When you have the Group Policy Preference (GPP) Client Side Extensions (CSE) downloaded you’ll notice that they are not (yet) in the .MSI format - so using Group Policy Software Installation (GPSI) is not possible. Bummer, right!?
We have .EXE files for Windows XP/2003 and .MSU files for Windows Vista… But that’s not the only thing we need to think about. Before "deploying" these things to the clients on the network we need to know the OS version (XP/2003/Vista), the OS architecture (32 or 64 bit), the Service Pack Level, and whether or not the Group Policy Preference Pre-requisites (WmlLite - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914783/en-us) are installed.
To make all this pretty easy I’ve created a "demo" script for deploying the GPP CSEs using Startup Script - or a manual launch (in admin context). My good friend Jeremy Moskowitz asked me to do this - so, a couple of hours later the "demo" - or "beta" - script is public (download below)…
Note: I haven’t been able to test in all scenarios yet, but I *think* they are all covered pretty well by now. Please report back if you find any problems - any feedback is welcome!
Download the VBS script right here!
NB! You might need other language version for the XmlLite GPP CSE Pre-requisites, so watch out!
Running the script in your production network is on your own risk. The code is delivered "As Is" - totally free of any charge. No strings attached.
I hope this works out nicely for you!
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Written by Jakob H. Heidelberg on February 29th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Client Side Extensions and Jeremy Moskowitz and Windows Vista and Windows XP and download and gp preferences and group policy and group policy extensions and group policy preferences and microsoft and scripting and windows server 2003.
Here we are - Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions are now available for download. This is a cool thing bringing lot’s of Group Policy Power to admins around the world!
The GPP CSEs are included in Windows Server 2008 RTM, but can now be downloaded for:
Windows XP SP2+ (32/64 bit)
Windows Server 2003 SP1+ (32/64 bit)
Windows Vista RTM+ (32/64 bit)
These are the links:
GPP CSEs for Windows Vista (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows Vista x64 Edition (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows Server 2003 (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows XP (KB943729)
GPP CSEs for Windows XP x64 Edition (KB943729)
To get Group Policy Preferences on your network all you need is a single Windows Server 2008 as a management station in you existing Windows Server 2003 AD (or 2008 AD of course). When RSAT (Remote Server Administration Tools) is out there - very soon! - a Windows Vista SP1 will be enough to get this cool functionality in your domain!
But remember, no GP Preferences (GPP) without the CSEs - so go ahead and download them now 
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Written by Jakob H. Heidelberg on February 26th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Client Side Extensions and GPO and download and group policies and group policy and group policy extensions and group policy preferences and microsoft.
Hi,
Just want to let you know that my latest article about "Group Policy related changes in Windows Server 2008" has been released today on www.windowsecurity.com.
This 4th article in the series deals with Group Policy Preference actions, processing options, SYSVOL, Item Level targeting (ILT), Export/Import functionality, "well hidden stuff", variables, logging, future additions etc. - read more here…
I hope you like it - feel free to drop a comment or vote on the site!!!
/Jakob
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Written by Jakob H. Heidelberg on February 20th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Windows Server 2008 and article and group policy and group policy extensions and group policy preferences and windowsecurity.com.
It’s exciting, fantastic, amazing, wonderful and totally cool - Microsoft has FINALLY announced what is going to happen with the PolicyMaker stuff they got when taking over DesktopStandards… It’s going to be released with Windows Server 2008 as many of us had hoped for!
This is just GREAT I can tell you - and it will available to the public with the RC1 release of Windows Server 2008, maybe even before as a separate Beta program I’m told…
Microsoft decided to call it “Group Policy Preferences” or just “GP Preferences”. So, what can we do with this you ask? Well, here’s some of it:
- Map network drives
- Set Environment variables
- Copy Files to clients
- Create and update INI files
- Modify registry settings on the clients (REG_SZ, REG_DWORD, REG_BINARY, REG_MULTI_SZ, and REG_EXPAND_SZ )
- Create Shortcuts (URL/File/Shell)
- Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
- Control Devices
- Set Folder Options
- Define File Associations
- Tweak Internet Settings
- Handle Local Users and Groups (change passwords, add/remove from groups, disable users etc.)
- Set Network Options (like VPN or Dial-Up connections)
- Configure Power Options (Windows XP)
- Map Printers (even TCP/IP printers)
- Set Regional Options
- Create Scheduled Tasks
- Set properties on Services
- Tweak the Start Menu
- and so on….
As you can see, it’s quite impressive and something that will make companies around the world turn to Windows Server 2008 ASAP… I think and hope anyway!
The client part, a necessary extension which must be installed on the client, will be ready for Windows XP/2003/Vista - and in both x86 and x64 editions. Windows Server 2008 already includes the CSE (Client Side Extension).
There’s SO much to tell, and SO little time… But, a Whitepaper is ready (a REALLY nice of the kind) thank you Microsoft!
Download the whitepaper here:
An Overview of Group Policy Preferences
Written by Jakob H. Heidelberg on November 13th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on DesktopStandards and Longhorn and PolicyMaker and Windows Server 2008 and gp preferences and group policies and group policy extensions and group policy preferences and microsoft and whitepaper.