Local policies in Windows 10. How do I start the "Local Group Policy Editor"? Adding an editor to Windows Home

Are you trying to start the Local Group Policy Editor using the gpedit.msc command in Windows 10 Home? And you get the error "Can't find gpedit.msc. Please check if the name is correct and try again"? The fact is that in the home edition it simply does not exist. The lack of a group policy editor in windows 10 home is a headache for home users. They are limited in the settings of the operating system. All simple manipulations that can be performed quickly and easily using Group Policy have to be edited through the Registry Editor, which is very incomprehensible, confusing and difficult for ordinary users.

Group Policy is a tool that allows network administrators to change the ability to enable or disable many important settings. It contains all the settings that can be changed through the desktop in a couple of clicks, but unfortunately Microsoft does not include the Gpedit feature in Windows 10 Home edition. And accordingly, home users have to change the "kosher" parameters through the registry.

Activate Local Group Policy Editor Gpedit.msc in Windows 10 Home

Windows 10 doesn't have a built-in tool that can activate the Local Group Policy Editor. Thus, the only way is to help the third-party Policy Plus utility with a Russian interface.

Policy Plus

Policy Plus is a free program that perfectly activates the local group policy editor "Gpedit.msc" in Windows 10 Home. This tool is licensed to run on Windows 10, so you can run it without any problem violating the terms. Policy Plus resembles the real Windows 10 Group Policy Editor.

Step 1... Download Policy Plus from Github repository ... Once the download is complete, open the file and you will immediately get a simple clean interface with all the policy settings in categories and subcategories.

Step 2... Click " Help", and then " Acquire ADMX Files ". In the window that appears, click " Begin"(start). This will download the complete set of policies from Microsoft.

Step 3... You can start adjusting the parameters of your windows 10 Home system.

One of the main tools for fine-tuning user and Windows system settings are group policies - GPO (Group Policy Object)... The computer itself and its users can be affected by domain group policies (if the computer is in an Active Directory domain) and local (these policies are configured locally and applied only on this computer). Group Policy is a great way to customize your system to improve its functionality, security, and safety. However, for novice system administrators who decided to experiment with the security of their computer, incorrect configuration of some local (or domain) group policy settings can lead to various problems: from minor problems, such as the inability to connect a printer or USB flash drive, to a complete ban on installing or launching any applications (via SPR or AppLocker policies), or even banning local or remote logins.

In such cases, when the administrator cannot log on to the system locally, or does not know exactly which of the applied policy settings is causing the problem, it is necessary to resort to an emergency scenario of resetting the Group Policy settings to the standard settings (by default). In the "clean" state of the computer, none of the Group Policy settings are configured.

In this article, we will show you several methods to reset local and domain group policy settings to their default values. This instruction is universal and can be used to reset GPO settings on all supported versions of Windows: from Windows 7 to Windows 10, as well as for all versions of Windows Server 2008 / R2, 2012 / R2 and 2016.

Resetting local policies using the gpedit.msc console

This method assumes the use of the graphical console of the Local Group Policy Editor gpedit.msc to disable all configured policies. The local GPO graphical editor is available only in Pro, Enterprise and Education editions.

Advice... There is no Local Group Policy Editor console in Home editions of Windows, but you can still start it. From the links below you can download and install the gpedit.msc console for Windows 7 and Windows 10:

Run the gpedit.msc snap-in and go to the section All Settings local computer policies ( Local Computer Policy -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative templates -> Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates). This section contains a list of all policies that can be configured in administrative templates. Sort policies by column State(State) and find all active policies (are in state Disabled/ Disabled or Enabled/ Included). Disable the action of all or only certain policies by putting them in the state Notconfigured(Not set).

The same actions must be carried out in the section of user policies ( UserConfiguration/ User config). In this way, you can disable the effect of all settings in the Administrative GPO templates.

Advice... A list of all applied local and domain policy settings in a convenient html report can be obtained using the built-in utility using the command:
gpresult / h c: \ distr \ gpreport2.html

The above method of resetting group policies in Windows is suitable for the most "simple" cases. Incorrect settings of group policies can lead to more serious problems, for example: the inability to start the gpedit.msc snap-in or all programs in general, the loss of system administrator rights by the user, or a ban on logging in locally. Let's consider these cases in more detail.

Force reset local GPOs from the command line

This section describes how to force reset all current Group Policy settings in Windows. However, first, let's describe some of the principles of how the Group Policy Administrative Templates work in Windows.

