Chapter 23. System and Account Policies

This chapter summarises the current state of knowledge derived from personal practice and knowledge from samba mailing list subscribers. Before reproduction of posted information effort has been made to validate the information provided. Where additional information was uncovered through this validation it is provided also. -

Features and Benefits

When MS Windows NT3.5 was introduced the hot new topic was the ability to implement Group Policies for users and group. Then along came MS Windows NT4 and a few sites started to adopt this capability. How do we know that? By way of the number of "booboos" @@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ the deployment in many sites. This chapter reviews techniques and methods that c be used to exploit opportunities for automation of control over user desktops and network client workstations.

-A tool new to Samba-3 may become an important part of the future Samba Administrators' +A tool new to Samba may become an important part of the future Samba Administrators' arsenal. The editreg tool is described in this document. -

Creating and Managing System Policies

Under MS Windows platforms, particularly those following the release of MS Windows NT4 and MS Windows 95) it is possible to create a type of file that would be placed in the NETLOGON share of a domain controller. As the client logs onto the network @@ -54,13 +54,13 @@ be a step forward, but improved functionality comes at a great price. Before embarking on the configuration of network and system policies it is highly advisable to read the documentation available from Microsoft's web site regarding -Implementing Profiles and Policies in Windows NT 4.0 from http://www.microsoft.com/ntserver/management/deployment/planguide/prof_policies.asp available from Microsoft. +Implementing Profiles and Policies in Windows NT 4.0 available from Microsoft. There are a large number of documents in addition to this old one that should also be read and understood. Try searching on the Microsoft web site for "Group Policies".

What follows is a very brief discussion with some helpful notes. The information provided here is incomplete - you are warned. -

Windows 9x/Me Policies

You need the Win98 Group Policy Editor to set Group Profiles up under Windows 9x/Me. It can be found on the Original full product Win98 installation CD under tools/reskit/netadmin/poledit. Install this using the @@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ here is incomplete - you are warned. grouppol.inf. Log off and on again a couple of times and see if Win98 picks up group policies. Unfortunately this needs to be done on every Win9x/Me machine that uses group policies. -

Windows NT4 Style Policy Files

To create or edit ntconfig.pol you must use the NT Server Policy Editor, poledit.exe which is included with NT4 Server but not NT Workstation. There is a Policy Editor on a NT4 @@ -107,14 +107,14 @@ here is incomplete - you are warned. be extracted as well. It is also possible to downloaded the policy template files for Office97 and get a copy of the policy editor. Another possible location is with the Zero Administration Kit available for download from Microsoft. -

Registry Spoiling

With NT4 style registry based policy changes, a large number of settings are not automatically reversed as the user logs off. Since the settings that were in the NTConfig.POL file were applied to the client machine registry and that apply to the hive key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE are permanent until explicitly reversed. This is known as tattooing. It can have serious consequences down-stream and the administrator must be extremely careful not to lock out the ability to manage the machine at a later date. -

MS Windows 200x / XP Professional Policies

Windows NT4 System policies allows setting of registry parameters specific to users, groups and computers (client workstations) that are members of the NT4 style domain. Such policy file will work with MS Windows 2000 / XP clients also. @@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ here is incomplete - you are warned. to any number of concurrently applicable (and applied) policy sets (GPOs). Active Directory allows the administrator to also set filters over the policy settings. No such equivalent capability exists with NT4 style policy files. -

Administration of Win2K / XP Policies

Instead of using the tool called The System Policy Editor, commonly called Poledit (from the executable name poledit.exe), GPOs are created and managed using a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in as follows:

@@ -177,10 +177,10 @@ here is incomplete - you are warned. The MS Windows 2000 Resource Kit contains a tool called gpolmig.exe. This tool can be used to migrate an NT4 NTConfig.POL file into a Windows 200x style GPO. Be VERY careful how you use this powerful tool. Please refer to the resource kit manuals for specific usage information. -

Managing Account/User Policies

Policies can define a specific user's settings or the settings for a group of users. The resulting policy file contains the registry settings for all users, groups, and computers that will be using -the policy file. Separate policy files for each user, group, or computer are not not necessary. +the policy file. Separate policy files for each user, group, or computer are not necessary.

