Local Group Policy Editor - Open

How to Open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to open the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

To search for a group policy or for it's registry key, value, and etc..., see:

Group Policy Search

and

Download Details - Microsoft Download Center - Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows and Windows Server

   Note

The Local Group Policy Editor is a Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in that provides a single user interface through which all the Computer Configuration and User Configuration settings of Local Group Policy objects can be managed for your computer.

• Computer Configuration
  Administrators can use Computer Configuration to set policies that are applied to computer, regardless of who logs on to the computers. Computer Configuration typically contains sub-items for software settings, Windows settings, and administrative templates.
• User Configuration
  Administrators can use User Configuration to set policies that apply to users, regardless of which computer they log on to. User Configuration typically contains sub-items for software settings, Windows settings, and administrative templates.

By default the Local Group Policy Editor is applied to all users unless you use a specific users or groups, or all users except administrators Local Group Policy Editor to apply User Configuration policies.

   Warning

• You will need to be an administrator to open the Local Group Policy Editor.
• In Windows 7, the Local Group Policy Editor will only be available in the Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.
• In Windows RT, 8, and 8.1, the Local Group Policy Editor will only be available in the Pro and Enterprise editions.
• In Windows 10, the Local Group Policy Editor will only be available in the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.

EXAMPLE: Local Group Policy Editor

Here's How:
1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter. NOTE: This file is located at C:\Windows\System32\gpedit.msc.
2. If prompted by UAC, click on Yes.

3. You can now set and manage the Local Group Policies on your computer to how you want them.
NOTE: For more details and information about how to use the Local Group Policy Editor, click on the blue ? toolbar icon. (See screenshot below)

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Back Up and Restore Local Group Policy in Windows
• How to Open the Local Security Policy Editor in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Open Local Users and Groups in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Create a Custom MSC in Microsoft Management Console
• How to Apply Local Group Policies to All Users Except Administrators
• How to Add Local Group Policy Editor to the Windows 7 Control Panel
• How to Apply Group Policies to a Specific User or Group in Vista and Windows 7
• How to Create and Delete a User Group in Windows 7 and Vista
• 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]

well, i have the home premium ed, and instead have C:\Windows\System32\compmgmt.msc that opens the same pannel

Hello Isag,

I'm sorry, but the Computer Management (compmgmt.msc) window is not the same as the Local Group Policy Editor window (gpedit.msc). Group Policy is just not available in Home Premium.

 

[evilslosh]

No Group Policy avail., found fix

Hi All...

I was unable, or at least too impatient, to locate/install Group Policy Editor. While there appeared to be a couple copies of gpedit.msc on my machine, none of them worked.

I was however able to rectify the "renaming" issue by completing the following adjustment:

Control Panel> Folder Options> View [tab]>

Checkbox "Always Show Icons, never thumbnails"

This appears to have solved my issue fixing all the mp3 tags and folders I have on my machine, thanks.

 

[Brink]

Hello EvilSlosh, and welcome to Seven Forums.

I'm sorry, but Group Policy (gpedit.msc) is not included in Windows 7 Home Premium.

 

[harishkumar09]

How do users of Windows Home Basic use Group Policy ?

Is there a work around ?

 

[Brink]

Hello Harish, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Sorry, but Group Policy is not available in Windows Home Basic, nor can it be added.

The only workaround would be to set the group policy settings via regedit instead. To help, the links in the green info box at the top of the tutorial can help show you the registry locations for group policy settings. In addition, there may be a tutorial already written that will have a .reg file already created to make it easy to change as well. If you like, you could look through the tutorial index for any that may be created.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[Hawaiian]

Just reading through posts - What amazing amount of patience you all have!

 

[bl00keRs]

Is there any chance to add gpedit to context menu? I've tried with the registry file below but I get an error message about invalid Win-32 program.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Group Policy]
@="Group Policy"
"HasLUAShield"=""
"Extended"=""
"Position"="Top"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Group Policy\command]
@="gpedit.msc"

 

[Brink]

Hello bl00keRs,

Sure is. You almost have the .reg file correct. You were just missing the part bolded in red below.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Group Policy]
@="Group Policy"
"HasLUAShield"=""
"Extended"=""
"Position"="Top"
 
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Group Policy\command]
@="[B][COLOR=red]mmc.exe /s[/COLOR][/B] gpedit.msc"

 

[bl00keRs]

That was fast help Thanks!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome.

 

[Zachrey]

Help! I think I might have done something bad!

I uninstalled GWX.exe by manually taking ownership of the file and deleting it, using Windows Explorer (Win7HomePremium) in administrator mode.

Then out of curiosity, I tried to delete the GWX folder and it deleted!? I thought I only took ownership of the GWX.exe file. So I tried to delete the folder below GWX called "he-IL" and it gave the usual message with a "Try Again" button so I hit Cancel.

Then I tried to delete the folder above GWX called GroupPolicyUser and it deleted!!

So I accidentally deleted folder
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\GroupPolicyUsers

I went to the recycle bin and then dragged the folder back to
c:\Windows\SysWOW64\
And it appeared to fail because the folder GroupPolicyUsers did not reappear but there was a folder that was highlighted called $RZPC2NR.

Should I rename it to GroupPolicyUsers ? The properties of the folder was zero bytes (empty folder) as is the folder "GroupPolicy"

 

[Brink]

Hello Zachrey,

No worries. Deleting the GroupPolicyUser folder essentially will only reset the "User Configuration" group policies back to default as "Not Configured".

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/214461-local-group-policy-reset-default.html

 

[Zachrey]

HalleluYah!! Thank you so much, Brink! Yahweh bless you and keep you!
--Zac

 

[maxseven]

Probably mentioned already in this thread, but an MS-approved way to see the Registry settings needed for policy changes is to use their spreadsheets:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=25250

 

[ilyabyk83]

Hi Crimson,

That works just as well as the searching for the file name. You can do a search with "edit" in the Control Panel to get the same result though.
View attachment 37136
Personally, I just created a shortcut from the C:\Windows\System32\gpedit.msc file, and use it to make it easier to open from.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

My computer shows differently...

 

[Brink]

You might see if searching for "group" instead may have it show in the Control Panel instead.

Either way, you can type gpedit.msc in the Run (Win+R) dialog to open it.

 

[ilyabyk83]

You might see if searching for "group" instead may have it show in the Control Panel instead.

Either way, you can type gpedit.msc in the Run (Win+R) dialog to open it.

Nope.. can't open neither...

 

[Brink]

What edition of Windows 7 do you have installed?

 

[ilyabyk83]

What edition of Windows 7 do you have installed?

Here you go

 

[Brink]

Ah, that's why then.

Local Group Policy Editor is not included in the Windows 10 Home edition. It's only in the Pro, Enterprise, or Education editions instead.