Critical files on domain controllers or client computers are missing or corrupted

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Group Policy might not apply due to missing or corrupted files.

Cause

Group Policy information is contained in files on both the domain controllers and the clients. If any of these files are missing or corrupted, only some or none of the policies can be applied.

Solution

Examine files on the domain controller and the client.

Domain controller

Use GPOtool.exe to check for the presence and integrity of the following files in the SYSVOL share and its subfolders on the domain controller.

  • Files in the Group Policy template.

  • Registry.pol (Search %windir%\debug\usermode\UserEnv.log for references to this file). This file is used for processing administrative templates through the registry CSE.

Check the Policy Events tab in the Group Policy Results report for events that point to problems accessing files. When a process is unable to access a file, it generates an event. Whether this event is recorded depends on the event severity and whether verbose logging is enabled for that process.

You can also use Event Viewer on the client to view the Application logs, and you can enable and view verbose logging for UserEnv and for specific CSEs to Group Policy. For more information, see Fixing Group Policy problems by using log files.

Client

On the client, check for the presence and integrity of the following files in the %windir%\system32 folder. Replace suspect or files missing from the CD for the client’s operating system. The System File Checker (Sfc.exe) can be used to scan all protected files to verify their versions.

  • UserEnv.dll. Used for core Group Policy processing including registry CSE and profiles.

  • Dskquota.dll. Used for Disk Quota CSE processing.

  • Fdeploy.dll. Used for Folder Redirection CSE processing.

  • Gptext.dll. Used for Scripts, IP Security, QoS Packet Scheduler, and Wireless settings processing.

  • Appmgmts.dll. Used for Software Installation CSE processing.

  • Scecli.dll. Used for Security Settings CSE processing.

See Also

Concepts

Fixing Group Policy problems by using log files