Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows Vista SP1.

Your Windows Updates would be showing a new update KB943729. It however, appears under the Optional Updates, and should be installed only if you need it. Vista SP1 has changed the tools that Administrators use to manage Group. SP1 uninstall's the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and GPEdit.msc will edit local Group Policy by default.

Multiple Group Policy Preferences have been added to the Windows Server 2008 Group Policy Management Console, which are also available through the Remote Server Administration Toolset (RSAT) for Windows Vista SP1. Group Policy Preferences enable information technology professionals to configure, deploy, and manage operating system and application settings they previously were not able to manage using Group Policy.

Group Policy preferences are made up of more than 20 new Group Policy client-side extensions (CSEs) that expand the range of configurable settings in a Group Policy object (GPO). These new preferences are included in the Group Policy Management Editor window of the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). The extensions are listed under each new preference item. Examples of the new Group Policy preference extensions include the following: • Folder options • Mapped drives • Printers • Scheduled tasks • Services • Start menu settings The packages that are listed in the "More Information" section include the CSEs for the new Group Policy preference functionality. These CSEs are required in Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2), Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 1 (SP1), and in Windows Vista to process the new preference items.

This installer does not provide any user interface for configuring Group Policy preferences. This new functionality can only be configured under the new preferences node in the User or Computer configurations of the Group Policy Management Editor window on the following computers: • Windows Vista SP1-based computers that have Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) installed • Windows Server 2008-based computers

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