5itface
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Is there a way to configure GPO to disable Widows Update even though the servers are not part of the domain?
I've disabled Windows update on alot of our servers that are not joined to the domain. However, sometime I find that the settings have reverted back. I don't know by who. So, it would be best to just lock it down via GPO. If this cannot be accomplished via GPO, what's the best way to lock down this setting for servers not in the domain? I do not want to go through every server and disable it.
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you want manually or a powershell script?
Here is a reference to the powershell GPO cmdlet
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee461027.aspx
Using MMC and accessing the systems remotely
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731745.aspx
when you add the snap-in, you will be prompted whether to use the local system or you can connect to a remote one. NOTE: the credentials with which you are logged in, have to have rights on the remote system. i.e. you are logged in as someuser with somepassword. This same username with the exact same password must exist on the other system with requisite rights, or you will get an access denied message.
Here is a reference to the powershell GPO cmdlet
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ee461027.aspx
Using MMC and accessing the systems remotely
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc731745.aspx
when you add the snap-in, you will be prompted whether to use the local system or you can connect to a remote one. NOTE: the credentials with which you are logged in, have to have rights on the remote system. i.e. you are logged in as someuser with somepassword. This same username with the exact same password must exist on the other system with requisite rights, or you will get an access denied message.
The simpler route (NOTE TEST IT FIRST)
On one of the computers, edit the policy using MMC group policy object editor
Then copy the data from c:\windows\system32\GroupP
Check whether this does what you are looking for. Some/Several GPO Settings are registry entries.
psexec is one way to have them imported.
MMC remoting into each system might be the simpler and doable right away.
On one of the computers, edit the policy using MMC group policy object editor
Then copy the data from c:\windows\system32\GroupP
Check whether this does what you are looking for. Some/Several GPO Settings are registry entries.
psexec is one way to have them imported.
MMC remoting into each system might be the simpler and doable right away.
The acronym GPO stands for group policy object. And as the name implies, it is an active directory object. You cannot use GPOs outside of AD, hence non-domain joined machines do not get GPOs.
Now windows ALSO has the concept of a local security policy. But as ITS name implies, it isn't a full group policy. It is inky a subset of the security settings, of which windows update is not a part.
So no, there is no good automated way to lock down WU settings in box. Even scripting and remote operations cannot guarantee effective state because the machines are not domain joined and therefore the access not guarantees. You are looking at domain joining or 3rd-party tools.
Now windows ALSO has the concept of a local security policy. But as ITS name implies, it isn't a full group policy. It is inky a subset of the security settings, of which windows update is not a part.
So no, there is no good automated way to lock down WU settings in box. Even scripting and remote operations cannot guarantee effective state because the machines are not domain joined and therefore the access not guarantees. You are looking at domain joining or 3rd-party tools.
Cliff,
windows update is configurable via the Local Group POlicy object editor in the same place where it exists computer configurations\administrat
Not sure whether your statement is based on versions prior to XP, but ........
windows update is configurable via the Local Group POlicy object editor in the same place where it exists computer configurations\administrat
Not sure whether your statement is based on versions prior to XP, but ........
Your problem is not how to disable windows update but how to manage servers that are not joined to a domain. You would like to deactivate the service and make sure it stays like this.
With the product intune, MS has provided control for non-domain-joined machines. But if you have a domain, why not use it, there is no drawback at all. So I would stop right here until you clarify why you don't join them.
But to give you a preview on options you have without a domain and without intune: you could establish a startup script on each machine that calls a centrally managed batch or whatever script, so you would only need to tune that single script.
But: once you would have to visit each machine, that's for sure.
With that script, you could use sc.exe for example to set the startup type of windows update to disabled.
With the product intune, MS has provided control for non-domain-joined machines. But if you have a domain, why not use it, there is no drawback at all. So I would stop right here until you clarify why you don't join them.
But to give you a preview on options you have without a domain and without intune: you could establish a startup script on each machine that calls a centrally managed batch or whatever script, so you would only need to tune that single script.
But: once you would have to visit each machine, that's for sure.
With that script, you could use sc.exe for example to set the startup type of windows update to disabled.
ASKER
Can you give me step-by-step instructions on how to accomplish this? Do you have any documentation you can provide?