Available Group Policy Objects (GPOs)
Perhaps the most daunting task when working with GPOs is determining
what GPOs should be used and which ones are best left
alone. Generally speaking, GPOs should be created only when
there is a specific need that can be addressed by a GPO. This is to
say, the GPO should be driven by a company decision rather than
being implemented because it looks useful.
Some companies fall into the trap of flipping through every possible
GPO setting and deciding yes or no on each setting. This is a
bad idea and will generally cause more issues than it will fix. The
better approach is to ask yourself, "What have I always wished I
could set for a common group of computers?" and then see if you
can automate that setting with a GPO.
Existing GPOs That Work with Vista
Generally speaking, most GPOs that worked with Windows XP
will continue to work with Microsoft Vista. This is because
Microsoft wrote Vista to be backward compatible whenever possible.
Even with this in mind, it is still a good idea to thoroughly
test existing GPOs when first deploying Vista into the environment
to make sure the systems are still being conformed to your
existing standards. This is especially critical with GPOs that are in
place to enforce security settings or to point to update servers for
patches or definition files.
New Vista-Specific GPOs
For administrators wanting to familiarize themselves with all the new GPOs
available for Vista, Microsoft has posted a spreadsheet detailing the new
settings.
This spreadsheet includes
Filename containing the GPO
Scope (user versus machine)
Policy path (where to find it)
Policy setting name
Version of OS supported by the GPO
Explanation of the GPO
Reboot requirements (if any)
Logoff requirements (if any)
Schema or Domain requirements
With this information, administrators can more easily plan for future GPOs to
implement to conform new Vista systems to their corporate standards.
GROUP POLICY BASICS FOR WINDOWS VISTA
Home: Introduction
Tip 1: A basic primer on Microsoft Group Policy
Tip 2: How to configure GPOs
Tip 3: What's new with Vista Group Policy?
Tip 4: How to manage GPOs
Tip 5: Troubleshooting GPOs for Vista
Tip 6: Group Policy best practices
ADVANCED GROUP POLICY FOR WINDOWS VISTA
Home: Introduction
Tip 1: Which GPOs are available
Tip 2: Further understanding GPOs in Vista
Tip 3: Examples of useful GPOs in Vista
Tip 4: Moving policies between domains
Tip 5: Recommended practices with Vista Group Policy
