Shell Folder handling in a RES PowerFuse session

• creating 3 new folders with the extension .org (for example \startmenu.org).
• copying all existing items in the main folder to the matching .org folder.
• deleting the contents of the main folders.
• copying the contents of any existing .res folder to the main folder and then deleting the .res folders (only for desktop and quick launch items).
• creating 3 new folders with the extension .tmp.

The .tmp folders were used to prepare the contents of the folders based on all the user’s settings in RES PowerFuse. When this was ready, the contents of the .tmp folder was copied to the original folder, thus providing the user with a start menu, desktop and quick launch that contained all the items managed by RES PowerFuse.

Note: by “main folder” I mean the original \startmenu, \desktop or \quicklaunch folder.

At the end of a RES PowerFuse session
At logoff (or shutdown), the actions were reversed. RES PowerFuse also had to handle any items that the user placed on his \desktop in his \quicklaunch folder during the session, such as documents or shortcuts.
At the end of the session, the RES PowerFuse Workspace Manager:

• deleted the .tmp folders.
• created a folder with the extension .res for \desktop and \quicklaunch.
• copied all non-RES PowerFuse items (such as documents posted on the desktop by the User) to the .res folder.
• deleted the contents of the main folders.
• copied all items in the .org folders back to the main folder
• deleted the .org folders.

This method resulted in a correct environment for the user after the session was logged off correctly. New or managed desktop or quicklaunch items were not visible when the user logged on to the desktop without RES PowerFuse (because they were saved in the .res folder).

Issues with the old design
There were a number of flaws in the old approach to Shell folders:

• Copying took a long time if there were large files.
• Users could run out of diskquota during the copy operation.
• If a user preference was defined which placed files on the desktop, these files ended up in the .org folder and were therefore not visible in the session.
• If a session was not logged off properly, for example due to a system crash or a session reset, non-RES PowerFuse items were lost and the user’s folders left in an undefined state.
• The fact that items could be lost was a particular concern, but the performance impact of large files also needed to be solved.

• moving files instead of copying them.
• improving the integration of the contents of the user’s main folders which exists outside
• the RES PowerFuse session with the RES PowerFuse session.
• improving the way in which information is recovered if a session was not logged off
  properly, so that no action is required from the user.

• create the .mslinks folders (for example \desktop.mslinks)
• move the contents of the start menu folder to the startmenu.mslinks folder
• move shortcuts (.lnk files) that point to executables (.exe or .com) from the desktop and
  quick launch folders to the .mslinks folders. NB: Shortcuts that point to pwrgate.exe are
  not moved.

An incorrect logoff will leave .mslinks folders behind, so if it finds any .mslinks folders when the session starts the Workspace Manager executes a different procedure:

• instead of creating new .mslinks folders, only move the contents of the start menu folder to the startmenu.mslinks folder.
• move shortcuts (.lnk files) that point to executables (.exe or .com) from the desktop and quick launch folders to the .mslinks folders. NB: Shortcuts that point to pwrgate.exe are not moved.
• remove any existing shortcuts to pwrgate.exe, because these were left by a session that
  did not end properly.
• create .tmp folders from which to prepare the user’s Desktop, Start menu and Quick Launch in the same way as was done pre-SR5
• delete the above-mentioned .tmp folders.

• removes all shortcuts (.lnk files) that point to pwrgate.exe from the main folders
• moves the contents of the .mslinks folders back to the main folders
• deletes the .mslinks folders.

• creates a new folder called .lost+found
• moves the content of the .res folder to that folder
• deletes the .res folder.

If the old .res folder contained files that users wish to recover after the upgrade, then the files can be found in the lost+found folder and should be restored to the main folder.

This only applies only to the desktop and quick launch folders. The Start menu folder never has a .res folder.