In windows7, when joined to a domain, i still see that each "library" has a "public" folder associated with it: public documents, public videos, public pictures, etc. Is there a GPO setting to disable any and all windows 7 default public folders? In my organization, files that are shared go on the file server only - i would like to remove the temptation for users to manage sharing files on their workstations.-SpencerSpencer Williams

The contents in the library is defined in the library file itself. We can change the library settings via UI, but it cannot help you to change the setting from a server. Another method is open the library in Notepad and delete the corresponding part. For example, after opening Notepad and open C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Libraries\Documents, in Notepad: <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><libraryDescription xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2009/library"> <name>@shell32.dll,-34575</name> <ownerSID>S-1-5-21-2146773085-903363285-719344707-733894</ownerSID> <version>15</version> <isLibraryPinned>true</isLibraryPinned> <iconReference>imageres.dll,-1002</iconReference> <templateInfo> <folderType>{7d49d726-3c21-4f05-99aa-fdc2c9474656}</folderType> </templateInfo> <propertyStore> <property name="HasModifiedLocations" type="boolean"><![CDATA[true]]></property> </propertyStore> <searchConnectorDescriptionList> <searchConnectorDescription publisher="Microsoft" product="Windows"> <description>@shell32.dll,-34577</description> <isDefaultSaveLocation>true</isDefaultSaveLocation> <simpleLocation> <url>knownfolder:{FDD39AD0-238F-46AF-ADB4-6C85480369C7}</url> <serialized>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</serialized> </simpleLocation> </searchConnectorDescription> <searchConnectorDescription publisher="Microsoft" product="Windows"> <description>@shell32.dll,-34579</description> <isDefaultSaveLocation>false</isDefaultSaveLocation> <isDefaultNonOwnerSaveLocation>true</isDefaultNonOwnerSaveLocation> <simpleLocation> <url>knownfolder:{ED4824AF-DCE4-45A8-81E2-FC7965083634}</url> <serialized>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</serialized> </simpleLocation> </searchConnectorDescription> </searchConnectorDescriptionList></libraryDescription> By default the Document folder of current user profile is the default save location, and the Document of the Public folder is not. Therefore, the bold part, which contains <isDefaultSaveLocation>false</isDefaultSaveLocation> is for the Document folder of the public. We just need to delete this part for the library file. You may need to write a simple program to do it. An easier workaround is edit a startup script and include the icacls command to prevent users to access any resource in Public folder.

Thanks for the response Arthur. So I understand that there is no way to do this via GPO. Can the method you describe above be used in conjunction with the "default user" profile in Windows 7? I would like an easy way to take care of this during imaging machines if possible.Spencer Williams

We do not have permissions to access the folders of the Default user.Arthur Xie - MSFT