Module 11: Troubleshooting

Group Policy Issues

Module Overview

• Introduction to Group Policy Troubleshooting

• Troubleshooting Group Policy Application

• Troubleshooting Group Policy Settings

Lesson 1: Introduction to Group Policy Troubleshooting

• Scenarios for Group Policy Troubleshooting

• Preparing to Troubleshoot Group Policies

• Tools for Troubleshooting Group Policies

• Demonstration: Using Group Policy Diagnostic Tools

Scenarios for Group Policy Troubleshooting

Common scenarios that require troubleshooting:

Policies are applied but settings are inconsistent

Polices not applied

Preparing to Troubleshoot Group Policies

Basic troubleshooting steps:

Perform basic checks to test network connectivity: use diagnostic tools like netdiag, ping

Check Event Viewer entries

Ensure that DNS is functioning: use NSlookup

Check that the domain controller is functioning and reachable: use diagnostic tools like dcdiag, the set command, Kerbtray

Tools for Troubleshooting Group Policies

Group Policy troubleshooting tools:

Group Policy reporting – RSOP GPResult Gpotool

• Gpupdate

• Dcgpofix

• GPOLogView

• Group Policy log files

• Group Policy Management Scripts

Demonstration: Using Group Policy Diagnostic Tools

In this demonstration, the instruction will demonstrate the use of:

• GPResult in regular and verbose mode

• GPOTool

• Gpupdate

• GPLogView

Lesson 2: Troubleshooting Group Policy Application

• Troubleshooting Group Policy Inheritance

• Troubleshooting Group Policy Filtering

• Troubleshooting Group Policy Replication

• Troubleshooting Group Policy Refresh

• Discussion: Troubleshooting Group Policy Configuration

Troubleshooting Group Policy Inheritance

Sales

Production

Domain

No GPO settings

apply

No GPO settings

apply

GPOs

Blocked inheritance prevents high level policies from applying to entire subtrees of OUs

Troubleshooting Group Policy Filtering

Sales

Production

Domain

Mengph

Kimyo

GroupApply Group Policy

Apply Group PolicyDeny

Read and Apply Group Policy

Read and Apply Group Policy

Allow

GPO

WMI filter

Group Policy filtering may affect only certain users or computers in OUs

GPTGPT

GPCGPC

Troubleshooting Group Policy Replication

• Group Policy objects consist of Group Policy templatesand Group Policy containers

• GPTs and GPOs replicate using different mechanisms

• Replication issues can cause domain controllers to have inconsistent versions of Group Policies

• The GPOTool can check for policy consistency across all domain controllers

DC1 DC2GPO1

Version 3

GPO1

Version 2

Active Directory Replication

File Replication ServiceGPTGPT

GPCGPC

Troubleshooting Group Policy Refresh

If the Group Policy is not refreshing as expected:

• Check refresh intervals for users and computers

• Verify that the user has logged off and on, or that the computer has been restarted

• Check if there are cached credentials because they may delay the effect of Group Policy

• Check to see if the Loopback policy is enabled

Use gpupdate to:

• Manually refresh updated Group Policy settings

• Force the refresh of all Group Policy settings

• Force a reboot or logoff, if required, to refresh the settings

Discussion: Troubleshooting Group Policy Configuration

In this discussion, you will create a flow chart for troubleshooting Group Policy

Lesson 3: Troubleshooting Group Policy Settings

• How Client Side Extension Processing Works

• Troubleshooting Administrative Template Policy Settings

• Troubleshooting Security Policy Settings

• Troubleshooting Script Policy Settings

• Troubleshooting Software Installation Policy Settings

How Client Side Extension Processing Works

• Client side extensions are DLLs that process group policy settings

• Some CSEs do not process if a slow link is detected

• Some CSEs are always applied and cannot be turned off

List of client side extensions:

• Security Settings

• Administrative Templates

• Software installation

• Scripts

• Folder redirection

• Internet Explorer maintenance

Troubleshooting Administrative Template Policy Settings

When troubleshooting Administrative Templates, consider that:

Administrative Templates are either true polices or preferences

Settings that are preferences will tattoo the registry and remain in effect until they are specifically reversed

Settings that are true policies are reversed when the policy no longer applies

The operating system and service pack level determine if the computer can accept a policy setting

Troubleshooting Security Policy Settings

When troubleshooting security policy settings, consider that:

Account policies are passed to clients from the domain controller

Security settings come from the GPO that have the highest priority

The domain controller receives account policies from a domain level policy

Troubleshooting Script Policy Settings

When troubleshooting script policy settings, consider the following:

Validate the script

Ensure that Group Policy is configured correctly

Ensure that users and computer have access to the script

Ensure the script is replicating properly

Use the Group Policy tools to ensure that Group Policy is applied correctly

Lab: Troubleshooting Group Policy Issues

• Exercise 1: Troubleshooting Group Policy Scripts

• Exercise 2: Troubleshooting GPO Lab-11B

• Exercise 3: Troubleshooting GPO Lab-11C

• Exercise 4: Troubleshooting GPO Lab-11D

Logon information

Virtual machine NYC-DC1, NYC-CL1

User name Administrator

Password Pa$$w0rd

Estimated time: 60 minutes

Lab Review

• If a policy at the domain level is set for enforcement, while another policy at the OU level with a conflicting setting also is set to be enforced, which policy setting will the OU clients receive?

• If you use group policy to configure the slow-link detection threshold to be zero, what does that indicate?

Module Review and Takeaways

• Considerations

• Tools

• Review questions

Beta Feedback Tool

• Beta feedback tool helps: Collect student roster information, module feedback, and

course evaluations. Identify and sort the changes that students request, thereby

facilitating a quick team triage. Save data to a database in SQL Server that you can later

query.

• Walkthrough of the tool

Beta Feedback

• Overall flow of module: Which topics did you think flowed smoothly, from topic to

topic? Was something taught out of order?

• Pacing: Were you able to keep up? Are there any places where the

pace felt too slow? Were you able to process what the instructor said before

moving on to next topic? Did you have ample time to reflect on what you learned? Did

you have time to formulate and ask questions?• Learner activities:

Which demos helped you learn the most? Why do you think that is?

Did the lab help you synthesize the content in the module? Did it help you to understand how you can use this knowledge in your work environment?

Were there any discussion questions or reflection questions that really made you think? Were there questions you thought weren’t helpful?