Deploying Screensaver

[capncrunch]

I am having issues trying to deploy a screensaver to Student PC's. I have created a .scr file and I know where to setup the screensaver in GPO. However I cannot get the screensaver itself to the machines.

 

I have added a line into the student login scripts to copy the files from

 

\\server\login script folder\screesaver.scr to the C:\windows\system32 folder

 

However It will not copy, I suspect it's a permission problem with either the C:\ or the system32 folder. How can I get the .scr file in to the system32 folder either through GPO or via script?

[Steve21]

One thing I'd say straight away, is "generally" without a \ on the end a lot of scripts emo about permissions. Can you post the script you're trying to use atm?

 

Steve

[sted]

try the script as a pc startup script rather than a user one it runs with full admin privileges

[glennda]

put the screensaver on a network share which has read permissions to everybody

 

then make a startup script like this

 

if exist C:\path\to\screen\saver.scr goto end

 

xcopy \\server\share\screensaver.scr C:\path\to\screensaver\ /c /y

 

end

 

if you have spaces in the path (e.g C:\program files\screensaver) make sure you put the whole thing in speach marks (e.g "C:\program files\Screensaver")

 

Toby

[chazzy2501]

Use Group policy preferences (CSE) you can create the folder and deploy files. It's also easy to update them later as well. You'll be able to shove them directly into the system32 folder if you want. I used this to deploy bginfo into the system32.

[capncrunch]

I was using this in the login script

 

xcopy \\server\share$\screensaver.scr C:\windows\system32\

 

The share where the file is kept has everyone read permissions on the share and NTFS (it is where we keep our MSI's so i know the permissions are good) I have tried yours Glennda I call a seperate .bat file from the login script

 

Call screensaver.bat

 

Then in that .bat file i have put

If exist C:\windows\system32\screensaver.scr goto end

xcopy \\server\share$\screensaver.scr C:\windows\system32\ /c/y

end

 

But that has not worked either. The students obviously cannot see the C:\ drive and would have no premissions to system32, is this what is stopping it from copying?

 

Your option sounds interesting chazzy2501 could you offer some more info or point me in the right direction.

[Steve21]

I have tried yours Glennda I call a seperate .bat file from the login script

 

Call screensaver.bat

 

That may be the issue, bearing in mind login scripts run as admin. If you're calling additional files depending how you set them up might not run as an admin.

 

Is there any reason you don't just want to put it directly as a login script? If not, I'll stick one that should work up tomorrow if I remember.

 

Steve

[glennda]

That may be the issue, bearing in mind login scripts run as admin.

 

no they don't login scripts run as the user don't they?

 

Startup Scripts run as admin.

[Steve21]

no they don't login scripts run as the user don't they?

 

Startup Scripts run as admin.

 

Don't they run prior to GPs being applied? Else how comes they can run BAT files/exes etc, if that's disabled to the user? Or am I being dumb and missing something obvious?

 

Steve

[glennda]

Don't they run prior to GPs being applied? Else how comes they can run BAT files/exes etc, if that's disabled to the user? Or am I being dumb and missing something obvious?

 

Steve

 

they might be applied before gpo's run yes but they don't run as admin as you setup permissions to shares etc as the user not admin

[sted]

no they don't login scripts run as the user don't they?

 

Startup Scripts run as admin.

 

they dont try puttin a net time \\server /set in and it will fail due to not having required privileges

[glennda]

they dont try puttin a net time \\server /set in and it will fail due to not having required privileges

 

which part are you refering to? the user or the startup?

[sukh]

login scripts are run as users as well as logoff scripts.

 

By default users have read access to the system32 directory and using a login script will not allow normal users to write here.

 

What you can do is set the script at computer startup to run. Copy the scr file to the sysvol/netlogon share or leave where it is now as this is not the issue, Then you can use a GPO to set the screensavev options,

 

Win 7 - User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Personalization: Force specific screen saver

Windows XP - User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Display

 

Using GPO preferences will allow a user to change screensaver, if you want to enforce then use the above.

 

Sukh

[sted]

which part are you refering to? the user or the startup?

 

user logon scripts

[SYNACK]

Use the startup script instead, problem solved.

[glennda]

user logon scripts

 

I have net time in my login scripts

 

what makes you think its failing on your machines?

 

Bear in mind it will hang enless you put net time /set /yes otherwise it will sit there asking you to say yes to updating the time. EDIT: this only works if they are power users or administrators which my staff are.

 

But startup scripts using the script above will work.

Edited April 7, 2011 by glennda

[capncrunch]

Thanks for the help folks, I have used your code glendda in a startup script and it succesfully copied the file across to the system32 folder.

[srochford]

I have net time in my login scripts

 

what makes you think its failing on your machines?

 

 

In this support article You cannot set the date, time, or time zone on your computer Microsoft say "By default, only administrators and power users can change the date, time, or time zone."

 

If net time /set is working for you then at some point you (or someone else) has given ordinary users the right to change the system time. This is potentially dangerous - if the time is changed on a machine by more than 5 minutes relative to the DCs then Kerberos authentication will fail (and the login script can't fix it because you won't be able to login!)

[glennda]

In this support article You cannot set the date, time, or time zone on your computer Microsoft say "By default, only administrators and power users can change the date, time, or time zone."

 

If net time /set is working for you then at some point you (or someone else) has given ordinary users the right to change the system time. This is potentially dangerous - if the time is changed on a machine by more than 5 minutes relative to the DCs then Kerberos authentication will fail (and the login script can't fix it because you won't be able to login!)

 

Yeah i think ours are power users (staff only) which is from the by-gone era of when everybody had to be one for Sims to work.

 

they are set to get the time from the DC so its actually net time /domain:domain.name /set /yes

 

but then they cannot double click on the date/time in the bottom corner to change nor can they get to the command line to do it from there.

 

I've edited my post above - although my main point was that login scripts don't run as admin.

 

plus even if they tried to change the time the dc's change it back anyway when gpo is refreshed.

[sted]

I have net time in my login scripts

 

what makes you think its failing on your machines?

 

Bear in mind it will hang enless you put net time /set /yes otherwise it will sit there asking you to say yes to updating the time.

 

But startup scripts using the script above will work.

 

making the script visible and adding a pause (and not turning scho off so i can see what its doing ) just says fail (or error message to that effect)

[glennda]

making the script visible and adding a pause (and not turning scho off so i can see what its doing ) just says fail (or error message to that effect)

 

I've just edited my post above - my staff are power users!

 

but my main point was about the login scripts running as the user not admin.

[Gibbo]

We have all our machines point to C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\SW.SCR in the registry.

 

If I want to change the screensaver I just use wake on lan to turn the machines on then run a simple batch file to copy a replacement to all machines.

[capncrunch]

Ok another question, I want to change the screensaver shown at the logon page. I have created a .reg file with the nessecary instructions, I have added that to the startup scripts. However when the computer boots it asks me do i want to add the information to the registry. How can I stop it from asking me if I want to change the registry and make it do it silently with out asking for user intervention?

[Steve21]

Ok another question, I want to change the screensaver shown at the logon page. I have created a .reg file with the nessecary instructions, I have added that to the startup scripts. However when the computer boots it asks me do i want to add the information to the registry. How can I stop it from asking me if I want to change the registry and make it do it silently with out asking for user intervention?

 

Try /s

 

e.g. regedit.exe /s regfile.reg

e.g. objShell.Run "regedit /s registry.reg"

or however you're running it

 

Steve

[capncrunch]

But where do i put the commands? in the .reg file i have set to run in GPO, or in the parameters box in the Startup script GPO?