Software Installation not working in Group Policy

[Jim]

Not able add new programs to client machines using
Software Installation and Group Policy.

Created a OU. Added a user to the OU. Created a Group
Policy, ran computer configuration and added a package.
Did the same with user configuration.

Used utility: gpupdate /force(did not prompt for reboot),
secedit/refreshpolicy machine_policy to update group
files. Rebooted machine. Used same username that is in
the OU related to the Group Policy.

None of this has worked. Client for Windows is installed
on client machines. Client for Netware is also on
machines.

Windows 2000 is running in mixed mode - does this have
any effect on Group Policy?

Why is software installation not working?

 

[Uncle Stewie]

Jim...

To make any policy work two criterion MUST be met...
1) The object to which the policy applies must be subordinate (fall within)
the context of the OU to where you place the policy... In other words you
must place the User or Computer beneath the OU where you place the policy.
2) The Policy Security must apply to some security group to which the object
belongs... By default this is Authenticated Users (Which is a fancy name for
all Computer and User objects)...

In your case you may want to create a Global Security Group like
"GRP_Software_Visio"... Then set the Policy Security to this group and give
it the "Read", and "Apply Group Policy" settings... Then remove
"Authenticated Users"... After this place the users or computers that you
want the software applied to into this group... In addition, make sure that
you notice in the Policy itself that there is a "Software Settings...
Software Installtions" Item for Both "Computer Configuration" and "User
Configuration"... Make sure you have added the MSI into the appropriate
one... If you are distributing to users... do NOT add the software under
"Computer Configuration"... but under "User Configuration"... and vis-versa!

If these elements are met and your software is not being distributed... It
is because there is a problem with the MSI or the Installation of Same...
Look at your Application Event Log for Details... it normally tells you why
the installation fails... Try GPRESULT at a command prompt... This may help
as well...

Good Luck!

 

[Jim]

Software Installation still not working.

Created an OU, then created a group policy in the OU, and
added a user package to the group policy. Then created a
Global Security Group and added users. In group policy,
added the the GS(Comply with rules 1 and 2 below).

Gpresult output/User Settings:
Applied Group Policy Groups: N/A
GPO's not applied because they were filtered: Not Applied
Connnected over slow link: Yes
Group Policy slow link threshold: 500 kbps

The client is seeing no applied group and no filtered
groups. Also, there is a slow link.

Why are no groups listed?

-----Original Message-----
Jim...

To make any policy work two criterion MUST be met...
1) The object to which the policy applies must be subordinate (fall within)
the context of the OU to where you place the policy... In other words you
must place the User or Computer beneath the OU where you place the policy.
2) The Policy Security must apply to some security group to which the object
belongs... By default this is Authenticated Users (Which is a fancy name for
all Computer and User objects)...

In your case you may want to create a Global Security Group like
"GRP_Software_Visio"... Then set the Policy Security to this group and give
it the "Read", and "Apply Group Policy" settings... Then remove
"Authenticated Users"... After this place the users or computers that you
want the software applied to into this group... In addition, make sure that
you notice in the Policy itself that there is a "Software Settings...
Software Installtions" Item for Both "Computer Configuration" and "User
Configuration"... Make sure you have added the MSI into the appropriate
one... If you are distributing to users... do NOT add the software under
"Computer Configuration"... but under "User

Configuration"... and vis-versa!

 

[Uncle Stewie]

Jim what kind of a connection exists between the client and the Server?

 

[Uncle Stewie]

Jim...

Check this out... I found this and it looks pretty good...
http://www.myitforum.com/inc/upload...ve Directory and Special Operations Suite.pdf

The problem that I have is the slow link detection... If you are below a
specific level software will not even attempt to install...

This has to be what is happening to you... have you tried any other software
packages... smaller in size... AdminPack.MSI is a good one to test with...
it is small and available on the Windows server CD...

let me know!

 

[Jim]

Connection: from ethernet card at 10M, to 5 port hub, to
CAT5 ethernet cable, to 10M hub, to 10/100M switch ,to
100M Ethernet card in Windows 2000 Server.

Other network info:
The network is split between Netware 5.1 and Windows 2000.
There are two sets of usernames and passwords: one set
for Netware and one for Windows 2000(the usernames and
passwords are the same).

The original use of Windows 2000 was for email via
Exchange and Client for Microsoft Networks. The admin
duplicated the usernames/passwords used in Netware into
Windows 2000 Active Directory.

 

[Uncle Stewie]

Jim,

Another thought... When editing the Software Installation Package in the
policy... are you actually typeing in the UNC path to the software MSI in
questions... You MUST have a server with a share that is available to all
the machines that will receive this policy... like
\\SoftServ1\Packages\AdminPack\AdminPack.msi . If you do not have this the
network computer that receives the software package will look in the path
you browsed to... like if the package was on a D: drive on the server or
something... it would be D:\Temp\Software\AdminPak.msi... In this case the
local network computer would look at it's own D:\ drive... not the server...
it has no idea how to get there...

 

[Jim]

Uncle Stewie,

Entered paths for files in UNC convension with the Group
Policy, ie... \\server\sysvol\setup.msi, when adding
package.

Was also able to browse to \\server\sysvol\setup.msi from
client machine.

I don't understand why the Group Policy Slow Link
Threshold is still 500kbps. This value was changed to
100kbps in all of the Group Polices that existed on the
server, but it still shows up as 500kbps in
the 'gpresult' output. Why? Where is this value set?
In the Group Policy under the

Also, no Group Policies show up at all - filtered or
applied groups.

Thanks for the help.

browse to the folder from the

-----Original Message-----
Jim,

Another thought... When editing the Software Installation Package in the
policy... are you actually typeing in the UNC path to the software MSI in
questions... You MUST have a server with a share that is available to all
the machines that will receive this policy... like
\\SoftServ1\Packages\AdminPack\AdminPack.msi . If you do not have this the
network computer that receives the software package will look in the path
you browsed to... like if the package was on a D: drive on the server or
something... it would be

D:\Temp\Software\AdminPak.msi... In this case the

 

[Uncle Stewie]

Jim,

I am mostly concerned with the output "Slow Link Detected": Yes...
This is the reason I asked about your environment... Check out this link:
http://www.tburke.net/info/regentry/topics/224.htm

Let me know how it goes... You can also go direct (e-mail address removed)

Good Luck

 

[Guest]

Uncle Stewie,

Changed the settings for "Slow Link Detected" to 0(any
speed). Also connected client computer directly to
100M/sec switch that the Windows 2000 domain server is
connected to - so connectivity should be fast.

Response from 'gpresult':

OS Type: Microsoft Windows XP
OS Config: Member Workstation
OS Version: 5.1.2600
Domain Name: WINHEALTH
Domain Type: Windows 2000
Site Name: Default-First-Site-Name
Roaming Profile:
Local Profile: c:\documents and settings\jim

User Settings:
Last GP applied: 3/4/04
Group Policy applied from: N/A
Group Policy slow link threshold: 500 kbps
Applied Group Policy Objects: N/A
Filtered, not applied: Not Applied, empty
User is part of security groups: None, Everyone, Debugger
User, OLAP Admins, Builtin\Admins, Builtin\Users, Local,
NT Authority\Interactive, NT Authority\Authenticated Users

The client is interfacing with the Windows 2000 server,
but is not getting the proper group access.

One of the security groups listed is the 'NT
Authority\Authenticated Users' group. This means I'm
being logged in to NT?(computer was in mixed mode)

I'm wondering if there is a configuration issue that is
causing some Authentication issues, ie... the slow link
threshold inaccuracy and no group policy objects.

Thanks,
Jim