CC3 to Vanilla (2008 R2)

[Giles]

Hello everyone,

Just joined this forum after seeing it's probably the only place on the net with info about CC3 migrations! I've read through several posts on here and they've been helpful but I was hoping someone could give a little further info.

I'm currently in the process of migrating a school with a 2003 server (CC3) to Windows 2008 R2 server, and trying to remove the RM software from 30-40 XP machines while joining 60 or so Windows 7 laptops to the Domain.

The steps I've taken so far are:

1. Install 2008 R2 on new server
2. Updated Forest Functional Level from 2000 to 2008
3. Join to domain as DC
4. Allowed everything to sync up between the two servers
5. Transferred all FSMO roles to the new server.
6. Transferred DHCP to the new server.

I'm now getting ready to completely remove all RM software and the CC3 server from the network, but before I do, could someone shed some light on the following?

1. Do I need to re-create GPO from scratch? (Already done this, just not enabled at the moment)
2. All client computers in the network have an RM login screen, what is the fastest and safest way to remove this?

On the none RM side of things, there are a lot of file shares on the 2003 server, along with printers. I was looking into DFS as I would very much like to keep the old 2003 server as a member server incase of trouble with the new 2008 R2 server.

How do you go about mapping normal network shares into DFS shares?

And with printers, is there an easier way than just installing all the printers on the new server?

I'm trying to read my PowerShell V2 book to find ways to script this, but I'm rather new to scripting and I have quite a deadline.

Any help anyone could provide would be great. Even the smallest pointers and suggestions might move things along nicely!

Thanks very much,
Giles.

[MK-2]

i can't talk specifically for cc3 only cc4, but hopefully some of the info will relate:

1. Do I need to re-create GPO from scratch? (Already done this, just not enabled at the moment)
I would, just for pure peace of mind to know that if anything is going funny, you created it, rather than wondering if it's an RM remnant.

2. All client computers in the network have an RM login screen, what is the fastest and safest way to remove this?
I know on CC4 there were 2 packages called RM LogonUI Banner and RM Gina which controlled the whole login screen appearance. If they exist on CC3 remove them and try that. The problem is, there will always be RM software/settings on the machine, you would be better off rebuilding or, at the very least getting a list of ALL RM components installed per machine and removing them all. I had a quick batch file that ran through all RM components to remove them which you can use:

@echo off
cls
echo Removing RM software..
 
REM wiperm.txt is the text file with uninstall info in
 
if not exist wiperm.txt GOTO NOTFOUND

FOR /F %%I IN (wiperm.txt) do msiexec /X %%I /Q /NORESTART
goto OK

:OK
echo All Done..
GOTO END

:NOTFOUND
echo wiperm.txt not found

:END

You then need to go into the registry to add/remove programs bit and get the UID of each program (for example {408BF571-41C1-42E7-B559-B1BD12B85226} ) and put them all in a txt file called wiperm.txt and then just run wiperm.bat (which is the code above).

With printers on 2008 you can do it via the group policy, along with shared/mapped drives.

I hope some of this helps

[Jose]

we did this this 3-4 years ago, moved from CC3 to a Vanilla 2003 network with a 2008 server providing DHCP and WDS and remote access.
You need to work out how your going to replace the functionality of CC3 to ensure the smooth running of your new network.

From the Server side its very easy as the CC3 tools are Shi*te, AD Bulk modify, Password control and NTFS Fix, all free from Wisesoft.
There is free tool created by a guy from sheffield uni, that helps create new users and edit user areas.

We have our student GPOs setup like this GPO1 = user login script that maps user area and other mapped drives, second script thats maps printers depending on computer name. Folder redirection and some small restrictions to stop misuse.
GPO2 is a internet config/restriction gpo that forces proxy settings and restricts users from changing stuff, also add sites to trusted zones, enable active content to run from certain areas.
GPO3 = runs scripts to log user logins and limit users to logging onto one station.

Our curriculum GPOs are very simple, GPO1= computer restrictions, one startup script that updates the all users desktop with shortcuts stored in a network share. A second startup script that executes them reg frag files, this enables us to make quick changes to settings not covered naturally by GPOs. software restriction policy usefull for blocking viruses from USB and restricting games.

We use WDS to deploy desktops but if you don't fancy setting that up then a BartPe disc will enable you to dump a syspreped image of your deskptop on a server share and you can deploy it with ease.

[Boredguy]

1. Do I need to re-create GPO from scratch? (Already done this, just not enabled at the moment)
2. All client computers in the network have an RM login screen, what is the fastest and safest way to remove this?

1) A lot of the user setting GPO's will be referencing RM utilities that you won't be running any more, so it's much easier to create whole new GPO's than reuse the RM ones, that way if something isn't functioning correctly you can easily track it down. Things like start menu creation etc are all done via the RM Desktop delivery which you won't have anymore so straight away thats one GPO change that needs to be made.

