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Group Policy Preferences for SCRNSAVE.EXE are not set when using "Apply once and do not reapply"

Question Group Policy Preferences for SCRNSAVE.EXE are not set when using "Apply once and do not reapply"

  • Saturday, June 09, 2012 2:59 AM
     
     
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    I created a three registry preferences to enable the screen saver for users.  I enabled the "Apply once and do not reapply" option so that the screen saver would be a default and the users could change it or turn it off if desired.

    The three values I created are:

    HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\
           ScreenSaveActive         = REG_SZ:    "1" (enables the desktop screensaver)
           ScreenSaveTimeOut      = REG_SZ:    "300" (this is obviously the timeout time)
           SCRNSAVE.EXE             = REG_SZ:    "C:\Windows\system32\Bubbles.scr" (this value does not exist when NONE is selected)

    The first two values are set, but the last one is not.

    When the user logs on, the control panel indicates that "(None)" screen saver is selected with a timeout of 5 minutes.  That is expected given that the scrnsave.exe key doesn't exist.

    Funny thing though.  After 5 minutes the blank screen saver kicks on.

    If you reselect “(None)”, and set the time to 1 minute to re-save the settings, the blank screen saver kicks on in 1 minute. I could only get it to turn off by selecting another screen saver, applying, then reselecting None and applying.

    The only other related setting in GPO that we set is Control Panel/Personalization/Password Protect the Screen Saver is enabled.

    Any ideas?

    -Tony

     

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  • Sunday, June 10, 2012 10:52 AM
     
     
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    Hello Tony, 

    I recommend you check this article once and modify screen saver settings according to your requirement.

    http://www.grouppolicy.biz/2010/07/how-to-use-group-policy-to-allow-the-users-to-chose-any-screensaver-except-none/

    Regards, Ravikumar P

     
  • Monday, June 11, 2012 2:54 AM
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    Hi,

    Based on my understanding that the GPO should be applied to the customer, and I would like suggest you use another account and logon to a computer and check out the registry key:

    HKCU\Control Panel\Desktop\
    ScreenSaveActive = REG_SZ: "1"
    ScreenSaveTimeOut = REG_SZ: "300"
    SCRNSAVE.EXE = REG_SZ: "C:\Windows\system32\Bubbles.scr"

    If those keys are correct, and please wait for 5 minites and check the result. If those keys are not correct, please first run "GPUPDATE/FORCE" to force update the policy.

    In addition, here is a thread for you to refer to:

    Group policy screen saver push (only once)..

    http://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/winserverGP/thread/f0c1ddbd-9e0d-4f78-a414-032a6817e172

    Regards,

    Yan Li

    TechNet Subscriber Support

    If you are TechNet Subscription user and have any feedback on our support quality, please send your feedback here.

    Yan Li

    TechNet Community Support

     
  • Tuesday, June 12, 2012 10:44 PM
     
     
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    Thank you for the replies.

    Unfortunately, I found both of the URLs provided before I posted my problem.  They were informative, but didn't solve my problem.

    I have tried numerous accounts, always on clean desktops (no domain user has ever logged on before).

    So, I boot up a fresh computer and logon.  Wait several minutes for "Preparing Desktop...", I go to regedit and see ScreenSaveActive and ScreenSaveTimeOut are set as desired.  SCRNSAVE.EXE is not set, the value is missing.

    I checked HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Group Policy\Client\RunOnce, and I see the three entries cooresponding to the three preferences.

    Expectedly, "gpupdate.exe" and "gpudate.exe /force" do not cause the SCRNSAVE.EXE value to appear.

    The control panel looks like this after logon:

    If I wait 5 minutes, the blank screen saver activates, not bubbles.scr that was specified.

    If I change the time to 1 minute, the blank screen saver activates after one minute even though no screen saver is specified.

    I have to select another screen saver, press apply, then reselect "(None)", and press apply to turn off the screen saver.

    -Tony

     
  • Thursday, June 14, 2012 3:01 AM
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    Hi,

    I would like suggest you don't use Item targeting, only set  SCRNSAVE.EXE = REG_SZ: "C:\Windows\system32\Bubbles.scr"

    and try again.

    Regards,

    Yan Li

    TechNet Subscriber Support

    If you are TechNet Subscription user and have any feedback on our support quality, please send your feedback here.

    Yan Li

    TechNet Community Support

     
  • Thursday, June 14, 2012 7:26 AM
     
     
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    Hi Tony.
     
    Would you mind posting the XML of all three elements? (Right click - All
    Tasks - Display Xml)
     
    regards, Martin
     
    NO THEY ARE NOT EVIL, if you know what you are doing: Good or bad GPOs?
    Wenn meine Antwort hilfreich war, freue ich mich über eine Bewertung! If my answer was helpful, I'm glad about a rating!
     
  • Thursday, June 14, 2012 5:58 PM
     
     
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    I would like suggest you don't use Item targeting, only set  SCRNSAVE.EXE = REG_SZ: "C:\Windows\system32\Bubbles.scr"


    I am not utilizing any item targeting.

