Custom ADMX template with loopback processing

Good afternoon,

We are in the process of trying to standardize the profiles on our Server 2008/R2 boxes. We needed something that would work for existing and new servers, so default profile modification via sysprep is not an option. So we went to group policy, but some options are not available that we need to customize.

We created an ADMX / ADML file set to modify a registry key, for example:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\TaskbarSmallIcons
dword:00000001

Now, our user objects do not, and can not live in the OU where this policy is applied. So we enabled loopback processing in the policy, but this setting does not appear to be making it down to the machine.

Can ADMX templates be applied via loopback processing?

Thank you for any assistance.

omnipower321Asked: 2010-03-23

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LVL 33

NJComputerNetworksCommented: 2010-03-23

Run Group Policy Managment tool....Run Group Policy Results Wizard report against one of your test machines... this will show you is the policy setting is being applied.

3-23-2010-2-22-03-PM.png

omnipower321Author Commented: 2010-03-23

The policy is being applied, but the registry key remains unchanged, and the icons are still hidden.

omnipower321Author Commented: 2010-03-23

Here is an example of the ADMX file:

<policyDefinitions revision="1.0" schemaVersion="1.0">
<policyNamespaces>
<target prefix="fullarmor" namespace="FullArmor.Policies.F1C659F7_5E6C_4E54_8CD3_46630BFB1246" />
<using prefix="windows" namespace="Microsoft.Policies.Windows" />
</policyNamespaces>
<supersededAdm fileName="" />
<resources minRequiredRevision="1.0" />
<categories>
<category name="Custom" displayName="$(string.Custom)" />
</categories>
<policies>
<policy name="HKCU_Explorer_Hidden" class="User" displayName="$(string.HKCU_Explorer_Hidden)" key="HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced" valueName="Hidden">
<parentCategory ref="Custom" />
<supportedOn ref="windows:SUPPORTED_WindowsVista" />
<enabledValue />
<disabledValue />
</policy>
</policies>
</policyDefinitions>

And an example of the ADML file:
<policyDefinitionResources revision="1.0" schemaVersion="1.0">
<displayName>
</displayName>
<description>
</description>
<resources>
<stringTable>
<string id="Custom">Custom</string>
<string id="HKCU_Explorer_Hidden">Show hidden files</string>
</stringTable>
</resources>
</policyDefinitionResources>

Both were created by using FullArmor ADMX.

omnipower321Author Commented: 2010-03-24

Figured it out. My syntax was wrong in the ADMX file. I specified a full path including HKEY_CURRENT_USER when it is already implied through the class="User" property.

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