See my responses below: Darren **** Darren Mar-Elia CTO & Founder SDM Software, Inc. www.sdmsoftware.com <http://www.sdmsoftware.com/> Comprehensive Group Policy Backup & Recovery with SDM Software's GPExpertT Backup Manager for Group Policy at www.sdmsoftware.com/products.php From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shudnow, Elan Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 3:44 PM To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [gptalk] Re: ADMX and Co-existence with Pre-Vista/2k8 So let me give a real world example to make sure I understand it correctly. I go onto Server 2008, create the GPO in GPMC which creates the ADMX. It doesn't really create ADMXs. It just uses them as a guide, if you will. 1. Further modifications of this GPO will need to be modified in Server 2008 due to the GPO creating an ADMX. Correct? Correct up to a point. There is nothing preventing someone on XP or 2003 from editing that GPO-they just won't see any options that are specific to the ADMX files. From a best practice perspective, once you use an ADMX-based version of GP Editor to create and edit a GPO, you shouldn't go back to an ADM version of GP Editor to modify that GPO. 2. If deployed at the root domain, XP clients and Server 2003 clients will still apply this GPO as long as the settings modified in Server 2008 GPMC are available in XP. Correct? If so, what happens if the GPO you created contain options that are only available Vista but also contain options available in XP? Will XP fail at applying this GPO or will it only apply the options it knows about and simply ignore the rest of the options only available in Vista? XP Won't fail at all. It will simply ignore the Vista only options. From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Nelson, Jamie R Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 5:38 PM To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [gptalk] Re: ADMX and Co-existence with Pre-Vista/2k8 It should not affect the actual application of policy to a system, you just won't be able to edit ADMX based policies on anything other than Server 2008 or Vista. The actual policy settings are not contained in the ADM/ADMX files themselves. They are just a roadmap that tells the Group Policy Object Editor console how to edit the registry.pol file in the GPO. Hope this clears it up for you. Jamie Nelson | Systems Engineer | Systems Support, Information Technology | I N T E G R I S Health | Phone 405.552.0903 | <http://www.integrisok.com/> http://www.integrisok.com From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Shudnow, Elan Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 5:25 PM To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: [gptalk] ADMX and Co-existence with Pre-Vista/2k8 So let's say I decide to implement Server 2008 and will be co-existing with Server 2003 for a while and 50% of my clients are XP and 50% are Vista. Vista and Server 2008 support ADMX and I know I'll need to use Server 2008 to manage the ADMX files. My question is, if I use Server 2008 to create a GPO, I know it will be created in ADMX and if I use Server 2003 to create a GPO, it'll be in ADM. My question is, if I do use Server 2008 to create the ADMX at the root of the domain so it applies to all computers in the entire domain, how will the XP clients and Server 2003 servers look at this ADMX? Will it just ignore it? Is there a patch to make Server 2003 and XP machines understand how to apply ADMX? What is the end result? Thanks, Elan _____ This e-mail may contain identifiable health information that is subject to protection under state and federal law. This information is intended to be for the use of the individual named above. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited and may be punishable by law. If you have received this electronic transmission in error, please notify us immediately by electronic mail (reply). _____ This e-mail may contain identifiable health information that is subject to protection under state and federal law. This information is intended to be for the use of the individual named above. If you are not the intended recipient, be aware that any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited and may be punishable by law. If you have received this electronic transmission in error, please notify us immediately by electronic mail (reply).