Re: Important information about XP SP2 .ADM Files

From: Darren Mar-Elia (dmanonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 08/09/04 

Date: Mon, 9 Aug 2004 16:01:59 -0700

Hey Mark-
Will the new SP2 ADMs be available as a separate download on the ADM
download site
(http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=92759D4B-7112-4B6C-AD4A-BBF3802A5C9B&displaylang=en)
soon? 

-- 
Darren Mar-Elia
MS-MVP-Windows Management
http://www.gpoguy.com
"Mark Williams [MSFT]" <markwill@online.microsoft.com> wrote in message 
news:%233iFY5jfEHA.596@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> As you know, Microsoft has recently announcement the pending availability 
> of Windows XP Service Pack 2. I won't describe the multitude of benefits 
> associated with this service pack, especially from a security perspective 
> (these are well documented here: 
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/sp2/default.mspx), but I do want to 
> bring your attention to an important issue related to Group Policy.
>
> Many of the central features in Windows XP Service Pack 2, such the 
> Windows Firewall and enhanced Internet Explorer functionality, can be 
> managed through Group Policy. In fact, my team has been heavily involved 
> with supporting the teams who have added the 600+ new policy settings 
> available in the XP SP2 versions of the .adm files. XP SPS2 is the most 
> policy-enabled operating system / service pack we have ever shipped. 
> Numerically, much of this increase in policy settings is attributable to 
> repeated "groups" of policy settings in IE (across the various IE zones) 
> but there is still a much richer set of policy settings that, we believe, 
> is a key factor improving the manageability of Windows XP through Group 
> Policy. By way of example, the new Windows Firewall (turned on by default 
> in XP SP2) has a broad range of policy settings to "custom fit" this 
> component to your specific needs - which ports and programs you allow, 
> management of remote administration and file/print services ports and so 
> on. All told, Group Policy represents the primary mechanism through which 
> you can manage the new features of XP SP2 in an Active Directory 
> environment.
>
> As well as highlighting these changes, I wanted to bring your attention to 
> an important issue around the use of the .ADM files we ship with XP SP2. 
> These files use syntax that has been available for some time but which has 
> exposed some issues with earlier versions of the Group Policy Object 
> Editor (GPEdit). In a nutshell, if you load the XP SP2 files from earlier 
> versions of GPEdit (across Windows 2000, XP or Windows Server 2003), 
> GPEdit will generate multiple "string too long" error messages.
>
> By default GPEdit compares the timestamps of the files stored in a GPO (in 
> Sysvol) with those on the administrative machine and, if the latter are 
> more recent, will upload the .ADM files to the GPO, in Sysvol. What this 
> means is that the act of viewing a GPO (no changes to the GPO are 
> necessary) will result in the new .ADM files being uploaded and, 
> eventually, used by other versions of GPEdit around your network that are 
> not yet running XP SP2. NOTE THAT THIS IS PURELY AN ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE - 
> this has no implications for the actual application of Group Policy to 
> machines or users.
>
> To this end we are making available a number of hotfixes that will resolve 
> this issue. The Windows 2000 fix is available today and we expect to be 
> the others (for Windows Server 2003 and XP SP1) to be available later this 
> week. Initially, the fixes will be available through Microsoft Product 
> Support Services (PSS) but in due course we plan to release these directly 
> to the Microsoft Download Center.
>
> Further details of this can be found in KB 842933 
> (http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=842933). We will be 
> updating this regularly as the fixes become available through PSS and, 
> subsequently, through the Download Center.
>
> Please let us know if you have any questions.
>
> Mark Williams
> Program Manager, Group Policy
> http://www.microsoft.com/technet/grouppolicy
>
> This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no 
> rights.
>
>

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Important information about XP SP2 .ADM Files
    ... Will the new SP2 ADMs be available as a separate download on the ADM ... > bring your attention to an important issue related to Group Policy. ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.group_policy)
  • RE: ADM Templates not updating
    ... Reset the system ADM: ... Please open Group Policy Editor on SBS ... Extend to Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.sbs)
  • Re: SP2 global propagation of Pop-up allowances
    ... I see the allow list now in one of the domains - tried messing with the adm ... > If you have used a Windows XP SP2 computer to administer the Group ... > Recommendations for managing Group Policy administrative ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • RE: GPO SP2 firewall
    ... > WinXP sp2 as you may know has a firewall enabled by default (though you ... > deploy sp2 w/o the firewall enabled) and a new Group Policy .ADM ... > before you can applies GPO settings. ... >> opening group policy to set the firewall setting for the domain but the gp ...
    (microsoft.public.windows.server.active_directory)
  • Re: batch und regs im Netz verteilen
    ... Deswegen gibt es ja ADM Templates und die Gruppenrichtlinien ... Das ist in der gleichen Policy ein optionaler Part. ... Registry per GPO mit GPP editieren, ... Mark Heitbrink - MVP Windows Server - Group Policy ...
    (microsoft.public.de.german.windows.server.networking)