You can get read the full Microsoft Kb article at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2530309 .

However you should take special attention at the two notes:

This update does not re-write the version information for existing settings. Instead, you must define a new set of Internet Explorer settings in a new or existing Group Policy Object.

Meaning you will need to re-created the Group Policy Preference before the policy will apply to a computer running IE9.

This update does not create a new Internet Explorer 9 UI item. However, when define new Group Policy Preferences settings, and you select the Internet Explorer 8 option, this setting now applies both to Internet Explorer 8 and to Internet Explorer 9

This means that you will NOT see an Internet Explorer 9 option in the Internet Settings menu (see image below), however using the IE8 option will work with IE9.

If we take a closer look at the “InternetSettings.xml” after the hotfix has been applied shows the maximum version number is now set to “10.0.0.0” where previously this version was “9.0.0.0”. However you existing Internet Explorer Preferences will remain unaffected…

Thanks to Mark Feetham [MSFT] for leaving a comment on my previous blog post about this new hotfix.

Download it now from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2530309

Description:

Assume that you use Group Policy Preferences (GPP) to manage the mapping of drives in a network environment. Additionally, you set the non-persistent flag when you map a drive on a client computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2. However, when the client computer is not connected to the network, the mapped drive is displayed unexpectedly as a disconnected drive in Windows Explorer.

So what are you waiting for View and request hotfix downloads NOW!

KB977611 – After you apply a GPO to redirect a folder to a new network share, the redirected folder is empty on client computers that are running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008

KB976033 – "Terminal Session" targeting item does not work for a Group Policy preferences setting on a client computer that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista

KB2493933 – FIX: The "Validate server certificate" option is enabled on a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008 when you disable this option by using a Group Policy object

KB2460922 – Group Policy preference item-level targeting does not work for 64-bit versions of Windows 7

KB2301288 – A Remote Desktop Services session is disconnected automatically if you apply the "Interactive logon: smart card removal behavior" Group Policy setting in Windows Server 2008 R2 or in Windows 7

Update: Service Pack 1 is now available for download for TechNet and MSDN subscribers.

Previously I had listed the hotfixes in the beta version of the service pack, so I have again combed through the hotfix list for you convenience and I have updated the list to include the release candidate hotfixes. While this is not the final list of hotfixes Ned Pyle [MSFT] says “it’s very doubtful that the lists below will be altered much” so you can pretty much take the following list as final. In any case I will review the list when the final list of fixes is out but for now here is the list of issues.

Updated: The final list of hotfixes is now out ( Here ) and after a quick look they appear to be the same as expected.

If you have anything to do with supporting group policy in your organisation then I recommend that you at least take a look at the articles to see if you have encountered any of the problem described.

You can also see the complete list of Active Directory Hotfix’s at Ask the Directory Services Team blog posting SP1 and Directory Services: What’s New .

I do note that KB981704 has been out for a while and seems to have been just updated to reflect that it is still required for Service Pack 1.

KB981704 – The file name of an ADM file is displayed incorrectly in the GPMC report in Windows Vista, in Windows Server 2008, in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2.

KB2460922 – Group Policy preference item-level targeting does not work for 64-bit versions of Windows 7

KB2300745 – A memory leak occurs in Svchost.exe when you apply or update Group Policy preference settings in Windows Server 2008

KB2447414 – User GPP Scheduled Task item fails to apply and logs event id: 4098 with 0×80070005 "Access is denied."

KB977983 – Group Policy preferences client-side extension hotfix rollup for Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008

New Issues Resolved

• You cannot create a GPP folder when the target path is a Distributed File System (DFS) path.
• Item-Level Targeting for the security group does not recognize nested groups for computer objects.
• When you configure Item-Level Targeting for GPP to match a registry value, the match fails.
• The GPP data source name (DSN) requires a password if a username is specified in the DSN connection information. After you apply this hotfix rollup, you can use a blank password in the DSN connection information.
• You experience a significant delay when you log on to an Active Directory site that has a read-only domain controller (RODC). This issue occurs when you implement Item-Level Filtering for Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) by using GPP.
• GPP cannot be deployed on a printer when the printer owner is not specified as "System" or "Administrators."
• When you configure Item-Level Targeting for GPP with Terminal Services, Item-Level Targeting fails.
• A memory leak occurs in the GPP client every time that Item-Level Targeting is processed.

