How to Configure Windows 95 Policies with Load Balancing (197986)

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:
   
   
   1. 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.
   2. 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.
   3. 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.