Group Policy in a Win2k Domain Running XP Clients

  • Thread starter Thread starter Brian
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Brian

Hey guys, I was wondering if you can help me with this one:

We run a win2k domain, and have recently adopted a company
wide background policy, so all workstations backgrounds
will be set via GPO's applied to Organizational Units
(which contain the users). I set it all up to use Active
Desktop and pull a background from a network share, and I
restrict all Control Panel and Right-Click access to
change the background.
The problem is this: The win2k machines on the network
(servers and a few workstations) pick up the settings and
enforce them. So far, none of the XP Pro machines have
applied the settings, even though I've dropped the GP
enforcement refresh to 10 minutes +/- 5 minutes.

Why are the XP Pro workstations not picking up the
settings and enforcing them?

Also, will these settings prevent users from changing the
background via Internet Explorer or Paint?
 
Hello Brian,

Get a userenv.log from a Windows 2000 and Windows XP client and attach to a
repost.

I see that you have already enabled Active Desktop style wallpaper, this is
good because it gets you around this issue:

327998 You Can Change Desktop Wallpaper Setting After Administrator Selects
http://support.microsoft.com/?id=327998

There is a draft for an article that may outline the cause of your issue
check below before implementing the USERNEV logging:

327159 SUBMITTED: Desktop Background not displayed when using Roaming
Profiles


SYMPTOMS
========


When using roaming profiles on Windows XP clients and choosing a picture
with a JPG, GIF, or PNG extenstion, as a desktop background, the background
picture does not migrate with the user.


The user logs onto a new workstation and no desktop wallpaper shows up and
displays the default background color.



If the user opens display properties and checks the background selected, it
still references the correct background, however the APPLY button is greyed
out, if the user chooses OK then the correct wallpaper is displayed.


CAUSE
=====


The JPG, GIF, and PNG picture files are converted to wallpaper1.bmp when
selected as a desktop background. The converted file, wallpaper1.bmp, is
saved in the user's profile under the Local Settings / Application Data
/Microsoft directory. The Local Settings folder does not migrate with the
user's profile, to help performance and loading of the roaming profile.


The registry still refences the original file, but only uses the
wallpaper1.bmp that is stored in the %userprofile%/Local
Settings/Application Data/Microsoft directory.


RESOLUTION
==========


1.) Pressing OK in ?display properties->background? sets the proper
background.


2.) Convert the JPG, PNG, or GIF the user wants to use to a BMP file and set
it as the background.


3.) Find the same picture on a website, or create a webpage with the
picture, and use the right-click, set as desktop background option. This
will convert the picture, as well, but Internet Explorer saves the converted
BMP to %userprofile% / Application Data / Microsoft as Internet Explorer
Wallpaper.bmp. This directory structure DOES roam with the profile.


4.) Set the Exclude Directories Group Policy object to INCLUDE the Local
Settings directory. This is only if it is COMPLETELY necessary to include
the desktop background as part of the roaming profile. The policy object is
in : User Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Logon/Logoff


Buz Brodin
MCSE NT4 / Win2K
Microsoft Enterprise Domain Support

Get Secure! - www.microsoft.com/security

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