First step is to create a network share

• You must create a folder to hold the Windows installer package on a network server.
• After that you give the folder the appropriate permissions to allow the users and the computers to read and run the files > copy the I386 folder from the Windows XP Professional CD-ROM to this folder.

Second step is to create a group policy object (GPO)

You can create a GPO for a domain, an organizational unit or a site:

To create a GPO, you follow these steps:

1. Press the Start button > go to Programs > go to Administrative Tools > press Active Directory Users and Computers.
2. Then Right-click the container that you want to have the GPO linked to > click Properties.
3. Press the Group Policy tab > click New > type a name for the new GPO in the new Group Policy Object box.
4. Press the GPO that you created in step 3 > click Edit.
5. Press to expand user configuration > press to expand software settings.
6. Right-click Software installation > point to new > click package.
7. In the Look in box > browse to the share where the I386 folder is located.
8. Open the share that contains the Windows installer package > click Winnt32.msi > press Open.
9. Press publishes then clicks ok.

How to use Group Policy to install software remotely in Windows 2000

Let’s create a distribution point

To assign a computer program, you must create a distribution point on the publishing server:

• First you log on to the server computer as an administrator.
• Create a shared network folder in which to place the Microsoft Software Installer package that you want to distribute.
• Now set permissions on the share to allow access to the distribution package.
• Install the MSI package to the distribution point.

Now create a group policy object (GPO)

To create a group policy object (GPO) with which to distribute the software package:

1. Start the active directory users and computers snap-in. To do this > click Start > point to programs > point to Administrative Tools > press active directory users and computers.
2.  Right-click your domain in the console tree > press properties.
3. Press the group policy tab > click New.
4. Now type the name that you want to call this policy >press enter.
5. Press properties > press the security tab.
6. Press to clear the apply group policy check box for the security groups that you want to prevent from having this policy applied.
7. Click to select the apply group policy check box for the groups to which you want to apply this policy.
8. When you are finished > click OK.

Group policies are used by administrators to configure and control user environment settings. Group Policy is the central component of the Change and Configuration Management features of the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system. In this article we discussed how to use group policy in windows 2000.