asked on

Group Policy not updating on a handfull of systems.

We have a Windows Server 2003 which is our Domain Controller (soon to be retired) and two Windows 2008 Global Catalogue Servers (One will become the new DC) and I have a strange problem with Group Policy not working on one on the GC servers and one client (could be more).

When I try to update group policy on the GC Server (Windows 2008 SP2 X64) I get the following error:

User policy could not be updated successfully. The following errors were encountered:

The processing of Group Policy failed. Windows attempted to read the file \\our-domain.com\SysV
ol\our-domain.com\Policies\{8AED0A6B-F288-4454-87B9-C2703B36B583}\gpt.ini from a domain controller and was not successful. Group Policy settings may not be applied until this event is resolved. This issue may be transient and could be caused by one or more of the following:
a) Name Resolution/Network Connectivity to the current domain controller.
b) File Replication Service Latency (a file created on another domain controller has not replicated
to the current domain controller).
c) The Distributed File System (DFS) client has been disabled.
Computer policy could not be updated successfully. The following errors were encountered:

The processing of Group Policy failed. Windows attempted to read the file \\our-domain.com\SysV
ol\our-domain.com\Policies\{8AED0A6B-F288-4454-87B9-C2703B36B583}\gpt.ini from a domain controller and was not successful. Group Policy settings may not be applied until this event is resolved. This issue may be transient and could be caused by one or more of the following:
a) Name Resolution/Network Connectivity to the current domain controller.
b) File Replication Service Latency (a file created on another domain controller has not replicated
to the current domain controller).
c) The Distributed File System (DFS) client has been disabled.

The object in question ({8AED0A6B-F288-4454-87B9-C2703B36B583}) does not appear in the Sysvol of the problematic GC server, but does on the DC and subsequent GC Server. I have also tried to update Group Policy on half a dozen or so other workstations (mixture of Windows 7 and XP) and they all update, so why wont this one Windows 7 X64 client and Windows 2008 X64 Global Catalogue Server update?

I have tried:

Checking DNS status on both, they appear to be resolving the correct info
Turning off Windows Firewall, makes no difference
Turning off AV software, no difference
Rebooting

Any ideas guys?

Draxonic

I saw this once on one of the networks I managed and it was:

b) File Replication Service Latency (a file created on another domain controller has not replicated
to the current domain controller).

The DC wasn't replicating properly, so it literally didn't have a copy of the GPO.

You should try running
repadmin /showreps
...on the DCs for the site(s) being affected and see if there are replication errors.

You can also run
dcdiag
dnsdiag
...to try and diagnose DC and DNS issues.

-Juddy-

ASKER

My results:

GCSERVER= The Global Catalogue Server with the issue
Our-Domain= Our domain name

repadmin /showreps
Default-First-Site-Name\GC Server Name
DSA Options: IS_GC
Site Options: (none)
DSA object GUID: 3390e65e-4cb6-45d5-a8cf-b75d33243119
DSA invocationID: 894f9174-4a98-46c6-ab79-8dfba4d56351

==== INBOUND NEIGHBORS ======================================

DC=domain-name,DC=com
Default-First-Site-Name\GCSERVER via RPC
DSA object GUID: 7219a531-40bc-445f-9c5d-16623f8c20d8
Last attempt @ 2011-03-29 10:56:23 was successful.
Default-First-Site-Name\DOMAIN-CONTROLLER via RPC
DSA object GUID: f124c682-ea5d-4191-919f-57239b6166d4
Last attempt @ 2011-03-29 10:56:57 was successful.

CN=Configuration,DC=our-domain,DC=com
Default-First-Site-Name\GCSERVER via RPC
DSA object GUID: 7219a531-40bc-445f-9c5d-16623f8c20d8
Last attempt @ 2011-03-29 10:50:07 was successful.
Default-First-Site-Name\DOMAIN-CONTROLLER via RPC
DSA object GUID: f124c682-ea5d-4191-919f-57239b6166d4
Last attempt @ 2011-03-29 10:50:07 was successful.

CN=Schema,CN=Configuration,DC=our-domain,DC=com
Default-First-Site-Name\GCSERVER via RPC
DSA object GUID: 7219a531-40bc-445f-9c5d-16623f8c20d8
Last attempt @ 2011-03-29 10:50:07 was successful.
Default-First-Site-Name\DOMAIN-CONTROLLER via RPC
DSA object GUID: f124c682-ea5d-4191-919f-57239b6166d4
Last attempt @ 2011-03-29 10:50:07 was successful.
DCDIAG
Directory Server Diagnosis
Performing initial setup:
Trying to find home server...
Home Server = GCSERVER
* Identified AD Forest.
Done gathering initial info.

Doing initial required tests

Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\GCSERVER
Starting test: Connectivity
......................... GCSERVER passed test Connectivity
Doing primary tests
Testing server: Default-First-Site-Name\GCSERVER
Starting test: Advertising
......................... GCSERVER passed test Advertising
Starting test: FrsEvent
......................... GCSERVER passed test FrsEvent
Starting test: DFSREvent
......................... GCSERVER passed test DFSREvent
Starting test: SysVolCheck
......................... GCSERVER passed test SysVolCheck
Starting test: KccEvent
......................... GCSERVER passed test KccEvent
Starting test: KnowsOfRoleHolders
......................... GCSERVER passed test KnowsOfRoleHolders
Starting test: MachineAccount
......................... GCSERVER passed test MachineAccount
Starting test: NCSecDesc
......................... GCSERVER passed test NCSecDesc
Starting test: NetLogons
......................... GCSERVER passed test NetLogons
Starting test: ObjectsReplicated
......................... GCSERVER passed test ObjectsReplicated
Starting test: Replications
......................... GCSERVER passed test Replications
Starting test: RidManager
......................... GCSERVER passed test RidManager
Starting test: Services
......................... GCSERVER passed test Services
Starting test: SystemLog
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:01:17
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:06:20
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:11:23
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:12:16
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:12:16
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:17:19
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:19:34
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:19:34
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:24:37
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:29:40
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:34:43
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:39:46
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:44:48
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:49:51
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:51:13
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:51:13
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
An Error Event occurred. EventID: 0x00000422
Time Generated: 03/29/2011 10:56:18
EvtFormatMessage failed, error 15100 Win32 Error 15100.
(Event String (event log = System) could not be retrieved, error 0x3afc)
......................... GCSERVER failed test SystemLog
Starting test: VerifyReferences
......................... GCSERVER passed test VerifyReferences

Running partition tests on : Schema
Starting test: CheckSDRefDom
......................... Schema passed test CheckSDRefDom
Starting test: CrossRefValidation
......................... Schema passed test CrossRefValidation

Running partition tests on : Configuration
Starting test: CheckSDRefDom
......................... Configuration passed test CheckSDRefDom
Starting test: CrossRefValidation
......................... Configuration passed test CrossRefValidation

Running partition tests on : our-domain
Starting test: CheckSDRefDom
......................... our-domain passed test CheckSDRefDom
Starting test: CrossRefValidation
......................... our-domain passed test CrossRefValidation

Running enterprise tests on : our-domain.com
Starting test: LocatorCheck
......................... our-domain.com passed test LocatorCheck
Starting test: Intersite
......................... our-domain.com passed test Intersite
DNSDIAG returns = 'dnsdiag' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

SOLUTION

Muzafar Momin

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ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION

-Juddy-

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-Juddy-

ASKER

This worked for me, thanks guys.