The architecture of Group Policy is based on special files Registry.pol... These files store registry settings that correspond to certain settings in the configured group policies. User and computer policies are stored in different files Registry.pol.

Computer configuration settings (section Computer Configuration) are stored in% SystemRoot% \ System32 \ GroupPolicy \ Machine \ registry.pol
Custom policies (section User Configuration) -% SystemRoot% \ System32 \ GroupPolicy \ User \ registry.pol

When the computer boots, the system imports the contents of the \ Machine \ Registry.pol file into the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM) branch of the system registry. The contents of the \ User \ Registry.pol file are imported into the HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU) branch when the user logs in.

When opened, the Local Group Policy Editor Console loads the contents of these files and provides them in a graphical form that is convenient for the user. When you close the GPO Editor, your changes are written to the Registry.pol files. After updating the group policies (using the gpupdate / force command or according to the schedule), the new settings are added to the registry.

Advice... To make changes to files, you should only use the Group Policy Editor GPO. It is not recommended to edit Registry.pol files manually or using old versions of Group Policy Editor!

To remove all current local Group Policy settings, you must delete the Registry.pol files in the GroupPolicy directory. This can be done with the following commands, run in the command line with administrator rights:

RD / S / Q "% WinDir% \ System32 \ GroupPolicyUsers" RD / S / Q "% WinDir% \ System32 \ GroupPolicy"

After that, you need to update the policy settings in the registry:

Gpupdate / force

These commands will reset all local group policy settings in the Computer Configuration and User Configuration sections.

Open the gpedit.msc editor console and make sure that all policies are in the Not configured state. After launching the gpedit.msc console, remote folders will be created automatically with default settings.

Resetting local Windows security policies

Local security policies configurable using a separate management console secpol.msc... If computer problems are caused by “tightening the screws” in local security policies, and if the user still has access to the system and administrative rights, you should first try resetting the local Windows security policies to their default values. To do this, in the command line with administrator rights, run:

For Windows 10, Windows 8.1 / 8 and Windows 7: secedit / configure / cfg% windir% \ inf \ defltbase.inf / db defltbase.sdb / verbose
For Windows XP: secedit / configure / cfg% windir% \ repair \ secsetup.inf / db secsetup.sdb / verbose

Then the computer needs to be restarted.

If problems with security policies persist, try manually renaming the local security policy database checkpoint file% windir% \ security \ database \ edb.chk

ren% windir% \ security \ database \ edb.chk edb_old.chk

Run the command:
gpupdate / force
Restart Windows with:
Shutdown –f –r –t 0

Resetting local policies when Windows cannot log on

In the event that the local logon is not possible or the command line cannot be started (for example, when blocking it and other programs using). You can delete the Registry.pol files by booting from the Windows installation disc or any LiveCD.

Reset applied domain GPO settings

A few words about domain group policies. If a computer is included in an Active Directory domain, some of its settings can be managed by a domain administrator through domain GPOs.

The registry.pol files of all applied domain group policies are stored in the directory % windir% \ System32 \ GroupPolicy \ DataStore \ 0 \ SysVol \ contoso.com \ Policies... Each policy is stored in a separate directory with a domain policy GUID.

These registry.pol files correspond to the following registry keys:

HKLM \ Software \ Policies \ Microsoft
HKCU \ Software \ Policies \ Microsoft
HKCU \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Group Policy Objects
HKCU \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Policies

The history of applied versions of domain policies that were saved on the client is located in the branches:

HKLM \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Group Policy \ History \
HKCU \ Software \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Group Policy \ History \

When a computer is excluded from the domain, the registry.pol files of domain policies on the computer are deleted and, accordingly, are not loaded into the registry.

If you need to forcefully delete domain GPO settings, you need to clear the% windir% \ System32 \ GroupPolicy \ DataStore \ 0 \ SysVol \ contoso.com \ Policies directory and delete the specified registry branches (it is highly recommended to back up the deleted files and registry branches !!!) ... Then run the command:

gpupdate / force / boot

Advice... This technique allows you to reset all local Group Policy settings in all versions of Windows. All settings made using Group Policy Editor are reset, however not reset all changes made to the registry directly through the registry editor, .reg files or in any other way.

Local group policy editor, one of the tools of windows 10, windows 7, windows 8, windows 8.1, except for home versions, which is not very popular among ordinary users, but has come to the liking of network administrators.

