Testing Computers and Users

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

You must thoroughly evaluate your results before releasing this configuration to production users. Use this series of tests to validate your settings.

To force an immediate update of linked GPOs, and review the results using Group Policy Results

By default, clients running Windows XP Professional, and servers running Windows Server 2003, check for changes to Group Policy objects every 90 minutes, plus or minus a random offset. Domain controllers running Windows Server 2003 check for computer policy changes every 5 minutes.

You can manually trigger a policy refresh by using the gpupdate command or by rebooting the client computers. The gpupdate command triggers a background policy refresh on the computer from which the command is run. For more information about the gpupdate command, see "Designing a Group Policy Infrastructure" in this book.

1. To force the linked GPOs to immediately take effect, reboot each client computer.

2. In GPMC on DC01, right-click Group Policy Results, and click Group Policy Results Wizard. On the Computer Selection page, click Another computer and type Laptop01 into the name text box.On the User Selection page, click ADATUM\Florian. The Group Policy Results report in the right pane displays the combined settings for this computer and the selected user. You can save this report to disk or print it for your records.

3. Repeat step 2 to view the resultant set of policies for other computer and user combinations.

To test computer and user configurations

Log on to each client computer as at least one user from each OU who would use that type of computer, as shown in Table 9.4 and Table 9.5. Perform the following steps.

1. Click Start and point to All Programs. The Office suite of programs should be listed.

2. Select Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Word, or other Office program. The software application will automatically install the first time the user accesses it. Thereafter, the program loads and runs when the user selects it.

3. When logged on as Florian, install the Administrative Tools Pack by using Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel. Those tools will then be available for Florian and other administrators from the Start\Programs\Administrative Tools menu.

   The ability of users to install and run these applications is a confirmation that the assigned and published software programs are working correctly.

4. Check the Event Logs on each computer to make sure that no errors have occurred.

5. To test roaming user profiles, use one of the following methods:

   • Log on, log off, log on again, and then access the share \\dc01\RUP$\%username%. The user’s profile should have been copied to that share at logoff.

   • Make a simple change to a setting (for example, change the desktop background). Then log off and log on to another computer to make sure that the setting roams.

6. To test folder redirection, right-click My Documents, and click Properties. The Targetfolder location should point to the server share, not to the local computer.

   If everything is installed and configured properly, users should have the settings and access to the applications listed in Table 9.4 and Table 9.5.

Table 9.4   Results for Users Logged On to Desktop01

Table 9.5   Results for Users Logged On to Laptop01