If you create a policy that will be automatically downloaded from validating domain controllers, you should name the file NTconfig.POL. As system administrator, you have the option of renaming the @@ -203,20 +203,27 @@ in a manner that works in conjunction with user profiles, the user management en MS Windows NT4/200x/XP allows per domain as well as per user account restrictions to be applied. Common restrictions that are frequently used includes:

Logon Hours

Password Aging

Permitted Logon from certain machines only

Account type (Local or Global)

User Rights

Samba Editreg Toolset

- Describe in detail the benefits of editreg and how to use it. -

Windows NT4/200x

Logon Hours
Password Aging
Permitted Logon from certain machines only
Account type (Local or Global)
User Rights

Samba Editreg Toolset

+ A new tool called editreg is under development. This tool can be used + to edit registry files (called NTUser.DAT) that are stored in user and group profiles. + NTConfig.POL files have the same structure as the NTUser.DAT file and can be editted using + this tool. editreg is being built with the intent to enable NTConfig.POL + files to be saved in text format and to permit the building of new NTConfig.POL files with + extended capabilities. It is proving difficult to realise this capability, so do not be surprised + if this feature does not materialise. Formal capabilities will be announced at the time that + this tool is released for production use. +

Windows NT4/200x

The tools that may be used to configure these types of controls from the MS Windows environment are: The NT4 User Manager for domains, the NT4 System and Group Policy Editor, the registry editor (regedt32.exe). Under MS Windows 200x/XP this is done using the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) with appropriate "snap-ins", the registry editor, and potentially also the NT4 System and Group Policy Editor. -

Samba PDC

With a Samba Domain Controller, the new tools for managing of user account and policy information includes: smbpasswd, pdbedit, net, rpcclient. The administrator should read the man pages for these tools and become familiar with their use. -

System Startup and Logon Processing Overview

The following attempts to document the order of processing of system and user policies following a system reboot and as part of the user logon:

@@ -225,7 +232,7 @@ reboot and as part of the user logon:
Where Active Directory is involved, an ordered list of Group Policy Objects (GPOs) is downloaded and applied. The list may include GPOs that: -
Apply to the location of machines in a Directory
Apply only when settings have changed
Depend on configuration of scope of applicability: local, site, domain, organizational unit, etc.
+
- Apply to the location of machines in a Directory
- Apply only when settings have changed
- Depend on configuration of scope of applicability: local, site, domain, organizational unit, etc.
No desktop user interface is presented until the above have been processed.
Execution of start-up scripts (hidden and synchronous by default). @@ -236,7 +243,7 @@ reboot and as part of the user logon:

An ordered list of User GPOs is obtained. The list contents depends on what is configured in respect of: -

Is user a domain member, thus subject to particular policies

Loopback enablement, and the state of the loopback policy (Merge or Replace)

Location of the Active Directory itself

Has the list of GPOs changed. No processing is needed if not changed.

Is user a domain member, thus subject to particular policies
Loopback enablement, and the state of the loopback policy (Merge or Replace)
Location of the Active Directory itself
Has the list of GPOs changed. No processing is needed if not changed.

User Policies are applied from Active Directory. Note: There are several types.
@@ -246,15 +253,15 @@ reboot and as part of the user logon:
The User Interface as determined from the GPOs is presented. Note: In a Samba domain (like and NT4 Domain) machine (system) policies are applied at start-up, User policies are applied at logon. -

Common Errors

Policy related problems can be very difficult to diagnose and even more difficult to rectify. The following collection demonstrates only basic issues. -

Policy Does Not Work

-Question: We have created the config.pol file and put it in the NETLOGON share. +

Policy Does Not Work

+ “We have created the config.pol file and put it in the NETLOGON share. It has made no difference to our Win XP Pro machines, they just don't see it. IT worked fine with Win 98 but does not -work any longer since we upgraded to Win XP Pro. Any hints? +work any longer since we upgraded to Win XP Pro. Any hints?”

-ANSWER: Policy files are NOT portable between Windows 9x / Me and MS Windows NT4 / 200x / XP based +Policy files are NOT portable between Windows 9x / Me and MS Windows NT4 / 200x / XP based platforms. You need to use the NT4 Group Policy Editor to create a file called NTConfig.POL so that it is in the correct format for your MS Windows XP Pro clients. -

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