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Q197986: How to Configure Windows 95 Policies with Load Balancing

Article: Q197986
Product(s): Windows for Workgroups and Windows NT Networking Issues
Version(s): 4.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 14-MAR-2002

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Windows 95 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0 
- Microsoft Windows NT Server, Enterprise Edition version 4.0 
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IMPORTANT: This article contains information about editing the registry.
Before you edit the registry, make sure you understand how to restore it if
a problem occurs. For information on how to do this, view the "Restoring
the Registry" online Help topic in Regedit.exe or the "Restoring a Registry
Key" online Help topic in Regedt32.exe.

SUMMARY
=======

This article walks through the steps required to configure a Windows 95 client
to receive a system policy in a Windows NT domain environment. Furthermore, it
discusses the additional steps to configure the client computer for load
balancing. Load balancing in this context means that a Windows 95 client can
receive its policy from any validating domain controller. By default, Windows 95
computers will only query the Netlogon share of the primary domain controller
(PDC) for the Config.pol file.

1. Create the policy file from a Windows 95 computer. The System Policy Editor
  application should be installed through Add/Remove Programs. Click the
  Windows Setup tab and click Have Disk. In the Install from Disk dialog box,
  specify the Admin\Apptools\Poledit directory on the Windows 95 compact disc.
  Click OK, and then click OK again. Make sure that System Policy Editor is
  selected. If you want to install group policies on this computer as well,
  click to select the Group Policies check box. Click Install.

2. Ensure that the Windows 95 client's workgroup name is the same as the domain
  name. To verify this, click Start, click Settings, click Control Panel, and
  double-click Network, and then look at the Identification tab.

3. The client must log on to a Windows NT domain. To verify this, click Start,
  click Settings, click Control Panel, and then double-click Network. Select
  Client for Microsoft Networks and click properties. Verify that it is
  configured to log on to the correct Windows NT Domain.

4. Enable User Level Access Control. Specify the domain name in the Obtain List
  Of Users And Groups From box. To verify this, click Start, click Settings,
  click Control Panel, and then double-click Network. Click the Access Control
  tab.

5. Make sure User Profiles are enabled on the Window 95 computer. Click Start,
  click Setting, click Control Panel, and double-click Passwords. Click the
  User Profiles tab, click "Users can customize their preferences and desktop
  settings. Windows switches to your personal settings whenever you log in."
  Click to select the appropriate check boxes under User Profile Settings.

6. Restart the computer.

7. On every Windows 95 computer that will needs group policy support, click
  Control Panel, click Add/Remove Programs, click the Windows Setup tab, click
  Have Disk. Use the Poledit folder from Window 95 compact disc. You do NOT
  have to actually install the Policy Editor on each PC, only the Groups
  support.

8. By default, Windows 95 needs to contact the Netlogon share on the PDC to
  check for a Config.pol file. This behavior can be modified by enabling load
  balancing. There are several ways to achieve this behavior:

  a. Enable load balancing in the default computer portion of the policy, which
     will modify the system portion of the registry on the Windows 95 client.
     The client must contact the PDC the first time to apply this policy.
     Subsequent logon requests will download the policy from the validating
     domain controller.

  b. To avoid forcing a Windows 95 client to contact the PDC even one time for
     the policy, you can apply the policy to one computer and then make a
     registry file. Import the exported registry file to each client.

  c. Use Regedit to manually modify the following subkey:

        HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Update

     WARNING: Using Registry Editor incorrectly can cause serious problems that
     may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot
     guarantee that problems resulting from the incorrect use of Registry
     Editor can be solved. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

     For information about how to edit the registry, view the "Changing Keys And
     Values" Help topic in Registry Editor (Regedit.exe) or the "Add and Delete
     Information in the Registry" and "Edit Registry Data" Help topics in
     Regedt32.exe. Note that you should back up the registry before you edit
     it. If you are running Windows NT, you should also update your Emergency
     Repair Disk (ERD).

     1. Select the Update key.

     2. On the Edit menu, click New DWORD Value.

     3. Type: LoadBalance.

     4. Double-click the load balance value.

     5. In the Edit DWORD Value dialog box, change the Value Data to 1.

MORE INFORMATION
================

To create the Load Balancing Policy file, follow these steps:

1. On a Windows 95 computer, click Start, click Run, and then type "poledit"
  (without the quotation marks).

2. On the File menu, click New Policy.

3. Double-click default computer.

4. Click the plus sign (+) of Network.

5. Click the plus sign (+) of Update.

6. Click to select the Remote Update check box.

7. Set the Remote Update text box to Automatic (use default path) or leave
  blank.

8. Click to select the Load-balance check box.

If individual policies work, but group policies fail, please see the following
article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q165064 Group Policies Are Ignored, All Other Policies Work as Expected


Additional query words:

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Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbWinNTsearch kbWinNT400search kbWinNTSsearch kbWinNTSEntSearch kbWinNTSEnt400 kbWinNTS400search kbWinNTS400 kbWin95search kbZNotKeyword3
Version           : :4.0
Issue type        : kbinfo

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