Your Solutions - DST Fix via Startup Script

Dani Sarfati (Winnipeg, Manitoba)

DST Patching

So as you can imagine, the DST changes have been on the top of everyone's mind lately.  I can't count the number of things I've had to patch besides computers.  My GPS had a patch, my Moto Q and my wife's GSM phone needed patching, my PVR got patched from the cable provider and so on.....  A lot of work but hey at least at Microsoft I am an end user and we have IT staff taking care of the infrastrucutre!

The other day I was talking with a friend of mine in Winnipeg, Dani Sarfati, and he told me how he deployed the DST fix using a registry file and an addition to his startup script.  There is a Microsoft KB Article 914387 that outlines how to do this but everyone's enviroment is different.  Dani told me that he used the registry file provided in the KB article under “Create a registry file for English builds of Windows” and then dropped that into \\domain\sysvol\domain\it\scripts folder (aka NetLogon).  Next he created a batch file called UpdateDST.cmd with the following command in it and placed that in the same folder.

regedit /s tzupdate.reg

Finally, he added his UpdateDST.cmd to the startup script in his domain policy and moved it to the top of the list.  With that in place it was time to test the script so Dani rebooted his PC and when he logged in he saw the script run, success!  Not content with just that, Dani set the clock on his PC to March 11th 2007 1:59:48 AM and counted down to see the change take place.  And the celebrating began as the DST update was applied to all his Windows 2000 and XP PCs and servers.  Now to get to all those other servers and devices.........