Re: Important information about XP SP2 .ADM Files

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From: Andrew Harris (AndrewHarris_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 08/10/04 

Date: Tue, 10 Aug 2004 02:41:01 -0700

Mark,

Are not the file in "C:\WINDOWS\ServicePackFiles\i386" after a SP2 install
the required files? Can these not be applied to your domain controllers and
all other machines used to set Group Policy?

Andrew

"Mark Williams [MSFT]" wrote:

> Hi Darren,
>
> Yes, I plan to have these updated by the end of this week. I'll post to this
> newsgroup when they are available.
>
> 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.
>
> "Darren Mar-Elia" <dmanonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:OyvSVTmfEHA.2896@TK2MSFTNGP11.phx.gbl...
> > 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.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >
>
>
>

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