I work for a corporate environment supporting multiple domains.
Windows 2008 R2 DC and Windows 7 Clients (fully patched). Local User profiles with Folder Redirection.
We set User Group Policy Preferences for Control Panel\Desktop Registry keys (Wallpaper, screensaver, etc) and then set to "Apply once and don't re-apply".
For existing users the Group Policy applies the first time and the registry key is created in the users profile HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Group Policy\Client\RunOnce so it won't apply again.
The problem is with new profiles. The user logs in, the profile is created, the registry key for the Apply once and don't re-apply for the policies are created BUT NO actual preference settings apply on that first logon (even the ones that are not set to apply once). The preferences keys just don't get added or modified. It is like the profile is built after Group Policy Preference runs.
If you delete the HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Group Policy\Client\RunOnce manually and do GPUpdate then the preferences apply fine.
Also all those preferences set to apply every time will apply at the next logon.
The problem is that the "Apply once and don't re-apply" are flagged that they have applied with they have NOT applied due to the profile creation not applying preferences on first logon.
I did find a Hotfix KB2284538 but the .dll version in the hotfix is two years older than the one we are using so it doesn't apply.
Our DLL is gpprefcl.dll Version 6.1.7601.22249
Any ideas even for a work-around. We need these settings to apply, but only once, so users can change them.
I think we have narrowed it down to the fact that Microsoft runs Active Setup for new user profiles AFTER User Group Policy which is so ridiculous. It means that Active Setup Overwrites Group Policy Preference files. I verified by watching it remotely. The user logs in, the settings are set, and then Active Setup deletes them.
lforbes