It allows you to control all OS parameters from one point. This is especially useful if you are a network administrator and need to set the same rules for multiple computers / laptops or users in the same area.

Also, the local group policy editor offers a wide range of features and settings that cannot be found in ordinary places and can be very useful for ordinary users.

Read this guide to find out what local group policy is, where it is located, how to open it, and how to work with it on all versions of Windows.

What is Local Group Policy Editor

By definition, Group Policy is a function that gives you an access point to administer, configure the operating system, programs, and user preferences on computers and laptops.

Of course, this is very useful if you are a network administrator and you need to enter certain rules or parameters for computers and / or users.

However, this scenario is not the focus of this tutorial. Local policies represent the management of computers, not just those registered in the group.

Simply put, you should think of Group Policy as a tool that regulates the functioning of windows 10, windows 7, windows 8, windows 8.1 operating systems on your computer.

Who Can Launch Local Group Policy Editor

Since the Local Group Policy Editor is a well-developed tool, you should be aware that it is not available for home editions. You can only run it on:

Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise
Windows 8 i1 Professional, Enterprise
Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise

What you can do in the Local Group Policy Editor

You can configure many OS parameters as an administrator and other users will not be able to change your parameters later. Here are some examples:

You can enable users to use certain applications on your computer.
Block access to external devices (for example, USB memory sticks) connected to the computer.
Block user access to control panel or application settings.
Hide some control panel items.
Sets the background for the desktop and block the ability of users to change it.
Block enabling or disabling network connections and access to their properties.
Prevent users from reading or writing data to CDs, DVDs, external storage devices, etc.
Disable all key combinations that start with the Win button. For example, Win + R (opens Run).

These are just a few examples, and in fact there are many other parameters.

How to open the Local Group Policy Editor on Windows 7

Use the search function to open the Local Group Policy Editor on Windows 7.

To do this, click the "Start menu", and in the search bar, enter "gpedit.msc" (without quotes) and in the output field, click on the icon "gpedit.msc" or "Edit Group Policy" - whichever appears.

Alternatively, you can use the Run tool. The fastest way to launch it is to simultaneously press "Win + R", write "gpedit.msc" and press the "OK" button.

How to enter the Local Group Policy Editor on Windows 8.1

As in Windows 7, the tool can be quickly launched by using a search and entering it without quotes - "gpedit.msc".

After that, as a result of the search, click "gpedit". You can also use the Run window as described in the previous section.

How to open the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 10

In the Windows 10 operating system, launch the Local Group Policy Editor in the same way as in Windows 8.1 and Windows 7.

Likewise, you can write "gpedit.msc" in the search window and click on the corresponding icon in the results display.

Anyone who likes to use the "Run" window can open it and run the editor as described in the sections above - the top ten is identical.

This is the open view of the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 10.

NOTE: Local Group Policy Editor looks almost identical and offers the same options, settings and features as Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10. Therefore, screenshots taken only in Windows 10 will be used here.

How to work with the Local Group Policy Editor

The Local Group Policy Editor is divided into two parts: the left side displays the categories, and the right side displays the contents of the active category.

Group Policy is organized in two main sections:

Computer Configuration - contains settings that are applied to all computers, regardless of users.
User configuration - contains parameters for users. They apply specifically to users, not to the computer.

Software settings - software, the section of which should be empty by default.
Windows Settings - Contains security settings. This is the place where you can find or add scripts to run when your computer starts up or shuts down.

Administrative Templates - contains a large number of settings that control many aspects of your computer. Here you can view, edit and even impose all sorts of settings and rules. Here are just a few examples. You can manage user settings, Control Panel, Network, Start Menu and Taskbar.

How to edit with the Local Group Policy Editor

In order to better understand the process of use, let's take an example. Let's say you want to set a specific desktop background that will be used for each existing user.

To get to the desktop settings, you need to go to the User Configuration category in the left pane. Then go to the Administrative Templates option, open Desktop and select Desktop Settings.

In the right pane, you will see all the parameters that can be configured from the selected administrative template. For each parameter, two columns are displayed on its right side:

The column "Status" tells which parameters are not configured and are active or inactive.

The left side of this panel shows detailed information about what a particular parameter does and its effects. This information is displayed in the left pane whenever you select a setting.

For example, if you select "Desktop Wallpaper", on the left side you will see that the setting can be applied to versions from Windows 2000 and newer.

