Administrator Cannot Set Logon Banner on ZAK Workstation

• Microsoft Zero Administration Kit for Windows NT Workstation 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When you try to set a logon banner on a Windows NT Zero Administration Kit (ZAK) client workstation by editing the registry after logging in locally as the domain administrator, the settings are gone at the next logon.

CAUSE

This behavior is caused by policies set on the ZAK server. Policy settings override local Windows NT Workstation registry settings.

RESOLUTION

To resolve this issue, set the logon banner by configuring the policy file for the ZAK client workstation. The policy file resides on the ZAK server and can be modified by using the following steps:

1. Log on to the ZAK server (this is the primary domain controller for the network) as the domain administrator.

2. Start Policy Editor (Poledit.exe) and open the Ntconfig.pol file in the following folder:

         %SystemRoot%\System32\Repl\Import\Scripts
   

3. If one does not exist already, create a computer icon for the ZAK client. To do so, click Add Computer on the Edit menu, type the computer name of the Windows NT ZAK client workstation, and then click OK.

4. Double-click the computer icon for the ZAK workstation, double-click Windows NT System, and then double-click Logon. Click the Logon Banner check box to select it.

5. Type the text you want to be displayed in the Caption and Text boxes. Click OK.

6. Save the file and quit Policy Editor.

MORE INFORMATION

For additional information about setting a logon banner in Windows NT, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q101063
   TITLE     : Windows NT Logon Welcome, Displaying Warning Message