ADMX files have replaced .adm templates in Windows Vista and Windows
Server 2008. The purpose and result of the ADMX files are the same as
the .adm templates, which is to provide an interface within the Group
Policy Management Editor (GPME) so that registry-based settings can be
configured. From a GUI experience, administration of a GPO will not be
altered when using ADMX files compared to .adm templates.
The reasons for the change of file format, structure, and
architecture are numerous. The legacy .adm templates were powerful and
manageable, but limitations and negative behavior spurred the change to
the ADMX file format. Some of the benefits of ADMX files include:
Warning
Because ADMX files were first introduced with Windows
Vista, only two operating systems can manage GPOs using ADMX files:
Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008. If a GPO is edited using a
computer running Windows 2000, Windows XP, or Windows Server 2003, the
local .adm templates will be copied from the computer performing the
administration to the GPT for the GPO. Therefore, if you do not want to
use .adm templates and want to keep the SYSVOL free of .adm templates,
only edit GPOs using Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.
Default ADMX Files
Every installation of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008 includes
a complete set of ADMX files. These files create the two Administrative
Template nodes under Computer Configuration and User Configuration in
the GPME. There are 132 default ADMX files for Windows Vista and 146
default ADMX files for Windows Server 2008 and Windows Vista SP1. Each
ADMX file has an associated ADML file located under one or more
language-specific folders, such as EN-US for English.
The location of the default ADMX files is
%windir%\PolicyDefinitions. There is only one default language-specific
subfolder in this main folder, which is English in most cases.
Using Both .adm Templates and ADMX Files
Most
companies will have to make decisions on how to incorporate the
inclusion of both .adm templates and ADMX files when they move to
Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista. The reasons for using ADMX files
rather than .adm templates are quite compelling, and many companies
will want to take full advantage of the benefits that ADMX files
provide.
If you have even one computer running Windows Vista or Windows
Server 2008 in your environment, you can take advantage of these
benefits. Domain controllers running Windows Server 2008 are not
necessary; you need only the operating systems that can take advantage
of ADMX files.
To help you gain a better understanding of how each operating system
will function with .adm templates, ADMX files, and a mixture of
operating systems performing administration on GPOs, the following
scenarios explain how the GPO is affected depending on how it is
edited. Each scenario has the following characteristics:
-
Existing GPO that was created using Windows Vista
-
Custom .adm template that has been manually added to the GPO and is currently located in the GPT
-
Custom ADMX file that is only available on the original computer running Windows Vista
Scenario 1: Administration of GPO with Windows Vista
Both the .adm templates and the ADMX files will be added to the GPME when the GPO is edited.
-
The Administrative Templates sections in the GPME will be created
using the ADMX files resident on the computer running Windows Vista.
-
Custom .adm template settings will be available in the GPME, because these files are already located in the GPT for the GPO.
-
Custom ADMX file settings will be available in the GPME, because these files are located on the computer running Windows Vista.
Scenario 2: Administration of GPO with a Windows Server 2008 Domain Controller
Both the .adm templates and the ADMX files will be added to the GPME when the GPO is edited.
-
The Administrative Templates sections in the GPME will be created
using the ADMX files resident on the computer running Windows Server
2008.
-
Custom .adm template settings will be available in the GPME, because these files are already located in the GPT for the GPO.
-
Custom ADMX file settings will not be available in the GPME, because
these files are not located on the computer running Windows Sever 2008.
Note
If
the ADMX files were stored in the central store, all default and custom
ADMX files and their settings would be available to the computer
running Windows Server 2008.
Scenario 3: Administration of GPO from a Windows XP Workstation
Only the .adm templates will be added to the GPME when the GPO is edited.
-
The Administrative Templates sections in the GPME will be created
using the local versions of the .adm templates resident on the computer
running Windows XP.
-
The .adm templates used to create the Administrative Templates sections in the GPME will be copied to the GPT of the GPO.
-
Custom .adm template settings will be available in the GPME, because these files are already located in the GPT for the GPO.
-
Custom ADMX file settings will not be available in the GPME, because these files are not supported by Windows XP.
