Windows 8.1 GPO for Scheduled Startup Task
We use a program called Ninite to do updates of Java, Adobe, etc. We have a domain GPO scheduled to run a .cmd file at startup. this worked very smoothly on Win 7 Pro x32 and x64 We are completing a migration to Windows 8.1 and this startup is not working at all. I can still run it manually if logged in as a domain or local admin but it will not run via GPO (tired gpupdate, etc.). Our users cannot have local admin rights to the machine so please don't tell me to try that. This was working (and is still working) in the Win 7 and Server 2008 R2 domain but does not work at all in Windows 8.1 and Server 2012 R2 land.
ASKER
Scheduled task in the go is how we have it now
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ASKER
Sorry, the hassles of swype. I meant GPO
Ok, so the task trigger is really "at system startup"? That is a big difference to "at logon"
If so, what does the task history show you?
If so, what does the task history show you?
ASKER
The GPO establishes it as a scheduled task on the computer configuration with a timing of At Logon. I have tired setting that with a timing of At System Startup but that did not yield a change. The Events log does not show the GPO as failing and the GP modeling shows it running okay. Part of the process is to write a log file of activity so we know it is not running since there is not a log entry (coupled with the fact that the updates are not happening).
I asked for this: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc722006.aspx
ASKER
Interesting. The task does not appear in that listing at all. Would that be a permission issue of some kind?
No, it seems the task did not deploy at all. use the command
gpresult /h %temp%\results.html
at the client and afterwards check %temp%\results.html - does it appear in there?
gpresult /h %temp%\results.html
at the client and afterwards check %temp%\results.html - does it appear in there?
ASKER
It does not. A folder redirection GPO noted it need to be applied at log on but the scheduled task is not showing up.
I don't understand. Does the result page show the GPO with the task inside got applied or not?
ASKER
It does not show the task at all, either applied or not applied. Is there a way to call gpresult, to log through the restart process?
ASKER
Let me look at the GPO a bit more, this is odd as I just did the test on a Windows 7 machine and it runs. There has got to be something wrong with how we have this GPO setup or there is something different in how we are applying things in Windows 8. I know the batch file works when run manually under a local or domain admin login so it has to be the GPO itself.
GPResult tells you what GPO names did apply - did it apply? It seems not.
ASKER
You were correct in one of your earlier check points. A Restart did not trigger the updates, we had to do a full shutdown and then do the restart. We'll have to check on a few other things around this one as I like doing the fast boots for staff. I'll award full points as it was your suggestion around the startup that clued us in. I really like Windows 8 for the most part but I wish Microsoft did a bit better documentation on the GPO changes between 7 and 8.
Thanks for all of your help!
Thanks for all of your help!
ASKER
I really appreciated McKnife staying with the thread and not just tossing links and disappearing.
Win8 is over optimized for startup performance and sometimes startup scripts do not run because the network is not initialized in time.
Scheduled tasks have no problems, at least not for our network.
There are two policies to try, will tell you later, right now on the phone.