Stop the Blob AKA XP SP3.. Today… using Group Policy
XP / SP3 is coming. On Thursday.
That’s right.
This.
Thursday.
Service packs are like “The Blob.” Without any superpowers, you can’t stop the delivery of the blob. And every couple of years or so, the blob comes back, in a newer, bigger form !
Now, you might like what the blob offers. For sure, the blob offers a lot of fixes.
But it offers them all at once.
And that might be good.
Or it might not be what you want at all.
Maybe you haven’t had sufficient time to test the blob. Maybe you want to go blob-less because you’re doing some other massive XP to Vista project or something.
If you’ve got WSUS or SMS / SCCM, then you’re pre-protected from the blob, because you have to manually decide to push the blob out.
But if you’re using good ol’ Windows Update for your clients, you might want to run Screaming out of the Theater and grab your fire extinguishers. So, if, like in the movie, you’re looking to freeze the blob, there are several ways (all contained within one download), and, of course, a Group Policy way to do it. Microsoft has a download just for you! It is called the Windows Service Pack Blocker Tool Kit… Isn’t that original?
And inside, you’ll find an ADM file called NoSPUpdate.ADM.
And inside that one ADM file, you’ll be adding one additional setting to GP.
It’s called: “Do not allow delivery of the service Pack through Windows Update or Automatic Updates.”
Again, if you’re using WSUS or SMS/SCCM the blob can’t come and get you. You’ve got a blob-free zone. It’s only for those of us without our Tin Foil hats on.
PS: Not too far away from me in Philadelphia is where they filmed “The Blob” with the famous scene of everyone running out of the theater. Want to re-enact? It’s 9.00 PM on Fri July 11th in Phoenixville, PA. Yep, you can run out of the theater during the Blobfest 2008 reenactment. And a scream contest and a tin-foil hat contest. And, its just one day after the XP/SP3 blob is scheduled to come and get you. (You knew there was a tie-in somewhere, right?)
July 10, 2008 - 12:40 pm
After you have added the .ADM file to Group Policy, you'll find this setting under | Computer Configuration |-> Administrative Templates |–>Windows Components |—->Windows Update It's been so long since I set up new group policy objects that it took me a minute to find it, figured I'd save someone else the trouble of digging around in there. NOTE to Intense Debate: You guys might want to consider making whitespace characters visible because it is really hard to describe a directory structure with out it.
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July 10, 2008 - 1:27 pm
Noice one! I read it as I was confused. worked out noicely.
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July 10, 2008 - 1:30 pm
Thanks Joe I will see if I can get that added to the post later tonight!
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July 10, 2008 - 1:40 pm
Just what I needed when i needed it
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July 10, 2008 - 1:49 pm
Thanks I didn't know it was being pushed out today.
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July 10, 2008 - 2:29 pm
Our only problem with SP3 thus far is that we use Hyperion Financial systems, and their "Hyperion Essbase" excel plugin isn't compatible with SP3. We had to roll back SP3 on our Financial team's machines until Hyperion can create an update. We use WSUS, so no big deal except SP3 doesn't have the option to remove through WSUS, we had to push out a batch script with our software deployment system to roll it back (Sucked!)
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July 11, 2008 - 9:00 am
Yeah, it has caused some issues with our ERP system (thankfully I used one of the test machines to find that one before sending it live).
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July 11, 2008 - 9:05 am
Yeah, we deploy it to all of the IT team a week before to see if there are going to be any issues. That particular one didn't land on our radar because it only affected Excel spreadsheets that use macros.
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July 11, 2008 - 9:32 am
Isn't that always the way? I have not had any issues with it on our test machines. One in every OU – if all goes well we will push it out 2nd week in august. That should be long enough to weed out any real issues.
Anyone else seeing problems?
—
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December 3, 2008 - 6:10 am
To El Di Pablo’s comment…
We are running into the same issue here. Running Essbase v9.3.0.1. From what I read, the AddIn issue is fixed in v11.1.1.1(??).
I’d hate to think that we have to forced to upgrade now.
Any thoughts?
–Ed
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