If you want to change the settings of the desktop wallpaper, double-click on it with the right mouse button or right-click and select "Change".

A window with settings for editing will appear. For example, in our case, we can specify the background for the desktop.

To do this, you need to put a checkbox in front of the word "Enabled" and indicate the path to the image.

Finally, you must click the Apply or OK button to activate the setting.

This is just the simplest example. I don’t want to even mention writing different scripts right now, as most will not use them.

Overall, the Local Group Policy Editor is a sophisticated tool that, oddly enough, can easily set different rules for your computers and their users.

To consider every aspect and all the available settings, you will have to write a book, but I hope that now you at least know the basic principles of this tool.

If you have any questions about the Local Group Policy Editor, feel free to say so in the comment below. Good luck.

Activate Local Group Policy Editor Gpedit.msc in Windows 10 Home

Windows 10 doesn't have a built-in tool that can activate the Local Group Policy Editor. Thus, the only way is to help the third-party Policy Plus utility with a Russian interface.

Policy Plus

Step 2... Click " Help", and then " Acquire ADMX Files ". In the window that appears, click " Begin"(start). This will download the complete set of policies from Microsoft.

Step 3... You can start adjusting the parameters of your windows 10 Home system.

Windows 10 users with Starter or Home versions have a problem running gpedit.msc. The following message appears on the screen: “Can't find“ gpedit.msc ”. Please check if the name is correct and try again. " Why the Local Group Policy Editor (which is called by the gpedit.msc command) is not found in Windows 10, read this article.

About the editor

Local Group Policy Editor is essentially a graphical registry editor. It is designed for fine tuning Windows. At the moment, the developers have cut the editor in the Home and Starter versions, leaving it in Windows 10 Professional (Pro) and Enterprise (Enterprise). Officially, you cannot use the editor in versions where it is cut, so users can make the necessary settings in the registry editor. But you can bring back a custom "GUI editor".

Advice! To find out the correspondence of the editor's policies to the registry value, special tables from Microsoft: Group Policy Settings Reference for Windows and Windows Server will help.

How to install?

There are 2 solutions:

transferring editor files from the Pro version, installing components from the distribution kit and installing an unofficial application compiled into the installer by the user for Windows 7 (but it is suitable for versions 8.1 and 10);
installation of the application with the subsequent transfer of system files and libraries.

Important! Since you will be working with system files, there is always the possibility of system damage. Recommend .

Method 1

To transfer files, you need administrator rights.

Good to know! In Windows 10, developers have disabled the function to enter Safe Mode by pressing the F8 key before booting the system. They did it to boot the OS faster. ...

Disable UAC

Right-click on "Start" and select "Control Panel".
Go to the "User Accounts" section.
In the new window, click Change User Account Control Settings.
Set the slider to the lowest state "Never notify" and click "OK".

Transfer procedure

To install the "Local Group Policy Editor", you need a Windows 10 distribution kit. You can download it on the Microsoft website using MediaCreationTool. Also, the utility will allow or create an ISO-image of the disc. Also, you need the gpedit.msc file itself, which you need to copy from a computer running Windows 10 Pro. If one is not available, you can install Windows 10 Pro on a USB flash drive.

To transfer:

Connect a disk or flash drive with the system distribution or mount an ISO image to a virtual drive.
Download and install a utility that will help you transfer system files correctly.
Copy the gpedit.msc file from Windows 10 Pro and transfer it to your version in the directory: C: \ Windows \ System32
Now install the system files from the .Net Framework 3.5 package. They need to be installed locally from the previously created Windows distribution. Go to the command line (Administrator) and run the command: Dism / online / enable-feature / featurename: NetFx3 / All / Source: D: \ sources \ sxs / LimitAccess
where, D: \ sources \ sxs is the path to the .Net Framework 3.5 installation files that are located on the Windows 10 media.
Follow the prompts of the installer and complete the installation. Then go to C: \ Windows \ System32
and run the previously copied gpedit.msc file

Important! The editor was created before the release of Windows 8 and 10, it does not contain policies added to these versions of systems.

Method 2

This method does not require an additional distribution kit or files of the Windows Pro version, but you will have to transfer some system files manually. To start the editor:

If an error appears after starting, go to C: \ Windows \ Temp \ gpedit and run the x86.bat or x64.bat file depending on the bitness of your Windows 10.

Have questions after writing this article? Share them in the comments or use the form.