Previous KB974266 Issues Resolved

• The Windows Event Log service crashes when the regional options preferences are set to English (United Kingdom).
• If the regional options preference is set to English (United Kingdom) or to anything other than United States, it cannot be applied. The regional options preference setting still shows United States.
  • Note A non-administrator user cannot log on to a domain from a computer that is running Windows Vista SP2, if the user’s locale information is set by using a Group Policy preference and set the regional options preference as English (United Kingdom).
• If you create or update a virtual private network (VPN) connection by using a Group Policy object, the connection does not bind to IP Version 4 (TCP/IPv4) or IP Version 6 (TCP/IPv6).
• A Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query that is used by item level targeting uses an incorrect base distinguish name.
• Group Policy Service (GPSVC) stops responding during the GPSVC shutdown process if third-party printer drivers are installed by Group Policy Preferences.
• The %GPTPATH% variable is not resolved correctly when Group Policy Preferences are processed.
• Group Policy Preferences stops responding when you try to configure the printer item for printers that use third-party drivers. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  973772 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/973772/ ) Group Policy Preferences stops responding when you try to configure the printer item for printers that use third-party drivers on a Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008-based computer

Source http://blogs.technet.com/b/askds/

KB2379592 – "Object reference not set to an instance of an object" error message when you view the GPO backup settings in the Group Policy Management Console.

Description

Resolves an “Object reference not set to an instance of an object.” when you select the “View Settings” of a GPO that has an advanced audit policy setting configured that you have also backed up.

KB970840 – Some settings in Group Policy Preferences for Internet Explorer do not deploy correctly to computers that are running Windows Server 2008, Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2

Description

Resolves the following IE8 preference settings from not working:

• Check boxes under Accessibility
  • "Reset text size to medium while zooming"
  • "Reset Zoom level to 100% for new windows and tabs"
• Check boxes under Security
  • "Allow active content to run in files"
  • "Allow software to run or install even…"
• Check boxes under International
  • "Send IDN Server Names"
  • "Send UTF -8 URL"
  • "Show information bar for encoded address"

It also resolves a freeze/crash in the Group Policy Object Editor when you are editing an Internet Explorer Group Policy Preferences setting.

For more information check on the issue and for a link to the download go to KB980356

Source Aug. 27 – Sep. 2 Hot-Fix KB articles Weekly Release – Windows 6/7 – The Hot Blog – Site Home – TechNet Blogs

• KB2250489 You cannot turn off the screen saver in the Windows Mobility Center when the "Prevent changing wallpaper" Group Policy setting is enabled on a computer that is running Windows Vista SP2
• KB2261826 You cannot find a network drive in the "Browse For Folder" dialog box in the GPMC MMC snap-in on a computer that is running Windows Server 2008 or Windows Vista
• KB2096902 Virtual machines in a VDI environment are not rolled back as expected if the disconnected Remote Desktop connections on the virtual machines are stopped by Group Policy
• KB2254754 You experience a GPO report-generation issue in the GPMC window when you try to generate the report in a localized version of Windows 7 or of Windows Server 2008 R2
• KB2258620 You cannot find the "Find Now," "Stop," and "Clear All" buttons in the GPMC snap-in on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2
• KB2275315 You cannot read the GPO in the SYSVOL directory in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2 if you enable the "Deny write" permission of the GPO
• KB2284538 Apply once and do not reapply Group Policy setting is never applied after the first GPO deployment fails on a client computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2

Source: Jul. 29 – Aug. 12 Hot-Fix KB articles Weekly Release – Windows 6/7 – The Hot Blog – Site Home – TechNet Blogs

This policy will remove remove the search box from Internet Explorer (see image below).

But then when a user logs on to the computer for the first time they are prompted to setup their default IE setting and then they will get this error message (see image below).

It also looks like this hotfix is also probably not going to be in Windows 7 Service Pack 1 as it is not listed in the complete list of hotfixes.

