How to: Remove public Libraries in Windows Server 2008 R2 using RES Workspace Manager 2012

Default in Windows Server 2008 R2, there’re libraries available for each user. This Libraries are located in the left bar in the Windows Explorer. When you’re using a Server Based Computing environment, for example Remote Desktop Services or Citrix Xenapp, you want to edit this libraries. Default, the users have own libraries, but also an public library. The public libraries are located to C:\Users\Public. In an Server Based Computing environment, the users haven’t access to that location. Let’s have a look on have to delete this public libraries.

In this environment I’m using Windwos Server 2008 R2 with the Remote Desktop Services role enabled. The workspace is managed with RES Workspace Manager 2012. The users are using mandatory profiles, published as a custom resources with RES Workspace Manager.

1.) First of all, let’s have a look in the Windows Explorer. In the left bar there’re the libraries.
2.) The library folders are located in the directory
C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries
Documents.library-ms
Music.library-ms
Pictures.library-ms
Videos.library-ms

3.) Let’s open these files in notepad (or another texteditor)
4.) There’re two sections. One for the library and one for the public library.
5.) Right-click on each public library and choose Remove Location from library
6.) The public libraries are located to C:\Users\Public. In an Server Based Computing environment, the users haven’t access to that location.
7.) After deleting the public libraries, navigate back to the library directory in your profile
C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries
Documents.library-ms
Music.library-ms
Pictures.library-ms
Videos.library-ms
8.) Open each file within notepad and delete the rows
<ownerSID>….</ownerSID>
<serialized>….</serialized>
This will make the files generic for using as a baseline for all the users.
9.) Open your RES Workspace Manager Console and navigate to Administration, Custom Resources
10.) Open your mandatory profile and navigate to
Mandatory Profile\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries
11.) Delete the orrigional files and add the four customized files into this folder
12.) Update the cache of your RES Workspace Manager Agents and login with a user
13.) The public libraries are gone now and users didn’t receive error messages anymore 🙂

Delete_lib_01    Delete_lib_02    Delete_lib_03

Delete_lib_04    Delete_lib_05    Delete_lib_06

Delete_lib_07    Delete_lib_08    Delete_lib_09

Delete_lib_10    Delete_lib_11

Hopefully this blogpost is usefull for your own production envirenment!