A few years ago, I started the interminable process of prying DFS out of my network because the whole desktop mapping functionality was gone sideways.

Not the usual ‘user doesn’t even know this is there and is confused when they’re offline and can’t use the desktop’ (which is, in and of itself, stupid). Not the usual ‘offline files aren’t working properly or didn’t have time to upload properly.’

No, more like ‘desktop just didn’t load for no apparent reason and there’s no connectivity problem nor is there anything in any log anywhere.’

At the time, a couple users were being annoyed by OneDrive for Business popups all the time. It had come in with the latest version of Office and MS was really pushing cloud hard – not that they’ve since changed that tune.

So, I had a brilliant idea: ditch DFS and make OneDrive stop barking at people by actually using it.

I decided to re-map their desktop and documents folders through OneDrive and the implementation was an instant hit. Everyone loved it. I started telling all my friends to do it, and it was a hit for them as well.

So I was more than just a bit amused when I was setting up GPO for my new network and saw some interesting new policy options. That’s when I opened my own install to find this:

I knew I couldn’t have been the only one to come up with that idea.