Group Policy to apply Internet Explorer connection settings

[disturbedone]

Ok, this is a really strange one. It's Group Policy related with W2K8R2 servers and Win7 clients.

We're in the process of moving to Win7. Currently we have XPSP3 clients. A GPO has been in effect for years that applies the following setting to the XP clients:
User Configuration/Policies/Windows Settings/Internet Explorer Maintenance/Connection/Automatic Browser Configuration/Automatically detect configuration settings: Disabled
User Configuration/Policies/Windows Settings/Internet Explorer Maintenance/Connection/Automatic Browser Configuration/Automatic Browser Configuration: Enabled
User Configuration/Policies/Windows Settings/Internet Explorer Maintenance/Connection/Automatic Browser Configuration/Automatic Browser Configuration/Interval: Not configured
User Configuration/Policies/Windows Settings/Internet Explorer Maintenance/Connection/Automatic Browser Configuration/Automatic Browser Configuration/Auto-proxy URL (.JS, .JVS, or .PAC file):

http://server.local/proxy.pac

The same GPO also has settings that add Favourites/Links to IE.

This has been working perfectly for years on XP. I copied the GPO and applied it to the OU with a specific test user account that is logging on to a Win7 client. The Favourites/Links get applied but the proxy settings do not. In IE9 the following settings appear:
Automatically detect configuration settings: Enabled
Automatic Browser Configuration: Not configured
Automatic Browser Configuration/Auto-proxy URL (.JS, .JVS, or .PAC file): Not configured
which are just the default settings for IE.

The GPO itself is definitely applying because the Favourites/Links show up. It's just the proxy settings that do not. In saying that, some Win7 clients have got the proxy settings but it's about 50/50.

I've seen people talk about the 'Reset Browser Settings' option by right-clicking in the GPO so I did this, did gpupdate /force, set the proxy settings in GPO again, did gpupdate /force but still no luck.

I've also seen people talk about changing the GPO to 'Preference Mode'. I'm not even sure that the difference is and can't really find an explanation but I tried it anyway but still had no luck.

I've seen a lot of posts of people talking about this issue but cannot find a definitive solution. Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Sympology]

These any use for you as ie9 has some different settings:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=9409

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=8386

Robert Wilensky:
We've all heard that a million monkeys banging on a million typewriters will eventually reproduce the entire works of Shakespeare. Now, thanks to the Internet, we know this is not true.

http://alvechurchlounge.org.uk

 

[disturbedone]

Thanks. But the ADMX file already exists on the W2K8R2 DC. That file is only required for W2K3 domains that have Win7/IE9 clients.