Windows 7 GPO Settings incomplete and broken?!

Hi,

we finally finished our "upgrade" from Srv2k3 ADM template based AD to
Srv2008R2 ADMX template based AD (with schema upgrade). We noticed that many
settings are not present in the new templates anymore, eg. Computer
settings\Administrative templates\Windows components\Windows Movie Maker

We also noticed that a) the german translation is very bad or b) the new
schema or settings are very buggy. Take a look at the help for Computer
settings\Settings\Control panel\Energy settings - its stated that settings
in the computer settings section are applied to computers without loggedin
users and that these settings are overwritten by settings made in the user
settings. This is very great but doesnt work at all, neither for WinXP nor
for Win7!

We have set very low timeouts in the computer settings (eg. 1 min. timeout
for screensaver) but even with a loggedin user, these settings are still
active, not the settings we made for the user. I know, its the default GPO
behaviour that computer settings overwrite user settings but why does the
official windows help gives such a wrong adivce??

At least we also noticed that energy settings for windows XP (both schema
and settings) are NOT applied to the computer/user. The settings we made are
shown on the clients configuration tab but they are not active, eg. the
computer never hibernates.

Last Question: The information about to which Operating System the current
GPO settings applies are somehow unclear, at least the german translation.
Before we found these settings we thought "At least Win XP Prof SP2 or Win
Srv 2003 product family" means "Every OS above the specified" but now we
doubt that.

Take a look at Computer
settings\System\Internetcommunicationmanagement\In ternetcommunicationsettings\
- there are two settings with the same name: "Deactivate the application
for usability improvements". One is for "At least Windows Vista" (which
writes to HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SQMClient\Windows ) the second is
for "At least for Windows XP Professional with SP 2 or Windows Server 2003
productfamily" (which writes to
HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client) . You can find these
settings in the ICM.admx, search for CEIPEnable and
WinMSG_NoInstrumentation.
Settings which apply only for eg. WinXP are tagged with
SUPPORTED_WindowsXPOnly (see Windows.adml) which translates to "Nur Windows
XP Professional". Settings which apply for WinXP and above are tagged with
SUPPORTED_WindowsXP which translates to "Mindestens Windows XP Professional
oder Windows Server 2003-Produktfamilie".
Can we trust MS about tagging those settings correctly or should we check
each setting on our own? Its getting sick!

Thanks!

Hello Ben Humpert" ben[AT]an3k[DOT]de,

Did you use the migration tools for the .adm to .admx files? I heard that
there are some known problems. Also that you are using german language i
suggest to post to the Group policy forum instead this one.
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...niende/threads

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> Hi,
>
> we finally finished our "upgrade" from Srv2k3 ADM template based AD to
> Srv2008R2 ADMX template based AD (with schema upgrade). We noticed
> that many settings are not present in the new templates anymore, eg.
> Computer settings\Administrative templates\Windows components\Windows
> Movie Maker
>
> We also noticed that a) the german translation is very bad or b) the
> new schema or settings are very buggy. Take a look at the help for
> Computer settings\Settings\Control panel\Energy settings - its stated
> that settings in the computer settings section are applied to
> computers without loggedin users and that these settings are
> overwritten by settings made in the user settings. This is very great
> but doesnt work at all, neither for WinXP nor for Win7!
>
> We have set very low timeouts in the computer settings (eg. 1 min.
> timeout for screensaver) but even with a loggedin user, these settings
> are still active, not the settings we made for the user. I know, its
> the default GPO behaviour that computer settings overwrite user
> settings but why does the official windows help gives such a wrong
> adivce??
>
> At least we also noticed that energy settings for windows XP (both
> schema and settings) are NOT applied to the computer/user. The
> settings we made are shown on the clients configuration tab but they
> are not active, eg. the computer never hibernates.
>
> Last Question: The information about to which Operating System the
> current GPO settings applies are somehow unclear, at least the german
> translation. Before we found these settings we thought "At least Win
> XP Prof SP2 or Win Srv 2003 product family" means "Every OS above the
> specified" but now we doubt that.
>
> Take a look at Computer
> settings\System\Internetcommunicationmanagement\In ternetcommunications
> ettings\
> - there are two settings with the same name: "Deactivate the
> application
> for usability improvements". One is for "At least Windows Vista"
> (which
> writes to HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\SQMClient\Windows ) the
> second is
> for "At least for Windows XP Professional with SP 2 or Windows Server
> 2003
> productfamily" (which writes to
> HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Messenger\Client) . You can find these
> settings in the ICM.admx, search for CEIPEnable and
> WinMSG_NoInstrumentation.
> Settings which apply only for eg. WinXP are tagged with
> SUPPORTED_WindowsXPOnly (see Windows.adml) which translates to "Nur
> Windows
> XP Professional". Settings which apply for WinXP and above are tagged
> with
> SUPPORTED_WindowsXP which translates to "Mindestens Windows XP
> Professional
> oder Windows Server 2003-Produktfamilie".
> Can we trust MS about tagging those settings correctly or should we
> check
> each setting on our own? Its getting sick!
> Thanks!
>

"Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" <meiweb@(nospam)gmx.de> schrieb im Newsbeitrag
news: .com...
> Hello Ben Humpert" ben[AT]an3k[DOT]de,
>
> Did you use the migration tools for the .adm to .admx files? I heard that
> there are some known problems. Also that you are using german language i
> suggest to post to the Group policy forum instead this one.
> http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...niende/threads

Hi Meinolf,

thanks for your reply.

We didn't migrated the old ADM templates to ADMX files, we only use the
Windows 7 Professional supplied ADMX files and copied the root directory
(PolicyDefinitions) to \\PDC\SYSVOL\domain.name\Policies\
The local (Win7 Client) GPMC is using the ADMX files saved on the server.

Is there a MS place where updated admx files are available for download?
Especially the english ones - we all know its extremely hard for MS to
translate correctly into other languages.

Thanks, i'll try posting there. Hope no Windows Live account is required
since we don't like getting our private data shared with the whole world.

Hello Ben Humpert" ben[AT]an3k[DOT]de,

To use the Technet forums you have to logon with Windows Live ID. But information
you could always change to basic names like domain.com or user1, user2 etc.
As in a company network you normally use private ip ranges and not public
ones there is no risk as the private ip ranges can't be accessed from the
public site and nobody will ask for your public ones

Best regards

Meinolf Weber
Disclaimer: This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers
no rights.
** Please do NOT email, only reply to Newsgroups
** HELP us help YOU!!! http://www.blakjak.demon.co.uk/mul_crss.htm


> "Meinolf Weber [MVP-DS]" <meiweb@(nospam)gmx.de> schrieb im
> Newsbeitrag news: .com...
>
>> Hello Ben Humpert" ben[AT]an3k[DOT]de,
>>
>> Did you use the migration tools for the .adm to .admx files? I heard
>> that there are some known problems. Also that you are using german
>> language i suggest to post to the Group policy forum instead this
>> one.
>> http://social.technet.microsoft.com/...nrichtliniende
>> /threads
>>
> Hi Meinolf,
>
> thanks for your reply.
>
> We didn't migrated the old ADM templates to ADMX files, we only use
> the
> Windows 7 Professional supplied ADMX files and copied the root
> directory
> (PolicyDefinitions) to \\PDC\SYSVOL\domain.name\Policies\
> The local (Win7 Client) GPMC is using the ADMX files saved on the
> server.
> Is there a MS place where updated admx files are available for
> download? Especially the english ones - we all know its extremely hard
> for MS to translate correctly into other languages.
>
> Thanks, i'll try posting there. Hope no Windows Live account is
> required since we don't like getting our private data shared with the
> whole world.
>