Group Policy problem, help please

[Joel]

• Windows 2000 Domain Controller
  
• Windows 2000 and Windows XP clients
  

Up until the other day, my GPOs worked perfectly. Now my Default Domain Policy is the only one that will apply to the clients. I have deleted and recreated different Policies in other OUs and always get the same results. It looks like any Computer Configuration changes I make will not apply. In the Event Viewer, I get 2 errors.

Event Type:	Error
Event Source:	Userenv
Event Category:	None
Event ID:	1085
Date:  25/09/2003
Time:  1:27:43 PM
User:  NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer:	OMAR1
Description:
The Group Policy client-side extension Software Installation failed to execute. Please look for any errors reported earlier by that extension.

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

and

Event Type:	Error
Event Source:	Application Management
Event Category:	None
Event ID:	108
Date:  25/09/2003
Time:  1:27:43 PM
User:  NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM
Computer:	OMAR1
Description:
Failed to apply changes to software installation settings.  Software changes could not be applied.  A previous log entry with details should exist.  The error was : %%2147746153

For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/events.asp.

I cannot find anything that helps me, and I have looked through 8 different KB articles, all of which tell me nothing in English.

Can anyone help?

[+primortal Subscriber²]

googled and found this

http://www.experts-exchange.com/Operating_...Q_20687766.html

[Joel]

I wish it was that one, saw it yesterday.

Using Group Policy Management Console, I ran a query and got this error for Software Installation:

Software Installation failed due to the error listed below.

There is no software installation data object in the Active Directory. 

Additional information may have been logged. Review the Policy Events tab in the console or the application event log for events between 25/09/2003 2:06:09 PM and 25/09/2003 2:06:09 PM.

[Joel]

Where are you sysadmins? :(

[Joel]

For any interested party, the resolution to this problem was to disable the Computer Configuration in the Default Domain Policy. My server is running SP3, so I applied SP4 and the server will reboot tonight. I will only see if this gets resolved in the SP. I had this problem when it was at SP2 tohugh, so I'm not holding my breath. Does anyone have any other solutions from experience (or searching better than I did :p )?

[Joe User 99]

I had the same problem before. The fix I was told was to take a backup of a healthy default domain policy using GPMC and import it into your domain. I didn't bother since I was upgrading to 2003. The upgrade fixed whatever was causing it.

[Joel]

Interesting solution, I may do that.

[red8Rain]

nevermind, I just re-read your posting.

Try this:

To prevent this issue from occurring, you should click to select the Uninstall the applications when they fall out of the scope of management check box when you initially deploy (assign or publish the package) the group policy. This option stores the uninstall information in the user profile when the user installs the program. When the GPO is no longer applicable, the program is uninstalled.

If you do choose the Uninstall the applications when they fall out of the scope of management option on the GPO, all programs are removed. Also, if you do not choose this option when you initially create a policy to install or publish programs, you need to create and apply a policy to remove programs. Even if the policy is set to uninstall the programs, certain users and/or computers may not have the policy applied and may still have the programs available to them.

NOTE: The Uninstall the applications when they fall out of the scope of management check box is not selected by default.

To apply this option during initial deployment:

Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.

Right-click the domain, and then click Properties.

On the Group Policy tab, click the default domain policy, and then click Edit. This starts Group Policy Editor with the Default Domain policy.

Expand User Configuration, and then click software settings.

Right-click Software Installation, and then click Properties.

On the General tab, click to select the Uninstall the applications when they fall out of the scope of management check box.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?...Product=win2000

Edited October 3, 2003 by IPv6