Re: Options for upgrading 100 desktops to IE6?

From: Gerry Hickman (gerry1uk_at_netscape.net)
Date: 02/23/05 

Date: Wed, 23 Feb 2005 13:19:16 -0000

Hi Philip,

I've just run into a problem with IEAK. I only noticed it because of NOT
applying a user group policy while testing the initial build.

I installed my build to a laptop, logged on as a local user - everything
looked fine, I then logged on as a domain user and IEAK branding over-wrote
the settings in the roaming user's HKCU. After logging the user back onto
his own machine, the settings were carried across!

In other words, the IEAK over-wrote the HKCU of the roaming user, meaning
their settings were WRONG when they logged back onto their own computer.

The problem stems from the way IEAK "branding" works. This was a pre-GPO
technology and I believe it basically "re-brands" internet Explorer EVERY
time a new user loggs on. This is not ideal, and certainly not what you want
when using a different technology such as group policy to manage the
settings. The branding consists of a file called install.ins that gets
copied to IE's folder in \program files\ . I believe this file is being
processed every time a new user loggs on. There's a log file you can look at
in the user's profile \Application Data\Microsoft\Internet
Explorer\brndlog.txt. If you check this file after a user logs on, you can
see if branding was applied.

I'm not sure of the correct way to deal with this.

Of course, if GPOs are applied to all users, you'd never know any of this
was happening, but I'd prefer to find a clean way of doing this, otherwise
it means settings are constantly fighting with each other and being
over-written. 

-- 
Gerry Hickman
SSRU SysAdmin
"Philip Herlihy" <foof8501@herlihy.eu.veil.com> wrote in message
news:cvhho1$fau$1@sparta.btinternet.com...
> Thanks - will study carefully.
>
> -- 
> ####################
> ##  PH, London
> ####################
> "Gerry Hickman" <gerry666uk@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:%23ooTaPSGFHA.3368@TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> > Philip Herlihy wrote:
> >
> >> Just what I needed - thanks!  I've identified the Internet Explorer
> >> Administration Kit (which I've never used)
> >
> > and which is now seriously deprecated by Micorosoft.
> >
> >> and Group Policies (which I dabbled with once, ages ago).  I'll study
> >> these in depth.
> >
> > Are we talking using "Advertising" here??
> >
> >> Of course, there are usually six different ways of doing anything - are
> >> there any alternatives I should consider before burning my bridges?
> >
> > Yes.
> >
> > Be sure to understand the terminology of the IEAK. Specifically the
> > difference between the "customization wizard" and "profile wizard" (or
> > what ever it's called), further be very careful not to confuse the
> > settings in IEAK wtih those of group policy.
> >
> > IEAK was around long before group policy and was designed to work
without
> > AD or GPOs. It has the ability to push config settings using an
> > "AutoConfig" script. However, if you're going to use group policy, you
> > must NOT try to use AutoConfig.
> >
> > If you're going to use GPOs, here's the basic rules:
> >
> > 1. Use customization wizard to build a "flat" browser to a UNC path. Do
> > not import an INS file, and make sure AVS is ticked. The previous
sentence
> > relates to the "Advanced" button of the first page of the wizard. Choose
> > the "hands-free" or "silent" option. Do _not_ try to press the "updates"
> > button at the AVS screen. Feel free to choose settings in the wizard,
> > except those at the end where it says "policies and restrictions". Do
not
> > try to include patches either. It will now build IE6SP1 to the target
> > folder.
> >
> > 2. Install the browser to a test machine (not the one you use to build
> > it). Test the browser on that machine without group policy, test it with
a
> > roaming user, then a local user, then back again - is the roaming HKCU
> > still in-tact? Apply a test GPO with desired settings to a test user and
> > test that user on that machine, then do lots more testing. Disable the
> > policy - what happens now? All ok?
> >
> > 3. Roll it out to the other machines and decide how and when any new
group
> > policy should be applied. You'll probably only be sending user settings
> > here.
> >
> > In the case of (3), I've never used the MSI and "Advertising" thing so
> > can't comment on that. I tend to run the CMD from the UNC.
> >
> > -- 
> > Gerry Hickman (London UK)
>
>
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