When you use Group Policy to redeploy programs in Windows 2000, programs are advertised but not reinstalled (302734)

SYMPTOMS

You are using Group Policy to redeploy a program on client computers over a network that is based on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server Service Pack 1 and Service Pack 2. If you specify the Remove previous installs of this product for computers, if the product was not installed by Group Policy-based Software Installation option, you may experience all the following symptoms:

The program is advertised on the Start menu or on the Windows desktop of the client computer, but the program is not reinstalled when the user logs on again.
The program is installed on a client computer when a user clicks the program icon or when the user accesses a file with a file name extension that has been associated with the program.

Note You experience these symptoms if you assign the program to computers when you create the Group Policy object.

CAUSE

This problem occurs if you use Group Policy to redeploy a program, and you use the Remove previous installs of this product for computers, if the product was not installed by Group Policy-based Software Installation option. The program deployment extension for Group Policy incorrectly marks the program to be redeployed at the end of the installation. Additionally, Group Policy advertises the program but does not reinstall the program when users log on to their computers.

RESOLUTION

Service pack information

To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Microsoft Windows 2000. For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

260910 How to obtain the latest Windows 2000 service pack

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft, but it is only intended to correct the problem that is described in this article. Only apply it to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Windows 2000 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Product Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Product Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in coordinated universal time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time tool in Control Panel.

   Date         Time   Version            Size    File name
   --------------------------------------------------------------
   27-Feb-2002  09:52  5.0.2195.4989     119,056  Appmgmts.dll

MORE INFORMATION

The Remove previous installs of this product for computers, if the product was not installed by Group Policy-based Software Installation option helps administrators to remove any unmanaged copies of programs that are installed by users when the administrators use Group Policy to redeploy programs.

However, the removal process is only triggered if the existing unmanaged program shares the same product code as the program that is being redeployed by using Group Policy.

When you use Group Policy to redeploy a program with the Remove previous installs of this product for computers, if the product was not installed by Group Policy-based Software Installation option, and the Microsoft Windows Installer custom settings (transforms) for the existing installation of the program are different from the custom settings for the program that you want to deploy, the existing installation will be removed before the new installation is applied.

If the custom settings for the existing installation and for the program that you want to deploy are the same, the existing installation is not removed.

This built-in behavior enforces a condition where the correct instance of the deployed program exists on the computer.

For additional information about using Group Policy to remotely install programs, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

314934 How to use Group Policy to remotely install software in Windows 2000

For additional information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

265173 The Datacenter Program and Windows 2000 Datacenter Server product