Local Group Policies - Apply to All Users Except Administrators

How to Apply Local Group Policies to All Users Except Administrators​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to apply Local Group Policies to all users except administrators in Vista, Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this tutorial.

   Warning

The Local Group Policy Editor is only available in:

• Vista Business, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.
• Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions
• Windows 8/8.1 Pro and Enterprise editions.
• Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions.

Here's How:
1. Open the Start Menu, type mmc.exe in the search box, and press Enter.
NOTE: In Windows 8, you could press Windows+R keys to open the Run dialog, then type mmc.exe, and click/tap on OK instead.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes (Windows 7/8/10) or Continue (Vista).

3. In the MMC Console window, click on File (Menu bar) and Add/Remove Snap-in. (see screenshot below)

4. In the left pane, select Group Policy Object Editor, and click on the Add button. (see screenshot below)

5. Click on the Browse button. (see screenshot below)

6. Click on the Users tab, select an Non-Administrators, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)

7. Click on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)

8. Click on OK. (see screenshot below)

9. In the MMC Console window, click on File (Menu bar) and Save As. (see screenshot below)

10. Select to save to your Desktop, type in a name (ex: Non-Administrators-Group-Policy) that you would like to have for this "all users except administrators" group policy MSC file, then click on the Save button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can use any name you like, but it would make it easier for you to know what user (ex: Test) or group this "specific" group policy MMC console was for later if you included the user or group name.

11. Move the MSC file (ex: Non-Administrators-Group-Policy.msc) to where you would to keep it saved at. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can also Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu this MSC file.

12. Whenever you open this MSC file (ex: Non-Administrators-Group-Policy.msc), it will only apply group policies to all users except administrators. (see screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add Local Group Policy Editor to the Control Panel in Windows
• How to Open the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows
• How to Apply Local Group Policies to a Specific User or Group in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Back Up and Restore Local Group Policy in Windows
• How to Reset Local Group Policy to Default in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Quickly View Enabled Group Policies in Windows
• How to Force Group Policy Updates to be Applied Instantly in Windows

 

[Brink]

Hello mfran,

Configured policies under "Computer Configuration" would be applied to all users.

The procedure in the tutorial would only show policies under "User Configuration" though.

 

[mfran2002]

Hi Brink and thans or your reply
you are right, but I should disable the user right to install programs.

I only thought to activate "disable windows installer" but it is under

"computer configuration - administrative templates - windows components - windows installer"

so I cannot use it...

do you know how I could do?

thanks a lot for your help

 

[Brink]

You could use it, but it would be applied for all users.

Depending on what your end goal is, you could make the user a Guest account that can't do anything other than the real basics. They wouldn't be able install anything.

 

[mfran2002]

unfortunately the policies of my company push to include laptop users (they are the users I'm speaking now) into the Administrators group, but they should also have some restrictions.

For the other restrictions I'm ok, but for this one I'm struggling....

I really have no idea how to do...

 

[Brink]

It's hard to restrict an administrator since they have the rights to undo anything.

 

[mfran2002]

mmmm...listen...weird workaround:

if I activate that policy under "computer configuration", it creates me the file:


C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy\Machine\Registry.pol


then, if I deny the access to that file at the user Administrator? is it an idiot idea or it could work?
:-/

 

[Brink]

It would work, but as administrator, they could go in an grant themselves access if wanted or if they know how to.

 

[imacange]

import/export

I've been using your tutorial on 10 laptops and it works perfectly.
Now I need to setup another 20 laptops, is there a way to copy/paste the rules from one laptop to the other?
When I copy the file it does not take it with the rules that were set.

 

[Brink]

Hello imacange, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You might see if using the method in the tutorial below to backup and restore local group policies may work for this.

:ar: Local Group Policy - Backup and Restore in Windows Tutorial | Windows 8 Help Forums