Group Policies not deploying apps to Windows XP clients???? 1

[robbo007]

Hello all,

I have a Windows 2000 domain with a mixture of Windows 2000 and Windows XP clients.

I use group policies to deploy standard applications (MSI). All works fine for the Windows 2000 clients but for some reason it won't deploy to any of my Windows XP clients.

The only error I can see is in the C:WINDOWS\Debug\UserMode\userenv.log

USERENV(294.49c) 10:42:30:500 GetGPOInfo: Local GPO's gpt.ini is not accessible, assuming default state.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Rob

 

[mwiner]

How many times have you tried logging into this machine to if group policies get applied?

Have you tried gpupdate /force ?

Also most likely you are running windows XP network processing in the default option. Which states that Windows XP boot and allows the user to log into Windows even before it has completed the network connection. It instead uses a cached profile. This allows for an extreamly fast boot.

Once the user is logged in and the connection has been established, the machine connects to the domain controller and asks if anything has changed. In your case it sees that, yes something has changed, it needs to install SP2. So it sets a flag in windows that software needs to be installed.

On next login it will contact the domain contoller AGAIN and check to see what software needs to be installed and where it is coming from. Finally on the next login it will download and install the software from the domain contoller. It is said by Microsoft that the process of installing software via group policies can take up to 3 reboots and rarely more.

For even simple Group Policies I have had to reboot 4 times to get them to apply. I even took into account replication.

So my suggestion to you if you want the results to be more consistant is to set in Group Policies to establish the network connection prior to logging in. Yes it will add a few seconds to boot up but it will get rid of this headache. (just an FYI Windows 2000 process the network connection prior to logging in)

This policy can be found at:
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon
and the policy name is "Always wait for network at computer startup and logon".

Hope this helps you a little bit. Or at least get you going in the right direction.

-Matt

 

[robbo007]

Hey,

Thanks for the info. Very informative. I had a look in for that policy setting but its not there? Do I have to add a template of some sort? My PDC is a Windows 2000 server.

Cheers,

Rob

 

[mwiner]

See this thread:

thread96-922385

Same exact conversation.

 

[robbo007]

Hey,

I have follows those links and copied the Windows XP templates to the Windows 2000 server but I still don't get that entry??

Does it need to be Windows XP service Pack 2 or something?

Rob

 

[mwiner]

When you go to add/remove templates what is the file size and date for system.adm?

 

[ITPangaeaArchitect]

is this a computer policy you are applying or a user policy?

computer policies by default on winxp will take two reboots to apply

user policies at least two logons...ocassionally a reboot

XP is flaky like that

matt is right on teh setting...it will however slow down bootup and logon

you need to install adminpak.msi on an xp workstation (make sure its not xp sp2 or you wont be able to view admin templates in group policy anymore until you apply the fix on anything but sp2 boxes)

then you will see the setting in the domain level policy

-Brandon Wilson
MCSE00/03, MCSA:Messaging, MCSA03, A+
almost got a paragraph there

 

[SteveAudus]

Rob,

check out

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=307900

We had to upgrade our Group Polices to include XP

Hope this helps.

Steve

http://www.chaucer.sheffield.sch.uk

 

[robbo007]

Perfect. Thanks.

 

[ITPangaeaArchitect]

ok thats the sme as installing adminpak.msi from an xp workstation

thought i had mentioned about doing that.....

admin templates get copied up automatically when you make a conenction from an XP client

-Brandon Wilson
MCSE00/03, MCSA:Messaging, MCSA03, A+
almost got a paragraph there