Welcome, Register for free! or Login below:
EduGeek.net RSS Feeds Register FAQ Members Social Groups User Map Calendar Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Windows

Windows forum sponsored by

For all of your Windows problems

Go Back   EduGeek.net Forums > Technical > Windows
Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Search Thread
Sponsored Links
Old 22-09-2008, 11:51 AM   #1
 
contink's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: South Yorkshire
Posts: 3,345
uk uk yorkshire
Thanks: 184
Thanked 188 Times in 152 Posts
Rep Power: 52 contink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud of
Default Alt to GPO MSI installs for Laptops - Startup script?

This is probably going to sound like the dumbest, most obvious question ever but my brain is going into a BSOD loop when I try to get my head around this so hopefully folks can help.

I've got a school with over 80 laptops that I've completely started from scratch with. I did a RIS with a base install on, WSUS setup to push out updates and originally I was relying on GPO to push out applications.

I'm still trying to resolve issues with the laptops not pre-logging in to accept the Computer Settings from GPO's which predictably means the laptops don't get the GPO and can't access the server space for the installers. The pre-login side of things is pending but it's occured to me that there's another way to approach this and I'd rather not be forced to keep plugging laptops into a small hub every week for days at a time!

Would it be possible to run a startup script that grabs installers down to the local hard drive and then runs these installers either immediately after or on the next reboot?

I'm guessing I may have to get "cute" with the login scripts and get them to do the downloading based on some form of registry or text file "flags" which indicate what's required and from where... but aside from that I'm wondering if there are any potential issues with handling a silent exe install under the computer system account?
????: EduGeek.net Forums http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows/24149-alt-gpo-msi-installs-laptops-startup-script.html


Also, I suppose it wouldn't hurt to know if someone else has already resolved this issue or similar and has some pointers.

I'll post up and resultant scripts and/or tips in the wiki so any suggestions will get due credit and be shared back.

Thanks in advance.

Last edited by contink; 22-09-2008 at 11:52 AM.. Reason: Title confusing
  Reply With Quote
Old 22-09-2008, 12:35 PM   #2
 
Michael's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 3,445
uk uk england
Thanks: 52
Thanked 379 Times in 295 Posts
Rep Power: 79 Michael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant futureMichael has a brilliant future
Default

I would definitely recommend using GPOs and not scripts for installing applications. Scripts are more suitable for printers, reg files or very small files (like text files).

It sounds to me your machines are not picking up updated policies (for whatever reason).

You can try the following command:
Code:
gpupdate /target:machine
or

Code:
gpupdate /target:user
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to Michael For This Useful Post:
contink (22-09-2008)
Old 22-09-2008, 01:06 PM   #3
 
ricki's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: uk
Posts: 369
uk
Thanks: 6
Thanked 22 Times in 21 Posts
Rep Power: 12 ricki will become famous soon enoughricki will become famous soon enough
Default

HI

Have a look at the bios and make sure you have the latest version so that it turns the wifi card on at boot and make sure that windows in managing the wifi card and not the wifi cards software as this only starts after the user logs on.

I had to remove the card software and then just loads the driver on its own.

Just an idea.

Richard
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to ricki For This Useful Post:
contink (22-09-2008)
Old 22-09-2008, 01:28 PM   #4
 
contink's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: South Yorkshire
Posts: 3,345
uk uk yorkshire
Thanks: 184
Thanked 188 Times in 152 Posts
Rep Power: 52 contink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud of
Default

Just to respond with a bit more info on the problems experienced.

1. The GPO is being picked up BUT it's not being picked up until after the wifi card has connected. (Using a RADIUS WPA auth setup that should be auth'ing the laptop and does seem to)

2. The lack of wifi means that the laptop fails to see the //SERVER location for the actual MSI packages and thus can't install them..


I've done some extensive checking on this and found the event log is showing the path doesn't exist.. Checking the Wifi controller indicates that the comp is auth'ing properly but it just isn't waiting long enough for the network it seems.

