Populate GPO from Text File using VBScript or other - vbscript

Question

Ok, so we need to create a GPO that allows our users to only use specific programs.
GPO Location:
User Configuration
Policies
Administrative Templates [...]
System
Run only specified Windows applications
Then setting the GPO to enabled and clicking on List of allowed applications --> Show...
I have created an excel spreadsheet containing the names of all the programs and their associated executable files with other pertinent information so that we can easily organize, add, delete, etc. the executable files that we need to allow our users access to.
This spreadsheet then dumps all the executable files into a text file.
Here is an example of what the text file looks like:
Acrobat.exe
chrome.exe
calc.exe
.
.
.
There are a lot of entries and these are likely subject to change. What I am trying to do is create a script that will take that text file and populate the GPO automatically. I don't care if we have to open the window and then run it, it does not need to run from the task scheduler (although that would be amazing if someone has that code ready). We just need it to populate this ridiculous amount of executable filenames into the fields.
Here is code I found (VBScript) that when run, should populate the fields automatically, however I cannot get it to run in the Group Policy Management Editor (it runs in the windows explorer window instead and ends up searching for some of the files)
' Open the text file, located in the same path as the script
Set objFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
strPath = Mid(Wscript.ScriptFullName, 1, InStrRev(Wscript.ScriptFullName, wscript.ScriptName) -1)
Set objFile = objFSO.OpenTextFile(strPath & "appList.txt")
' Activate the "Show Contents" window with the "List of allowed applications".
' Note the window must be opened already and we should have selected where in
' the list we want to enter the data before running the script
set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
WScript.Sleep 1000
WshShell.AppActivate "Show Contents"
' Read the file line by line
Do While objFile.AtEndOfStream <> True
' Each line contains one EXE name
exeName = objFile.ReadLine
' Escape forbidden chars { } [ ] ( ) + ^ % ~
exeName = Replace(exeName, "[", "{[}")
exeName = Replace(exeName, "]", "{]}")
exeName = Replace(exeName, "(", "{(}")
exeName = Replace(exeName, ")", "{)}")
exeName = Replace(exeName, "+", "{+}")
exeName = Replace(exeName, "^", "{^}")
exeName = Replace(exeName, "%", "{%}")
exeName = Replace(exeName, "~", "{~}")
' Send the EXE name to the window
WScript.Sleep 100
WshShell.SendKeys exeName
' Move to the next one
WshShell.SendKeys "{TAB}"
Loop
objFile.Close
from: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/alejacma/archive/2011/03/24/how-to-update-quot-run-only-specified-windows-applications-quot-gpo-programmatically-vbscript.aspx

Answer 1

"C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy\User\Registry.pol"
Is where my policies are stored. It's a semi text file. Try writing to that file.

Answer 2

Ok, so I tried it many different ways. If anyone is looking for an answer to do this, this is the way I've figured it out and the way I've decided to proceed. I will post all relevant code below.
In Excel, the format of my table is as follows:
(With obviously WAY more entries)
Here is the VBA code I used to turn the data from this file into the proper format for the registry key:
VBA - In Excel
Public Sub ExportToTextFile(FName As String, _
Sep As String, SelectionOnly As Boolean, _
AppendData As Boolean)
Dim WholeLine As String
Dim FNum As Integer
Dim RowNdx As Long
Dim ColNdx As Integer
Dim StartRow As Long
Dim EndRow As Long
Dim StartCol As Integer
Dim EndCol As Integer
Dim CellValue As String
Application.ScreenUpdating = False
On Error GoTo EndMacro:
FNum = FreeFile
StartRow = 2
If SelectionOnly = True Then
With Selection
StartCol = .Cells(2).Column
EndRow = .Cells(.Cells.Count).Row
EndCol = .Cells(2).Column
End With
Else
With ActiveSheet.UsedRange
StartCol = .Cells(2).Column
EndRow = .Cells(.Cells.Count).Row
EndCol = .Cells(2).Column
End With
End If
If AppendData = True Then
Open FName For Append Access Write As #FNum
Else
Open FName For Output Access Write As #FNum
End If
For RowNdx = StartRow To EndRow
WholeLine = ""
For ColNdx = StartCol To EndCol
If Cells(RowNdx, ColNdx).Value = "" Then
CellValue = ""
Else
CellValue = Cells(RowNdx, ColNdx).Value
End If
WholeLine = WholeLine & Chr(34) & CellValue & ".exe" & Chr(34) & "=" & Chr(34) & CellValue & ".exe" & Chr(34) & Sep
Next ColNdx
WholeLine = Left(WholeLine, Len(WholeLine) - Len(Sep))
Print #FNum, WholeLine; ""
Next RowNdx
EndMacro:
On Error GoTo 0
Application.ScreenUpdating = True
Close #FNum
End Sub
Sub PipeExport()
Dim FileName As Variant
Dim Sep As String
FileName = Application.GetSaveAsFilename(InitialFileName:="appList", filefilter:="Text (*.txt),*.txt")
If FileName = False Then
''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' user cancelled, get out
''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Exit Sub
End If
Sep = "|"
If Sep = vbNullString Then
''''''''''''''''''''''''''
' user cancelled, get out
''''''''''''''''''''''''''
Exit Sub
End If
Debug.Print "FileName: " & FileName, "Extension: " & Sep
ExportToTextFile FName:=CStr(FileName), Sep:=CStr(Sep), _
SelectionOnly:=False, AppendData:=False
End Sub
Private Sub Workbook_BeforeSave(ByVal SaveAsUI As Boolean, Cancel As Boolean)
PipeExport
End Sub
The file that is created is appList.txt and its format is the same format as the registry key:
"Acrobat.exe"="Acrobat.exe"
"AcroRd32.exe"="AcroRd32.exe"
Now in your GPO, add a unique program name to the allowed applications list (say test1234.exe) and in your registry editor, go to Edit > Find test1234.exe.
Export that registry key under File > Export. Remove the test1234.exe line and paste in your text file. Then reimport that file and you're done!