Export GPO Settings?

[Kardon Coupé]

Dear All,

Without using the Group Policy Management console, is it possible to export
GPO's?

I've switched from a Windows2000 server to Windows 2003 Server, but as the
Windows 2000 server is appearing to be on its last legs, I can't use GPMC on
my XP machine, as it tells me my 2000 server is not around, but I can access
the server (AD and GPO, eg) from its own machine, and was wondering can I
export GPO's to use on my 2003 machine? I am aware that the GPO's are
assigned to the user with an ID, and the new user on the new server will a
different ID, so it may be difficult, but I was wondering if there is any
easy way, straight from the machine with 2000 on?

Regards
Paul.

 

[Florian Frommherz]

Howdie!

I've switched from a Windows2000 server to Windows 2003 Server, but as the
Windows 2000 server is appearing to be on its last legs, I can't use GPMC on
my XP machine, as it tells me my 2000 server is not around, but I can access
the server (AD and GPO, eg) from its own machine, and was wondering can I
export GPO's to use on my 2003 machine? I am aware that the GPO's are
assigned to the user with an ID, and the new user on the new server will a
different ID, so it may be difficult, but I was wondering if there is any
easy way, straight from the machine with 2000 on?

We're talking about a non-domain scenario, right? My understanding of
this all is, that you want to export the _local_ Group Policies from the
Windows 2000 machine to the Windows XP machine?

As these are local policies, you cannot use GPMC. GPMC is made for
administering Group Policy for domains. I don't know of an _official_
way to export the hole bunch of policies from one machine to another -
but I can tell you how you can (at least) copy the settings under
"Administrative Templates" to the Windows XP machine.

Go copy the two files called "registry.pol" from
%windir%\system32\GroupPolicy\Machine\ and
%windir%\system32\GroupPolicy\User

to the respective location on the Windows XP machine.

cheers,

Florian

 

[Kardon Coupé]

Florian,

First, thanks for come back to me so quick...

Sorry, I must have explained wrong (always the way, my brains knows what it
is saying, my fingers don't) I had a windows 2000 server, and I've gone up
to a windows 2003 server, but I can't export the GPO's on the 2000 machine,
as the GPMC doesn't work on that machine, but I would like the ability to
put the GPO's I had on that domain onto my new 2003 machine, with ease. The
GPO's are applied (or were, when it was running) as the user logs on..

Hope that makes a bit more sense..

Regards
Paul.

 

[Florian Frommherz]

Howdie Kardon!

Sorry, I must have explained wrong (always the way, my brains knows what it
is saying, my fingers don't) I had a windows 2000 server, and I've gone up
to a windows 2003 server, but I can't export the GPO's on the 2000 machine,
as the GPMC doesn't work on that machine, but I would like the ability to
put the GPO's I had on that domain onto my new 2003 machine, with ease. The
GPO's are applied (or were, when it was running) as the user logs on..

I still seem to not get your issue at this time. Are both the old
Windows 2000 server and the new Windows Server 2003 machine in the same
domain? Is the Windows Server 2003 only a member server? What shall
happen after the export of the policies? Retire the Windows 2000 machine
and promote the Windows Server 2003? What is your goal?

cheers,

Florian

 

[Kardon Coupé]

Florian,

I've completly replaced the 2000 machine with the 2003 machine, but still
have access to the 2000 machine, so I was going to export the gpos from the
2000 machine, and import them into the 2003 machine...

The 2003 machine is a complete new domain controller now, replacing the old
2000 box..

Regards
Paul

 

[Florian Frommherz]

Howdie Kardon!

I've completly replaced the 2000 machine with the 2003 machine, but still
have access to the 2000 machine, so I was going to export the gpos from the
2000 machine, and import them into the 2003 machine...

The 2003 machine is a complete new domain controller now, replacing the old
2000 box..

That is a bit of a pain. If you promoted the Windows Server 2003 to a
Domain Controller within the 2000's domain, everything would have been a
little easier.

Anyway, I see two option from now (you may of course wait for other
people to respond to your issue, maybe someone else has a better idea of
how to deal with it):

1.) Try to copy the folder structure in your sysvol folder and restore
it on the new server. You should try to restore the original OU/GPO
structure manually - but I don't think is will work well. (Test this in
a testdomain! I'd try this NOT in a productive environment unless you
made sure it worked before). I for one wouldn't count on this.

2.) Boot the Windows 2000 server again. Test-install a second server
with Windows Server 2003 installed - promote it and make it second
Domain Controller in the Windows 2000's domain. You can now install the
GPMC and backup the policies from there. Afterwards restore them on the
new live system.

What is the number of policies we're talking about? It would maybe be
less time-consuming and less headache-producing just creating the
policies from scratch.

P.S.: You should always think of having two domain controllers per
domain. That makes restoring and fallbacking much easier.

cheers,

Florian