Group Policy Preferences Problem

[AndyE45]

Win2k3 domain, using Win2K8 server to build policy.

I'm trying to create a custom preference policy for XP machines (CSE has been applied) to create and manage Power Schemes. I've also created scheduled tasks to trigger the updates to the schemes at the appropriate time. The scheduled tasks are no problem, they work just the way they're supposed to. The power schemes don't.

If I try and create them under the Computer node they never appear. If I log on as an admin the currently listed scheme will be updated, if I log on as a non-admin nothing happens.

If I create them under the User node they are created but only for non-admins (odd?). Also, the Item Level targeting doesn't work unless I turn on loopback processing.

I want this policy to apply to all computers in a given OU with the exception of the ones I filter out.

I've read a number of articles and postings on this, some suggest a hotfix might be forth coming but I've found no mention of it being available.

Has anybody tried this and got it to work?

 

[markdmac]

It is my understanding that power options will only be configured on Vista machines.

The department of energy has an add on for XP that requires some code be installed on the client side and then you can use GPO to set the power options.

http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=power_mgt.pr_power_mgt_ez_gpo

I hope you find this post helpful.

Regards,

Mark

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[AndyE45]

mark

Thanks for the info but since my original posting I've found out the way I have things set is the only way it will work --> set power scheme under the User node, enable loopback processing. I posted in a MS forum and a MS tech who monitors it answered back saying that this is a known problem. He said the power settings are held in user reg keys and won't work under hklm (without loopback turned on). So setting them under the Computer node was doomed from the start.

I also found that if you make a lot of significant changes the policy seems to get confused and will behave strangely. A reboot of the machine you're working with the policy on seems to help get it back on track.

GP Pref settings are supposed to work (and do work) on XP and 2003 machines as long the CSE (KB943729) is installed. The problem with all this that GP Prefs is flawed. Since my posting I created another policy that is supposed to change the password on Service credentials. It also failed, the same MS tech was able to reproduce my results and has reported it. (See my postings on all this at:

http://social.technet.microsoft.com.../thread/96a6d33f-c48d-4087-97d4-f66842a7a893)

The link you provided is for the EZ GPO utility which is a whole different animal. Maybe it would have been better than what MS provides.

It seems MS released this feature (which was not originally created by them) before they tested it thoroughly. I had high hopes for this, it would have provided a great way for managing a lot of things but it hasn't worked as advertised for us so far.