GPOs not applying to all users

[JMB]

Okay, wit's end now. I've tried everything I can think of, though I make no pretense of being an expert. I logged a call with ScoMIS about this a week ago and haven't heard back. So, if anyone here can help, please do! Basic setup - Server 2008 R2, a series of XP desktops. In AD, users are divided into staff, students and a couple of special department groups who needed their own desktop shortcuts. Nothing fancy, nothing unusual. Around this time of year staff print a lot of docs to go home to parents, and they're duplex. Since it's a faff expecting staff to change the duplex setting on the printer each time they want to print that way, I re-added the printer a second time but with the duplex settings already configured. Added the printer via Printer Management, set up a GPO, assigned it to Managed Computers as per all the info I could find online. Didn't work. So, I assigned it to all staff. Didn't work. So, I amended our existing GPO for printers, added it to that, replaced the linked GPO for staff. That worked! For ONE user. This user is a test staff account (a staff account, basically, but one without a password so I can log into it quickly to check things). For this account, this new printer appears. If I log into a different PC with the same account, printer appears. Use any other account on the same PCs, no printer. I can add the printer using \\server\ and then select it from the list, which is easy enough to do. But why does this GP only work for this one account? I've checked AD, the settings for this user account are the same as every other. They're in the same group, everything. Similarly, there's a GP that allows internet access (adds the proxy details, etc.). Works for everyone - except my test user, who has no internet access. I just can't figure it out. Is it something obvious I'm missing?! Are there obvious things I can be trying to troubleshoot this? Grateful for any help/strong drinks.

[soveryapt]

I found that you have to assign targets to get things to work specifically, so in the GP Print Preferences, add your printer in, then on the "Common" tab, check "Item Level Targetting" then choose the user groups / computer groups you want to have access (even if it's Domain Users and Domain Computers to get all of them) that way it seems to deploy in a more stable fashion.

[JMB]

Thanks Andy, I've set that up and I'll see how I get on...fingers crossed!

[soveryapt]

Thanks Andy, I've set that up and I'll see how I get on...fingers crossed!

 

Aye, let me know as I'd be interested to know if it was just a fluke or an actual fix I stumbled across!

[JMB]

Didn't work, unfortunately, and I've now discovered that we can't PXE boot either suddenly.

[soveryapt]

Didn't work, unfortunately, and I've now discovered that we can't PXE boot either suddenly.

 

Hmmm .. Ah well .. worth a shot ..

 

Sounds like you might have slightly more problems than initially thought though .. I take it your DHCP Server / DNS / etc / etc are all working correctly?

[JMB]

As far as I can tell, though as I said, I'm no expert. What I can't understand is why the server is suddenly not mapping network drives or establishing printers for people. It worked fine when we had it installed. I don't see how things like this can suddenly stop working for some users and not others! Suffice to say I've logged ANOTHER call with ScoMIS about it, although as it's now day four since my first helpdesk call and no response, I might just turn the server off and go and hide somewhere.

[JMB]

This is the error I get when trying to PXE boot, for reference:

 

Booting from filename "boot\x86\wdsnbp.com"

tttp://SERVER/boot%5Cx86%5cwdsnbp.com

connection timed out (0x4c126035)

Could not boot from "boot\x86\wdsnbp.com"

Connection timed out

 

This was working fine 2 weeks ago, and I've done nothing to any aspect of that part of the setup as frankly I wouldn't know where to look!

[JMB]

Sorted!

 

Download: Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows XP (KB943729) - Microsoft Download Center - Download Details

[CyberDrac]

Is the PXE booting issue everywhere or localised, we discovered that PXE booting doesn't work over ports where tree spanning was enabled because the PXE boot timed out before the tree spanning sorted itself out, only a matter of seconds. but just long enough. We ensured that it was only enabled on the ports where it was necessary (where the redundant links were connected) and all was well with the world again

[JMB]

I don't see why it would have been working for 5 months and then suddenly stop, that's what troubles me. But no, ScoMIS said to reboot the server, which I've done, and I've restarted the WDS service. Still nothing, still timing out. I've no idea how to alter the time out period though.