Windows 7

There exists an annoying bug in Windows 7 with GPOs and RODCs that makes your users waiting 20 minutes until the computer starts installing software via Active Directory.

The infrastructure has a central site with 2 DCs 2008 R2 and several branch offices with Read Only Domain Controller located on every office. The problem is that when some changes are done on the Group Policies in the central site (modify old GPOs, create new ones, most often install software like Flash player) after the restart (or gpupdate /force) when the new settings are applied it take about 20 minutes for the client to boot.

Windows boots and show a throbber with "Applying software installation policy..." for about 20 minutes (10 minutes per machine + 10 minutes for user GPO timeout). This happens only after you have changed a GPO and only once. It doesn't matter if this is a software policy or any random setting. The setting get's applied and all other future reboots are fine, until you change anything again inside a GPO.

If you'd like to add more languages or all languages to your Windows 7 deployment image this can be done by hand or with below script. This script requires some path configurations only and integrates all lp.cab files from the Microsoft Language Pack DVD.

Required:

• Windows Automated Installation Kit (AIK)
• Microsoft Windows 7 Enterprise DVD
• Microsoft Windows 7 Language Pack DVD

Steps:

1. Copy install.wim from Windows 7 DVD \sources\install.wim to local disk
2. Configure path to language packs. This is folder named langpacks with subfolders named "ar-sa", "de-de" and so on.
3. Configure all other paths
4. Run the batch file to integrate all Language Packs (may take some hours/one day).
5. Add this WMI file to your Windows Deployment Server (WDS).

Script:

If you's like to install software via Active Directory it may fail with Error: %%1274.

Symtoms:

• You can reboot as often as you'd like and your deployed Software always fails with Error %%1274
• Eventlog entry:
  • Source: Application Management Group Policy
  • Event ID 101
  • Description: Die Zuweisung der Anwendung ShoreTel Communicator 16.23.5631.0 der Richtlinie ShoreTel Communicator ist fehlgeschlagen. Fehler: %%1274
  • Description: The assignment of application ShoreTel Communicator 16.23.5631.0 from policy ShoreTel Communicator failed. The error was : %%1274

Workaround:

• Explicitly set the policy Startup policy processing wait time: Activated Amount of time to wait (in seconds): 120s. This is normally not required if FastLogonOptimization is disabled, but Windows 7 seems to have a bug here.

History:

• 04/09/2011: Exists in Windows 7 RTM and SP1
• 13/04/2011: Implemented Activated Amount of time to wait workaround.