To download the hotfix and to get more info visit Internet Explorer 8 restores the search provider settings when the “Prevent Internet Explorer Search box from displaying” Group Policy setting is enabled

The beta of Windows 7/Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1 beta has now been released to the public for testing. For your benefit I have parsed through the complete list of hotfixes and I have listed out all the group policy specific setting.

I have highlighted the two hotfixes that stand out it my mind as the issues that have been most annoying bugs with group policy with Windows 7 RTM.

I have also posted an installation screenshot walk though on my other blog here http://www.smartergeek.info/2010/07/install-screenshots-windows-7-service-pack-1-beta/

981704 The file name of an ADM file is displayed incorrectly in the GPMC report in Windows Vista or in Windows Server 2008

This hotfix resolves a problem with a GPO report in the Group Policy Management Console showing as “Extra Registry Settings” if you have imported a ADM file and then moved it to another location. For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981704

KB979621 A removable storage device is disabled when you enable a Group Policy to deny write access or to deny read access to the device on a computer that is running Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008

Fixes an issues with removable storage devices being totally disabled when you configure the “Deny write” option for removable devices. This will happen when configure the option and shutdown the computer. You will also get the following error message “The device is disabled. (Code 22)” when you go to the properties of the device.  This applies to the following types of devices:

• CD and DVD
• Floppy Drives
• Removable Disks
• Tape Drives
• WPD Devices

For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=979621

KB980628 The “Load a specific theme” Group Policy setting is not applied correctly on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2

Fixes a problem with specifying a them to load when you also enable the Prevent changing desktop background option. For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=980628

KB979731 Some Group Policy preferences are not applied successfully on computers that are running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2

For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=980628

KB981877 You cannot open an HTML GPO report that is created by the German version of Windows Server 2008 R2 or of Windows 7

This hot fixe resolves a problem creating a HTML report with a German version of GPMC. For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981877 

Thanks to Aaron Parker for the heads up on the KB981877

KB981054 The Group Policy preference settings for the “Terminal Session” item-level targeting item are not applied in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2.”

This is a fix for a really cool feature of Group Policy Preferences which allow IT administrator to target settings based on the IP address of the RDP client. For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981054 

KB981177 You can still unpin a program from the taskbar unexpectedly when you enable the “Do not allow pinning programs to the Taskbar” Group Policy on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

This hot fix is just a minor UI bug. For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981177 

KB981265 You cannot create a software installation Group Policy setting on a read-only domain controller in Windows Server 2008 R2.

This fixes a problem with GPMC trying to make a policy change against a read-only domain controller when someone tries to create and “assigned” software deployment. For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981265 

KB981750 Error message occurs when you use GPMC to view a software restriction Group Policy setting in Windows 7 and in Windows Server 2008 R2: “An error has occurred while collecting data for Software Restriction Policies”.

This fixes the following error message when you error message when you access Computer Configuration > Windows Setting > Security Settings > Software Restriction Policies due to a bug in GPMC calling an incorrect function when reading multiple string type registry key. For more info see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/981750 

Hope you find these users but as always make sure you thoroughly test any hotfix before you deploy them into production.

For details on getting the hot fix and to see the full article “The “Configure new tab page default behavior” Group Policy setting does not work on a computer that is running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2 and that has Internet Explorer 8 installed” here http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=980959

Description:

In an Active Directory domain network environment, you apply a “Desktop Wallpaper” Group Policy setting to the domain users. However, the setting is not applied to domain users who log on to client computers that are running Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.

This issue varies if the following conditions are true:

• If the domain user logs on the domain after you deploy the “Desktop Wallpaper” Group Policy setting, the desktop background changes to black.
• Note The color of the desktop background varies, depending on the color scheme that you set.
• If the domain user logs on the domain before you apply the “Desktop Wallpaper” Group Policy setting, the desktop background does not change.

Additionally, in the Personalization window of the client computer, the desktop background is displayed as being changed to the setting that you applied.

For more info and links to the hotfix go to The “Desktop Wallpaper” Group Policy setting is not applied in Windows 7 or in Windows Server 2008 R2