Before you begin you need to install following packages

• .net framework 1.1 + additional security updates
• .net framework 2.0 + additional security updates
• Group Policy Management Console

You can download all above from www.microsoft.com/downloads.

We then started on installing the trail edition of the health monitor. It installs really easy and after telling the monitoring system here it can be trusted it works also like a charm. As you can see from the screenshots we made it's a very easy straight on installation.

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

I emediatly started on my own workstation to see how the health of my policies were. Well they were in the green but of course a lot of recommendations. The first one was "Fast logon optimization is enabled" I clicked on the yellow line and got a popup screen explaining me what steps I could do and what the impact of fast logon optimization means. See the output:

Output 1

When Fast Logon optimization is enabled, this can result in XP or Vista requiring two or more reboots or logon in order for certain policy (e.g. software instlalation or folder redirection) to go into effect. To disable Fast Logon Optimization, enable the policy at Computer configuration\Administrative Templates\System\Logon\Always wait for the network at computer startup or user logon.

This means actually that you not only get a hint what to do to prefent such anoying reboots or multiple logons but it also points you direct were you can configure the policy. Haven't seen this in a program yet. This means no more searching around for the administrator were to disable or enable a policy.

The next was using RSOP simply run it from the View menu > Create RSOP report. You emediatly see the resultant set of policies.

We have now seen how it works on a workstation, trying another machine didn't work yet. Allthough I made a administrative conneciton to the other machine it refused to connect.

After installing the tool on a test domain controller here we got a really big report :) but that is pretty normal on a domain controller cause it has a lot more policies in place then a normal XP/SP2 workstation.

The thing I like very much is you get a good overview what is active or not and you get hints how to solve policy issues. Overall opinion is it's version 1.X and it certain needs some tunes and tweaks but knowing Darren that won't be a problem and he will get enough feedback from the gpoguy mailing list concerning this tool.

You can get the trialedtion here

You can read the GPHealth reporter 1.X datasheet here

For more information simply browse to: http://www.sdmsoftware.com