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Questions tagged [group-policy]

Group Policy is a built-in feature of the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Group Policy allows administrators to automatically configure myriad options within the OS. These policies can be configured, and applied, either locally to the computer via Local Group Policy or remotely within an Active Directory environment.

Group Policy is a built-in feature of the Microsoft Windows operating systems. Group Policy allows administrators to automatically configure myriad options within the OS. These policies can be configured, and applied, either locally to the computer via Local Group Policy or remotely within an Active Directory environment.

Microsoft has added Group Policy Preferences Client Side Extensions, formerly a third-party tool called PolicyMaker, to its in-support Windows OSes. The CSEs greatly extend the number features which can be configured via Group Policy.

See the following links for more details.

http://gpsearch.azurewebsites.net - Searchable list of configurable group policies http://blogs.technet.com/grouppolicy - Microsoft’s official Group Policy blog http://blogs.technet.com/askds - Ask Directory Services is the official blog from Microsoft engineers supporting group policy and other related AD technologies

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What takes precedence when multiple, conflicting GPOs apply to the same OU?

If two or more GPOs are applied to the same OU (and they have contradictory policies), which would be applied? For example, if there is a GPO with the computer policy "Enable autoplay on all drives" set to "enabled" in one GPO, and "disabled" in…
Austin ''Danger'' Powers
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How do you manage computers without Active Directory?

I need to setup between 5 - 10 computers to start with for a charity organization which can't offord to be running a dedicated server that maintains group policies for a growing number of staff. Is there a way I can manage policies of each computer…
PeanutsMonkey
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Group policy preferences that only target 32bit or 64bit os

I am currently deploying some files through GPP to a folder under program files. I now have to differ between a 64bits and 32bits os. What is the easy way to filter out what computer to target with the targeting editor? Wmi: SELECT * FROM…
Bård
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Need explanation of why a particular GPO is applied to all domain computers

I'm a little stumped on this one so I'm hoping someone can enlighten me, since I consider myself a pretty knowledgeable GPO person. I have a login banner GPO that changes the Interactive Logon: settings within Computer Configuration - Policies -…
TheCleaner
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What group-policies have you applied?

I have set about 10 group-policies, and it works OK. Although, it would be interesting to see what kind of things IT-administrators enforce. If you have a ton of policies, just show some, that you feel really changes something. I guess you could…
caspert
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GPO - Set Desktop Background But allow users to change

We have a policy setup to use an image for our desktop background, this works, however we have decided that by default this should be the setting but if the user wants to change it then they can, everything else under the Admin Templates > Control…
D-W
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Revert GPO Settings to Undefined

Revert All GPO settings to Undefined (Not reverse what they are now) I inadvertently applied GPOs to an entire OU which was not ready to be deployed yet. I have unlinked the GPOs but of course they have already been applied. Is there a way to undo…
Ben-Jamin
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Users can stop a GPO being applied

We have found some of our users when they log on they see the little black box where the GPO is being applied, they quickly close it, which stops the GPO from being applied. Is there a way to stop that from being closed? Any alternatives?
Jason Carter
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Where do ADMX files go in a mixed environment?

When I download ADMX files to use on our Windows Server 2008 machine, do I store them under Sysvol on our domain controller which is a Windows Server 2003 machine or do I put them in the policydefinitions folder on the Windows 2008 Server? I.e., do…
Sally
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how to prevent access to \\127.0.0.1\c$ or \\localhost\c$

For security purposes, we want to prevent our users from accessing the C drive on their computers and on the terminal servers. These users are not local admins on either their workstations or the servers. We have implemented the following Group…
curwin
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GPO to create subfolder and copy file

I am wanting to create a GPO (other methods are open for discussion as well) for the issue below. Any and all help would be appreciated, thanks! Users logs in, GPO creates a sub folder in C:\Users\%userprofile%\, then it copies a file from the DC…
Jonas Lear
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Determining if group policy needs to run synchronously

I have been working on speeding up network logins. As part of this process I'm disabling the 'always wait for network' option. This isn't inherently a problem, but I would really like to be able to pop up a dialog along the lines of "we see your…
Tim Brigham
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What Group Policy settings MUST be set within the Default Domain Policy?

Does anyone have an authoritative source of policies that, if set, MUST be set within the Default Domain Policy (if one chooses to set them)? Off the top of my head, I know that password policies and certain user session policies must be set within…
newmanth
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How to force background colour with GPO centred wallpaper?

As subject really. I can force a wallpaper through GPO, but how can I mandate that the desktop should be black? We have a mix of XP, Vista, and Windows 7 machines.
flooble
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Missing Remote Installation Services in GPO editor

A colleague added some new settings to the Default Domain Policy GPO. I wanted them to live in their own GPO, so I copy/pasted the Default Domain Policy GPO and started removing all but what I wanted out of the new GPO. There are settings relating…
Ross Presser
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