If result = 0x1 then redirection is blocked
GPO under User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Desktop > Prohibit User from manually redirecting Profile Folders
For more information on deploying Cloud Drive Mapper, please contact our support team at support@iamcloud.com who will be happy to help.