Deploying SP4 via GPO.

[BoomStick]

I'm thinking of using update.msi to push out sp4 to my win2k boxes.

I have a few questions:

Does the gpo try to deploy to all win2k clients even if sp4 is alreay
installed?
Does anyone have any horror stories about using this method of depoloyment?
Would it be better suited to just update with a shutdown script?


Thanks,

Jared

 

[Brian Desmond [MVP]]

Jared-

You'd be better off using group policy as opposed to a shutdown script.

I've used GP deployments without any hiccups, but, you should obviously test
this before you try it.

--
--
Brian Desmond
Windows Server MVP
(e-mail address removed)12.il.us

Http://www.briandesmond.com

 

[Ken]

Seems to be an easier option that would yield greater
gains later--why not set up SUS, and let that handle it?
SUS can be configured thru a GPO. That's how we pushed
SP4 out to the 2k boxes here.

Just an idea, HTH

Ken

 

[BoomStick]

I don't really want to deploy the service pack to all machines. Will it
only do it to machines that are pre-sp3?

thanks,

Jared

 

[Philip Nunn]

To add a note about using SUS to push SP4 to W2K clients. There has been a
lot of message that users have posted saying deploying SP4 using SUS causes
constant reboots on the systems it was installed on. I ran into the same
issue having SUS deploy SP4 to my clients. On several occassions it made
the computers constantly reboot. I would think twice about depoly sp4 this
way unless the find and fix the problem. check out this newsgroup for the
info. "microsoft.public.softwareupdatesvcs"

Philip Nunn

 

[Brian Desmond [MVP]]

Jared-

I don't have a domain I can test this on, but, I believe it will only
install on machines which need it. I'd test this in a lab beforehand, if I
were you.

--
--
Brian Desmond
Windows Server MVP
(e-mail address removed)12.il.us

Http://www.briandesmond.com

 

[Andrew Mitchell]

To add a note about using SUS to push SP4 to W2K clients. There has been a
lot of message that users have posted saying deploying SP4 using SUS causes
constant reboots on the systems it was installed on. I ran into the same
issue having SUS deploy SP4 to my clients. On several occassions it made
the computers constantly reboot. I would think twice about depoly sp4 this
way unless the find and fix the problem. check out this newsgroup for the
info. "microsoft.public.softwareupdatesvcs"

I've had the same issue using a GPO to deploy SP4.

The other problem is that users think the machine is locked up when it sits
on the "Installing managed application - Windows 2000 Service Pack 4" screen
for 5-10 minutes at boot up and power-off the machine mid-install.
Service pack installations don't like to be powered off half way through :-(

Andy.