GPO - AD-Group Policy with automatic update batch with stable latest releases for Open Shell

[Atramchasis]

GPO - AD-Group Policy with automatic update script with stable latest releases for Open Shell

Hello everyone,

I am currently trying to develop an automatic update to the latest stable release of Open Shell via Active Directory group policies.

Open Shell is used together with ExplorerPatcher, which has worked so far.

An automatic updater for the ExplorerPatcher can be found here: https://gist.github.com/PureOcean/8bf2959949a76338760735353d7f0668 - This works also very well so far.

This update script has been adapted for use in AD with group policies here and the integration into the group policies explained here: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/new-version-of-explorerpatcher.1991/page-51

Here is the quote from the auther in the mentened thread:

_>

Hesitant to say because I keep jinxing myself but I think (just as I was on the verge of giving up) I have auto updating via the batch file working in my workplace environment. Redirecting the batch file output to a text file helped, as it identified a problem being that I was trying to execute it from a network share before the PC had established contact with the domain controller.

Latest steps which seem to work:

1. Amend the 'Invoke-WebRequest' line in saltocean's batch file to add '-UseBasicParsing' (it's probably a security thing but the SYSTEM account requires this)
2. Not sure if necessary but I also change the working directory on line 2 to %TEMP% (I'm not sure what the working directory for a SYSTEM task would be but %TEMP% resolves to c:\windows\temp)
3. Create Group Policy Object e.g "Explorer Patcher Update" at domain level, change security filter to just the machines that need it (I'm manually adding them as they get Windows 11 and manually pushing the settings from the exported .reg file to the user first, including "don't check for updates")
4. In the GPO - computer - preferences - files, copy the batch file using 'update' from the network share to c:\programdata\ourcompany\update-explorerpatcher.bat
5. In the GPO - computer - preferences - control panel - scheduled tasks, create a new "Windows 7 Upwards scheduled task", call it something like "Update Explorer Patcher", have it run on Windows Start-Up, as SYSTEM with highest privileges, and run c:\programdata\ourcompany\update-explorerpatcher.bat

After doing gpupdate I've uninstalled EP and shut down a few times now and when starting back up, it's back, meaning it's working...
_

This works quite well so far.

Is there a way to do the same with the Open Shell? I would need help with the update script and the steps for the AD group policies.

Many thanks in advance for any help.

Greetings from Atramchasis aka Nick Wright