GPO Template Versions

  • Thread starter Thread starter Adrian Marsh
  • Start date Start date
A

Adrian Marsh

All,

I've installed W2K AS from a slipstreamed SP4 CD. I've been reading up
on active directory on google and these groups, and I think that there
may newer versions of the Administration Templates available, than the
ones I have. So 3 questions:

1) Are there? (> SP4?)
2) If there are, then how do I "upgrade" ? Just copy the new adm files
over the old, or do I have to re-create all my GPO templates ?
3) Would they automatically include XP ?

Adrian

P.S. Reading up, I've seen references where AD seems to automatically
"upgrade" is - say - an XP box gets added to the domain - is my
understanding right??
 
Hi Adrian

New .adm files are generally provided in service packs. To give you some
background:

When you create a GPO, the .adm files being used are copied from the local
%windir%\inf folder to SYSVOL (inside a GUID folder for the GPO).

When you edit a GPO, the default behaviour is to update the .adm file from
the local %windir%\inf folder if the local copy has a later time stamp than
the one in SYSVOL for that GPO. This has caused issues for some in the past
because (for example) the Windows 2000 Service Pack 4 .adm files would have
a later timestamp than the Windows XP .adm files. As a result, the .adm
file in SYSVOL does not contain Windows XP specific settings. In an effort
to resolve this issue, I believe future Service Pack .adm files will contain
all policy settings regardless of operating system.

Until the next generation of Service Packs, this issue in Windows 2000
Server / Windows XP client environments, can be prevented by:

A. Creating and editing all GPO's with Windows XP.

B. Enabling the following policy setting at the Domain level:

User Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Group
Policy -> Disable automatic update of ADM files

Lastly, a complete set of current and previously shipped adm files included
by default in Windows operating system and service pack releases, beginning
with Windows 2000 can be found at:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...4B-7112-4B6C-AD4A-BBF3802A5C9B&displaylang=en

A complete reference of group policy settings for Windows Server 2003:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...2F-DA15-438D-8E48-45915CD2BC14&displaylang=en

Kind regards
--
Mark Renoden [MSFT]
Windows Platform Support Team
Email: (e-mail address removed)

Please note you'll need to strip ".online" from my email address to email
me; I'll post a response back to the group.

This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights.
 
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