You can now download the RSAT toolkit for Windows Vista - go get the package right HERE (32-bit) or HERE (64-bit)...

Time to get Group Policy Preferences and all those other goodies up and running - cool stuff!

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When you have the Group Policy Preference (GPP) Client Side Extensions (CSE) downloaded you'll notice that they are not (yet) in the .MSI format - so using Group Policy Software Installation (GPSI) is not possible. Bummer, right!?

We have .EXE files for Windows XP/2003 and .MSU files for Windows Vista... But that's not the only thing we need to think about. Before "deploying" these things to the clients on the network we need to know the OS version (XP/2003/Vista), the OS architecture (32 or 64 bit), the Service Pack Level, and whether or not the Group Policy Preference Pre-requisites (WmlLite - http://support.microsoft.com/kb/914783/en-us) are installed.

To make all this pretty easy I've created a "demo" script for deploying the GPP CSEs using Startup Script - or a manual launch (in admin context). My good friend Jeremy Moskowitz asked me to do this - so, a couple of hours later the "demo" - or "beta" - script is public (download below)...

Note: I haven't been able to test in all scenarios yet, but I *think* they are all covered pretty well by now. Please report back if you find any problems - any feedback is welcome!

It’s exciting, fantastic, amazing, wonderful and totally cool - Microsoft has FINALLY announced what is going to happen with the PolicyMaker stuff they got when taking over DesktopStandards… It’s going to be released with Windows Server 2008 as many of us had hoped for!

This is just GREAT I can tell you - and it will available to the public with the RC1 release of Windows Server 2008, maybe even before as a separate Beta program I’m told…

Microsoft decided to call it “Group Policy Preferences” or just “GP Preferences”. So, what can we do with this you ask? Well, here’s some of it:

• Map network drives
• Set Environment variables
• Copy Files to clients
• Create and update INI files
• Modify registry settings on the clients (REG_SZ, REG_DWORD, REG_BINARY, REG_MULTI_SZ, and REG_EXPAND_SZ )
• Create Shortcuts (URL/File/Shell)
• Open Database Connectivity (ODBC)
• Control Devices
• Set Folder Options
• Define File Associations
• Tweak Internet Settings
• Handle Local Users and Groups (change passwords, add/remove from groups, disable users etc.)
• Set Network Options (like VPN or Dial-Up connections)
• Configure Power Options (Windows XP)
• Map Printers (even TCP/IP printers)
• Set Regional Options
• Create Scheduled Tasks
• Set properties on Services
• Tweak the Start Menu
• and so on….

As you can see, it’s quite impressive and something that will make companies around the world turn to Windows Server 2008 ASAP… I think and

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