Other discussions on other threads seem to indicate it's difficult to resolve...
  Reply With Quote
Old 22-09-2008, 11:40 PM   #5
 
SYNACK's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 2,730
new zealand
Thanks: 115
Thanked 614 Times in 501 Posts
Blog Entries: 4
Rep Power: 127 SYNACK ooh
SYNACK oohSYNACK oohSYNACK oohSYNACK oohSYNACK oohSYNACK ooh
Send a message via MSN to SYNACK
Default

You may want to enable these GP settings if you have not already as these may help it to process them more reliably:

Computer Config > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy : Wireless Policy Processing -enabled
????: EduGeek.net Forums http://www.edugeek.net/forums/showthread.php?t=24149
tick : Allow prosessing across a slow network connection

Computer Config > Administrative Templates > System > Group Policy : Software installation Policy Processing-enabled
tick : Allow prosessing across a slow network connection

You may also want to try activating this which will make the system wait untill the network is fully initialized at boot. This will take a little longer but should make it wait long enough to grab a wireless connection. It will make power ups slow if the user is outside the coverage area and has not switched off the wireless card with the button.

Computer Config > Administrative Templates > System > Logon : Always wait for network at computer startup and logon

This one may or may not apply to the standard network wait with wireless but it might also help.

Computer Config > Administrative Templates > System > netlogon : Expected dial-up delay on logon
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to SYNACK For This Useful Post:
contink (23-09-2008)
Old 23-09-2008, 08:00 AM   #6
 
contink's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: South Yorkshire
Posts: 3,345
uk uk yorkshire
Thanks: 184
Thanked 188 Times in 152 Posts
Rep Power: 52 contink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud of
Default

Cheers for those... I'll give them a shot with a test OU and a couple of spare units..
  Reply With Quote
Old 23-09-2008, 08:21 AM   #7
 
PeterH's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 19
uk
Thanks: 3
Thanked 6 Times in 6 Posts
Rep Power: 9 PeterH is on a distinguished road
Default

As well as those, also check out:

Computer Config \ Admin Templates \ System \ Group Policy \ Startup policy processing wait time

We had an issue just recently with some laptops that weren't applying policies at startup becuase the wireless network wasn't starting quickly enough. After lots of playing around with different policy settings, this is the one that fixed it. We enabled it and set the amount of time to wait to 60 seconds. Now everything seems to work perfectly - it doesn't take anywhere near 60 seconds, but the group policy client will wait up to that amount of time for the network to become available.

Peter
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to PeterH For This Useful Post:
contink (23-09-2008)
Old 23-09-2008, 08:34 AM   #8
 
cookie_monster's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Derbyshire
Posts: 2,110
uk uk england
Thanks: 64
Thanked 79 Times in 68 Posts
Rep Power: 25 cookie_monster is a glorious beacon of lightcookie_monster is a glorious beacon of lightcookie_monster is a glorious beacon of lightcookie_monster is a glorious beacon of lightcookie_monster is a glorious beacon of light
Default

I've also found that sometimes you also need to set 'Always wait for network at computer startup and logon' in the local policy in these situations otherwise it never picks the setting up from GP.
  Reply With Quote
The Following User Says Thank You to cookie_monster For This Useful Post:
contink (23-09-2008)
Old 23-09-2008, 03:46 PM   #9
 
contink's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2006
Location: South Yorkshire
Posts: 3,345
uk uk yorkshire
Thanks: 184
Thanked 188 Times in 152 Posts
Rep Power: 52 contink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud ofcontink has much to be proud of
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by PeterH View Post
As well as those, also check out:

Computer Config \ Admin Templates \ System \ Group Policy \ Startup policy processing wait time
Thanks for the tip but for anyone else looking all over for this.. it's a Vista only GPO setting.. Not available to XP... which is what I'm using...
  Reply With Quote
Reply
Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Installing GoogleSketchup 6 via startup script markwilliamson2001 Windows 3 04-03-2008 07:26 PM
Detecting/Disabling ICS in a Startup script Geoff Network and Classroom Management 5 07-02-2008 05:27 PM
RM CC3 Startup Script randle Windows 4 30-07-2007 02:56 PM
Startup script time-out gotcha aargh!! NetworkGeezer Windows 7 01-06-2006 05:13 PM
Loading .reg files in a startup script Ric_ Windows 7 27-09-2005 04:23 PM



Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
 
Thread Tools Search Thread
Search Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:04 AM.
Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.2
Copyright ©2000 - 2009, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
SEO by vBSEO 3.3.0 ©2009, Crawlability, Inc.
Copyright EduGeek.net




website uptime

© 2005 - 2009 EduGeek.net
no new posts