Group Policy Preferences, Why does it sort of work?

[Stuart_C]

I've been trying to impliment Group Policy prefrences on my network. I've got a 2K3 domain, a Vista SP1 machine running the RSAT and some XP machines with the client side extensions and I've been having a play.

The ultimate aim is to alter the powersetting on the computers, something preferences claims to do. But can I heck as like get it to work. Thinking that there might be some problem I tried using preferences to create a folder on the local disk. This worked. This implies that the computer is interpreting the instructions from the group policy preferences, it is NOT however changing the power scheme!

Can anybody help?

[Domino]

Which are the options you're trying to set?

You say you're RSATing to a 2k3 domain.....if you're trying to set 2k8 options through that it won't work...

[Michael]

If you're serious about using/deploying Windows Vista SP1/SP2 in your network, I would recommend at least one Windows Server 2008 DC. Especially with 2008 SP2 on the horizon, it's definitely an OS I'll take more seriously in future deployments.

In your situation, you must configure all policies locally on the Vista workstation. It's a little more complicated with Vista and Windows Server 2003, as Vista and Windows 7 use ADMX files, whereas 2000/XP/2003 use ADM files. 2003 Server cannot even see ADMX files as such, but just processes them. This is why I would recommend at least one 2008 DC in your network.

[Stuart_C]

Sorry if I've not explained myself well.

I've got a 2K3 domain. All my clients are XP (SP3) and it's XP that I'm trying to configure. I just have a vista machine (mine) and I'm not intending to deploy vista. The client side extensions have been installed and when I look at the GPO that I created with preferences there are some XML files there presumably to be appled to the worstation. I am tryimg to alter the power settings so that the monitors go into standby after 10 minutes. After apparenetly configuring the settings correctly in GP Preferences these then don't seem to apply on the machine. The odd thing is that I used GP Preferences to create a folder on the computer and this worked fine.

[Domino]

Yes, so which settings are you using in group policy to set these?

As the vista workstation will probably present some setting sthat the 2k3 domain controller just won't be able to present to the clients.

Why not create it directly on the server?

[Stuart_C]

I've been uing ComputerConfig ==> Preferences ==> Control pannel settings ==> Power Options ==> Power Scheme.

Also I can't create it on the server as according to the instructions you need 2K8 server or the RSAT.

Still playing and thigns have got more frustrating. In the spirit of scientific experimentation I set the options in UserConfig ==> Preferences ==> Control pannel settings ==> Power Options ==> Power Scheme. (After creating a test user in my test comptuers OU) I logged in with that user. This time my power configuration was successfully applied and the monitor went into power save. When I logged out the settings remained and the monitor switched off to save power. When I logged back in as a user not in my test OU the power settings reverted back to default (which makes sense), the monitor didn't go into powersave and when I logged out the monitor reamined on and didn't go into powersave mode.

This implies that the power scheme options are being appled at a user level but not at a computer level. After logging in as my test user then restarting the computer the monitor doesn't go into power save mode. This is a bit of a problem as realistically I need the settings applied at a computer level.

[Geoff]

Here I have W2k8 DC's and a Win7 RC administration PC, so I can actually edit GPOs properly.

Anyway, the obvious mistakes you might of made is to choose the 'wrong' action or messed up the item level targeting in some subtle way?

[Domino]

I've been uing ComputerConfig ==> Preferences ==> Control pannel settings ==> Power Options ==> Power Scheme.

Also I can't create it on the server as according to the instructions you need 2K8 server or the RSAT.

Still playing and thigns have got more frustrating. In the spirit of scientific experimentation I set the options in UserConfig ==> Preferences ==> Control pannel settings ==> Power Options ==> Power Scheme. (After creating a test user in my test comptuers OU) I logged in with that user. This time my power configuration was successfully applied and the monitor went into power save. When I logged out the settings remained and the monitor switched off to save power. When I logged back in as a user not in my test OU the power settings reverted back to default (which makes sense), the monitor didn't go into powersave and when I logged out the monitor reamined on and didn't go into powersave mode.

This implies that the power scheme options are being appled at a user level but not at a computer level. After logging in as my test user then restarting the computer the monitor doesn't go into power save mode. This is a bit of a problem as realistically I need the settings applied at a computer level.

Someone will tell me if i'm wrong, but i don't think 2003 server supports the 'control panel settings' through group policy.

[Geoff]

Yes it does. It will apply the settings as long as you installed the Windows Update to support the new GPO Preferences. WSUS should of pushed this down ages ago.

The only thing you can't do is see/edit the GPO preferences with the GPMC. Because you need the updated v2 GPMC to do that. Which is only avalible on W2k8/Vista/Win7RC.

This also applies to XP SP3 as well.s

[Stuart_C]

Unfortunately not specifically configuring the power options

On the up side I think I've found an answer to my problem, well sort of.
If i configure the comptuer settings for the power these are applied to the login desktop. When a user logs in their setting are applied, however if there are no power settings for that user then defaults are applied which are the ones defined on the comptuer NOT from the network. If I define user settings from the network than these are applied and supercede the computer settings.

Well that's what seems to be happening anyway. How odd. Must be something to do with the nature of Preferences as opposed to Policies. When I was testing I would apply the computer preferences and log in as me which would override the settings.

Just go to see what happens if I log in and log out...

[garethedmondson]

For power management on our network we use EZ GPO Power Management for Windows XP. It is GPO based and can be read about here:

Documentation for the EZ GPO Power Management tool for Windows Networks

Hope this helps.

GJE

[Stuart_C]

It does seem that when you log off the settings of the last user are reatined. Bit of a pain.

[ricki]

HI

I know this will sound a silly question but have you applied the policy for to an ou containing the computers. I know when I started I tried applying computer setting to ou's with users inside rather than containing computers and it does not work.

Richard

[Geoff]

also are you doing 'replace' rather than 'update'?

[Stuart_C]

@Ricki - No I am applying the right type setting to the right opbects . As I was just trying to configure the computer settings I only had a computer in my OU. Now I've moved on a bit I've got a comptuer and a test user in my OU.

@Geoff. I'm using Update (with the "Make this the active power scheme" box ticked).

I'm a little curious why it decides to stick with the last logged in user's setthings when the user logs off. It's going to create a minior problem if a teacher logs of a computer but doesn't switch it off (when do they ever) as they will have a much longer interval before the monitor switches off as they will need to be showing things on IWB's. I can set the computer and student values to the same as they are either "working" or not using the computer.