applying SP4 across the network

  • Thread starter Thread starter Newbie
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Newbie

Hi,

How can I upgrade the O/S on my users PC's without sitting at each one. I
rolled out Win 2K Pro SP3 from a RIS server - this formatted the drive.
I don't want to reformat the drive I simply want to apply the service pack.
Is there a way of doing this through group policy?

Thanks
 
Newbie,

This is very much possible. You would need to create a new GPO and set it
up for the Computer Configuration. Download the SP4 file from the MS
website, extract it and then create the policy. Remember that you need to
do this to the Organizational Unit that contains your computer account
objects. Know that the Computers container ( the default location for
computer account objects ) is exactly that: a container. If you have not
already done so you might need to create an OU and move the computer
accounts to that OU and then create that GPO linked to that OU.

Simply have the users reboot their machines and the process will begin (
assuming that everything else is in order ). This might take awhile,
though. I do not know your environment so I can not really tell you the
best way. You might want to have people restart their computer when they go
to lunch or when they leave. Depending on how many computers there are and
your network setup you might want to stagger this.

I would also create a new RIS image where SP4 is slipstreamed into the
image....

HTH,

Cary
 
Thanks but I can't seem to get it to work - I must be missing something.

I have extracted the SP4 files to a share and shared it out with the Execute
and Read Permissions.
I have created an OU and moved a single computer out of the Computers OU and
placed it it the new OU
I have created a GP on the new OU - under Computer Software Settings and
pointed it to the i386\update\update.msi of the shared folder created
earlier
I have removed Authenticated Users from the Security of the GP and added
myself with Read and Apply Group Policy permissions
I have run secedit on the machine that I wish to update and then rebooted

The SP hasn't loaded

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks for your help so far
 
Newbie,

The group 'domain computers' needs to have the permissions, right? I am
talking about on the share permissions and on the security permissions on
the File Server where you have the 'SP4' folder. There would really not be
any point in any user having access to this share ( except Administrator or
Administrators or Domain Admins or Enterprise Admins or however you set
things up ).

This has to be added to the computer configuration and not to the user
configuration. When creating a GPO you will notice that there are two
possibilities - the computer side or the user side. You would need to
create this software package on the computer side.

Also, did you use the UNC path when telling the GPO where the update.msi
file is located ( and not a mapped network drive )? The UNC path looks
something like \\myserver\myshare\update\update\update.msi and not like
N:\sp4\update\update\update.msi.

On the Security for the GPO itself you can leave the Authenticated Users
there -OR- you can remove it and add the group Domain Computers. You are
correct in that the rights Read and Apply Group Policy are needed. Removing
the Authenticated Users and adding your user account will ensure that this
GPO will not work as this is being applied to the computer side and not the
user side! You could have added that specific computer account ( in place
of your user account ) and it might have worked. But, again, I am not sure
if you created this GPO on the computer configuration side of things....

HTH,

Cary
 
Thanks - works a treat - the Domain Computer in the security was where I was
going wrong.

Thanks again
 
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