This article describes an issue in which the Group Policy Object (GPO) import fails and the target policy is deleted during the rollback process on a Windows Server 2012 R2-based domain controller (DC). An update is available to fix this issue. Before you install this update, see the Prerequisites section.
Symptoms
When you use Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) to import a backed up GPO, the import may fail if a file is held open in one of the temporary directories that is created during the import process. When this issue occurs, you receive the following error message:
The process cannot access the file because it is being used by another process
The GPMC will then roll back the import process, which may result in the target policy being deleted. GPMC uses the following temporary directories when it process the Group Policy import:
-
MachineOld
-
UserOld
-
MachineStaging
-
UserStaging
-
AdmOld
If a file is held open in one of these directories, the import can't be completed. The rollback logic also doesn't restore the target policy if we don't close all the files in the staging directories.
How to get this update
Important If you install a language pack after you install this update, you must reinstall this update. Therefore, we recommend that you install any language packs that you need before you install this update. For more information, see Add language packs to Windows.
Method 1: Windows Update
This update is provided as a Recommended update on Windows Update. For more information on how to run Windows Update, see How to get an update through Windows Update.
Method 2: Microsoft Update Catalog
To get the stand-alone package for this update, go to the Microsoft Update Catalog website.
Update detail information
Prerequisites
To install this update, you should first install April 2014, update rollup for Windows RT 8.1, Windows 8.1, and Windows Server 2012 R2 (2919355) in Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 R2.
Registry information
To apply this update, you don't have to make any changes to the registry.
Restart requirement
You may have to restart the computer after you apply this update.
Update replacement information
This update doesn't replace a previously released update.
Workaround
To work around this issue, exclude the temporary directories that GPMC uses from Distributed File System Replication (DFSR) or the File Replication Service (FRS) replication. See Importing a GPO using GPMC fails with "The Directory is not empty" for more information about how to exclude these folders from the DFSR replication. Note Any component that keeps a file open in one of these directories could cause the issue to occur. However, this workaround will only work if DFSR or FRS was causing the file to be held open.
Status
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.
References
Learn about the terminology that Microsoft uses to describe software updates.
File Information
The English (United States) version of this software update installs files that have the attributes that are listed in the following tables.
Notes
-
The files that apply to a specific product, milestone (RTM, SPn), and service branch (LDR, GDR) can be identified by examining the file version numbers as shown in the following table:
Version
Product
Milestone
Service branch
6.3.960 0.18 xxx
Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
RTM
GDR
-
GDR service branches contain only those fixes that are widely released to address widespread, critical issues. LDR service branches contain hotfixes in addition to widely released fixes.
-
The MANIFEST files (.manifest) and the MUM files (.mum) that are installed for each environment are listed in the "Additional file information" section. MUM, MANIFEST, and the associated security catalog (.cat) files, are very important to maintain the state of the updated components. The security catalog files, for which the attributes are not listed, are signed with a Microsoft digital signature.
x86 Windows 8.1
File name |
File version |
File size |
Date |
Time |
Platform |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gpmgmt.dll |
6.3.9600.18264 |
1,727,488 |
10-Mar-2016 |
16:58 |
x86 |
Gprsop.dll |
6.3.9600.18264 |
472,576 |
10-Mar-2016 |
17:05 |
x86 |
x64 Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
File name |
File version |
File size |
Date |
Time |
Platform |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gpmgmt.dll |
6.3.9600.18264 |
2,064,384 |
10-Mar-2016 |
17:18 |
x64 |
Gprsop.dll |
6.3.9600.18264 |
496,640 |
10-Mar-2016 |
17:28 |
x64 |
Gpmgmt.dll |
6.3.9600.18264 |
1,727,488 |
10-Mar-2016 |
16:58 |
x86 |
Gprsop.dll |
6.3.9600.18264 |
472,576 |
10-Mar-2016 |
17:05 |
x86 |
x86 Windows 8.1
File property |
Value |
---|---|
File name |
Update.mum |
File version |
Not applicable |
File size |
1,593 |
Date (UTC) |
11-Mar-2016 |
Time (UTC) |
19:02 |
Platform |
Not applicable |
File name |
X86_d3b0a9d2427664f486eb5534dcfe5d8a_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.18265_none_8b46efd01e90ec81.manifest |
File version |
Not applicable |
File size |
725 |
Date (UTC) |
11-Mar-2016 |
Time (UTC) |
19:02 |
Platform |
Not applicable |
File name |
X86_microsoft-windows-g..admintools-gpmc-api_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.18265_none_5b674a9c5adeac24.manifest |
File version |
Not applicable |
File size |
59,136 |
Date (UTC) |
11-Mar-2016 |
Time (UTC) |
15:21 |
Platform |
Not applicable |
x64 Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012 R2
File property |
Value |
---|---|
File name |
Amd64_0e3a0c646e6a0ecdcf27e1e3f5fe4536_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.18265_none_496ebbb24be00691.manifest |
File version |
Not applicable |
File size |
1,098 |
Date (UTC) |
11-Mar-2016 |
Time (UTC) |
19:02 |
Platform |
Not applicable |
File name |
Amd64_microsoft-windows-g..admintools-gpmc-api_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.18265_none_b785e620133c1d5a.manifest |
File version |
Not applicable |
File size |
59,142 |
Date (UTC) |
11-Mar-2016 |
Time (UTC) |
15:32 |
Platform |
Not applicable |
File name |
Update.mum |
File version |
Not applicable |
File size |
1,814 |
Date (UTC) |
11-Mar-2016 |
Time (UTC) |
19:02 |
Platform |
Not applicable |
File name |
X86_microsoft-windows-g..admintools-gpmc-api_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.18265_none_5b674a9c5adeac24.manifest |
File version |
Not applicable |
File size |
59,136 |
Date (UTC) |
11-Mar-2016 |
Time (UTC) |
15:21 |
Platform |
Not applicable |