2) Fastest way to remove it is to reinstall Windows XP onto the stations. You can use the RM rebuilt route and just input an invalid Site name and then clear the error file from the PC. This will give you a working PC that you can then add to your domain. If you already have WDS setup, then you can also use that to reinstall the stations. Removing the applications manually won't quite work as there as so many bits and pieces around the registry that are not automatically removed (such as resetting the MS gina from the RM one)

[Michael]

1. Do I need to re-create GPO from scratch? (Already done this, just not enabled at the moment)

Yes, as RM have heavily customised GPOs.

2. All client computers in the network have an RM login screen, what is the fastest and safest way to remove this?

It's not just the RM tools in Add/Remove Programs you need to worry about. RM also heavily customise the registry. You're better off installing XP SP3 or Windows 7 SP1 on all existing machines. It would certainly make managing the whole thing better.

How do you go about mapping normal network shares into DFS shares?

Do you really need DFS? It doesn't sound that big a network to justify the need.

And with printers, is there an easier way than just installing all the printers on the new server?

There's the Print Migrator 3.1 which works with 2003 Server, but not 2008 R2. In 2008 R2, the Print Management tool has a 'built in' version of Print Migrator 3.1, so you can add the existing 2003 server as a print server, then export/import the printers as required.

[Giles]

@Jose

Thanks for the info on Wisesoft, those look like real time-savers.

I'm not too comfortable with scripting but it's an option in reserve for now!

As for WDS, I'm hugely comfortable in it. The school can't afford something as lofty as SCCM so I'll use WDS/Deployment Toolkit, although I've never done an XP image before, shouldn't be too bad.

@Michael

DFS, I guess not, it seemed simpler in the 1st instance, but I may well just find/write a logon script to move the shares for the computers we don't reinstall.

Print Migrator 3.1? Here I come.



@ Everyone: Thanks for the quick and useful replies, more than I could have expected!

[Giles]

i can't talk specifically for cc3 only cc4, but hopefully some of the info will relate:

1. Do I need to re-create GPO from scratch? (Already done this, just not enabled at the moment)
I would, just for pure peace of mind to know that if anything is going funny, you created it, rather than wondering if it's an RM remnant.

2. All client computers in the network have an RM login screen, what is the fastest and safest way to remove this?
I know on CC4 there were 2 packages called RM LogonUI Banner and RM Gina which controlled the whole login screen appearance. If they exist on CC3 remove them and try that. The problem is, there will always be RM software/settings on the machine, you would be better off rebuilding or, at the very least getting a list of ALL RM components installed per machine and removing them all. I had a quick batch file that ran through all RM components to remove them which you can use:

@echo off
cls
echo Removing RM software..
 
REM wiperm.txt is the text file with uninstall info in
 
if not exist wiperm.txt GOTO NOTFOUND

FOR /F %%I IN (wiperm.txt) do msiexec /X %%I /Q /NORESTART
goto OK

:OK
echo All Done..
GOTO END

:NOTFOUND
echo wiperm.txt not found

:END

You then need to go into the registry to add/remove programs bit and get the UID of each program (for example {408BF571-41C1-42E7-B559-B1BD12B85226} ) and put them all in a txt file called wiperm.txt and then just run wiperm.bat (which is the code above).

With printers on 2008 you can do it via the group policy, along with shared/mapped drives.

I hope some of this helps

@MK-2,

Just had chance to try out your batch script, however I'm nonplussed as to where I should place the wiperm.txt file, I've tried placing it within the same folder, and editing the .bat to point it directly to the .txt file. It's tuesday morning at 10am so I might be missing something completely obvious here.

Thanks.

[MK-2]

You should have two files in one folder, wiperm.bat and wiperm.txt
These are then on the hard drive of the machine you want to remove the RM stuff from.
In the txt file you should have all the GUIDs of the packages.

But as mentioned above, if possible you should rebuild as RM heavily screw the registry too. We only did this as an interim measure from last October until now when we could rebuild all machines. I wouldn't use this as a long term method of removing RM

[Giles]

Odd, exactly what I've done! Thanks anyway, I'll play around and see if I can't get it to work.

As for the re-install, there's simply too much to be done at this school for the moment, hopefully we can do that before the end of the summer holiday!

[MK-2]

Odd, exactly what I've done! Thanks anyway, I'll play around and see if I can't get it to work.

As for the re-install, there's simply too much to be done at this school for the moment, hopefully we can do that before the end of the summer holiday!

I completely understand. I only mention rebuild because even though the RM packages are gone, a lot of stuff is left in the registry that still causes GPO issues so it makes troubleshooting harder as you don't know if its a setting you've done or one left over from RM.
Best of luck to you anyway