GPA - GP Answers - Group Policy

I wanted to give everyone using Win7 (build 7100 + RSAT) a little heads up. Now, to be fair, I didn't re-re-re-test all of this stuff I'm about to share.. but I'm pretty sure I've got it right (your mileage may vary.)

But, in short, here are a handful of CURRENT ISSUES and interesting points that I have found with regards to using Windows 7 as a management station with the latest RSAT installed.

These

Interesting Point #1:

If you've used "Regional Options", and you create a new item using an (older) WS08/Vista + RSAT, the regional item looks like this:

However, if you create the SAME ITEM TYPE from a Win7 + RSAT, you get this:

Honestly, I like the new item name a lot more. It's about the End User Default Locale.. so, nice change.

Bug #1:

Every single time I clicked on Regional Options' date tab, KAPOW ! An MMC Failure.

Bug #2:  Items aren't grayed out (like I think they should)

This includes Power Options (Windows XP), Regional Settings and Start Menu. True: The checkbox is uncheckable.. but.. holy moly.. That's confusing and not "UI standard" to anything else in Microsoft land.

3. Here's the big one.. it's about "Remove this item when it is no longer applied" which is located on the COMMON tab.

In the previous iteration of RSAT/GPPrefs,  many items were restricted to NOT PERMIT the "Remove this item when it is no longer applied" selection.

This makes sense, because the GPPrefs engine doesn't "know what to revert back to" -- it simply deletes.

</Shameless plug on>

Shameless plug: The PolicyPak engine (www.PolicyPak.com) DOES know how to revert settings back to something; we never leave you in a dangerous state; but I digress.

</Shameless plug off>

So, in many specific cases, the "Remove this item when it is no longer applied" is thoughtfully grayed out so I can clearly see it is not a viable option so I don't hurt myself.

In build 7100+RSAT, items that SHOULD be grayed out, are not. This includes Power Options (Windows XP), Regional Settings and Start Menu. Check it out for yourself: The checkbox is exposed, and is not grayed out.

True: The checkbox is uncheckable.. but.. holy moly.. That's confusing and not "UI standard" to anything else in Microsoft land. (What's wierd is that "Apply once and do not reapply" is perfectly grayed out in some items.)

Bug 2 (bigger.. way bigger..):

I'll go out on a limb here and just proclaim that this one just HAS to be a bug.).

Internet Explorer settings SHOULD act the same way. That is, all IE items should be "restricted" to prevent "Remove this item when it is no longer applied."

Since the GPPrefs engine will simply "delete" items when they are no longer applied, what will IE "do" when those registry values are suddenly DELETED ? Who knows. So, in previous iterations of GPPrefs, the option was grayed out.

Not anymore. In Win7 + RSAT beta build 7100 all IE settings pemit the "Remove this item when it is no longer applied." And it actually "WORKS".. that is.. it does indeed, REMOVE the items.. which is bad. Here's an example of the "bad thing you can now do" (at least in the beta.)

IE does seem to continue onward. But for what it's worth, I'm quite certain this is a mere happenstance, and not by design.

The last piece of this bug is that this is espeically troublesome / worrysome because I can set it in a GPO created by Win7+RSAT, but cannot UN-SET it in the same GPO when editing using WS08+RSAT.

And, what's wierd is that "Apply once and do not reapply" is perfectly grayed out in some items.

That's enough "geeking out" for today.

Talk soon!