How can you easily change policies on a network of WinXP PCs?

[yukka]

Im asking because i am currently working on a network of 25 windows xp professional computers.

i have been using gpedit.msc to change the policies as all the policies are local. the network is running on an old windows NT server.

today i needed to change the proxy settings on all the pcs. first i had to go into gpedit and change the setting that makes proxy settings apply to all users, not just the one currently logged in. then i changed the setting to configure the proxy setting to my chosen ip and port number.

i will be doing this sort of thing regularly and it would be a serious help if i could stick the changes on a disc and load them into each pc.

plz plz plz anyone got an idea? i added 2 extra plz's because i think it will really make a difference

 

[Phantasm66]

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;161334

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;325285&Product=nts40

 

[yukka]

ok thats good information if i was going to write policies on the server, for the workstations to interact with.

the people who im working with (and have previously set up the network etc) seem, convinced that an old windows NT server can't hold policies for windows xp computers, and that the windows xp computers will over-write the policies with their own locally set policies.

if this is wrong, then i can save my company some serious time and effort by learning how to get windows xp pcs reading policies on a windows NT or 2000 server.

 

[yukka]

im listening to the webcast right now. seems that i need to be creating policy objects and placing them in a hierachy so the machines read their local machine policy before loading the user policy prior to the shell becoming available.

it also mentions NT server 4, but also says that you need to be able to use active directories, which isn't a windows NT server feature.

so if i have windows 2000 server/professional running, i can use policy objects via the active directory to control the individual machines thus making my life alot easier.

but the server (one of them anyway, i have a few networks some which use 2000+winXP so this stuff is like gold-dust) is using NT, which so far seems to mean i need an upgrade.

lots of text but its what in my head, if you know what i mean. anyones thoughts (confirming stuff or telling me i'm talking bollocks) would be appreciated