    -Tony

     
  • Thursday, June 14, 2012 6:38 PM
     
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    Would you mind posting the XML of all three elements? (Right click - All
    Tasks - Display Xml)

    XML:

    <?xml version="1.0"?>
<Collection bypassErrors="1" userContext="1" desc="Sets the default screen saver options. Doesn't apply if logged on to a terminal server or through remote desktop connection." uid="{6C3D7A08-3FE0-40B5-AFF3-83B09344FEA9}" changed="2012-06-08 23:23:57" name="Screen Saver" clsid="{53B533F5-224C-47e3-B01B-CA3B3F3FF4BF}">
	<Filters>
		<FilterTerminal value="" option="NE" type="NE" not="1" bool="AND"/>
	</Filters>
	<Registry bypassErrors="1" userContext="1" desc="Enables screen saver" uid="{7AD72CDA-750D-4FFB-9EB1-793CB354241A}" changed="2012-06-09 00:18:08" name="ScreenSaveActive" clsid="{9CD4B2F4-923D-47f5-A062-E897DD1DAD50}" image="7" status="ScreenSaveActive">
		<Properties name="ScreenSaveActive" value="1" type="REG_SZ" key="Control Panel\Desktop" hive="HKEY_CURRENT_USER" default="0" displayDecimal="0" action="U"/>
		<Filters>
			<FilterRunOnce not="0" bool="AND" id="{0789CA5C-F7D2-4BA0-B2A5-0C3B1CEB247F}" hidden="1"/>
		</Filters>
	</Registry>
	<Registry disabled="0" bypassErrors="1" userContext="1" desc="Sets the screen saver delay to 5 minutes" uid="{EF85BB84-D6F3-4A15-875F-B652E0C50351}" changed="2012-06-09 00:18:20" name="ScreenSaveTimeOut" clsid="{9CD4B2F4-923D-47f5-A062-E897DD1DAD50}" image="7" status="ScreenSaveTimeOut">
		<Properties name="ScreenSaveTimeOut" value="300" type="REG_SZ" key="Control Panel\Desktop" hive="HKEY_CURRENT_USER" default="0" displayDecimal="0" action="U"/>
		<Filters>
			<FilterRunOnce not="0" bool="AND" id="{0979FF93-14C0-43B1-BCE1-DCA8E224D278}" hidden="1"/>
		</Filters>
	</Registry>
	<Registry disabled="0" bypassErrors="1" userContext="1" desc="Selects the blank screen saver" uid="{8680CBA5-ADC8-40D4-A5F6-9AF075F37607}" changed="2012-06-09 00:19:30" name="SCRNSAVE.EXE" clsid="{9CD4B2F4-923D-47f5-A062-E897DD1DAD50}" image="7" status="SCRNSAVE.EXE">
		<Properties name="SCRNSAVE.EXE" value="%SystemDir%\scrnsave.scr" type="REG_SZ" key="Control Panel\Desktop" hive="HKEY_CURRENT_USER" default="0" displayDecimal="0" action="U"/>
		<Filters>
			<FilterRunOnce not="0" bool="AND" id="{EF1BF327-08D8-4424-9744-F21D26F9F5D8}" hidden="1"/>
		</Filters>
	</Registry>
</Collection>

    -Tony

     
  • Monday, June 18, 2012 12:21 PM
     
     
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    > I checked HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Group Policy\Client\RunOnce, and I
    > see the three entries cooresponding to the three preferences.
     
    If you delete all 3 values and run gpupdate /force, does scrnsave.exe
    appear? The xml you posted looks ok, so I'm a bit out of ideas now...
    Maybe I would resort to enabling GPP debug logging and check the
    registry extension log for additional hints on what's going on.
     
    regards, Martin
     
    NO THEY ARE NOT EVIL, if you know what you are doing: Good or bad GPOs?
    Wenn meine Antwort hilfreich war, freue ich mich über eine Bewertung! If my answer was helpful, I'm glad about a rating!
     
  • Tuesday, June 19, 2012 2:27 PM
     
     
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    Yes, deleting the RunOnce keys causes the values to reappear.

    Have you been unsuccessful in reproducting the problem?

    -Tony

     
  • Tuesday, June 19, 2012 3:28 PM
     
     
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    Yes, deleting the RunOnce keys causes the values to reappear.


    The screensaver values, to be sure? (Not the RunOnce values, of course ;-))

    Have you been unsuccessful in reproducting the problem?



    Yes, I'm unsuccessful, but: Is it possible that you have another preference item that happens to have the same GUID? (Copy/Paste does not generate a new GUID for an item...)
    NO THEY ARE NOT EVIL, if you know what you are doing: Good or bad GPOs?
    Wenn meine Antwort hilfreich war, freue ich mich über eine Bewertung! If my answer was helpful, I'm glad about a rating!