How to create/Enable/Disable GPO?

Creating a GPO in Active Directory

GPOs can be created and managed using the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC). The configuration settings can be edited using the Group Policy Object Editor (gpedit) console. The following steps illustrate how to create a GPO:

  • Open the GPMC snap-in. Go to Start Menu → Administrative Tools → Group Policy Management Console.
  • In the left pane, expand the Forest container and then the domain container
  • Select the domain for which the policy settings have to created and applied
  • Double-click on the domain to see a list of OUs and other containers in the domain
  • Right-click on the Group Policy Objects container and select New
  • Enter the name of the GPO and click OK

To View and edit the settings of a GPO

The following steps illustrate how to view the various settings configured under a GPO:

  • Open the GPMC snap-in. Go to Start Menu → Administrative Tools → Group Policy Management Console.
  • Right-click on the Group Policy Objects container and select a GPO
  • In the right pane, select the Settings Tab and click Show all
  • If the policy settings are not defined for a GPO, both Computer configuration and User configuration sections will show “No settings defined”
  • To configure policy settings for the GPO, right-click anywhere on the right pane or on the GPO and select Edit
  • The Group Policy Object Editor will open. Browse through the Computer configuration and User configuration settings and define them as necessary

Linking a GPO

Creating a GPO and defining settings for that GPO will not apply them to the target users and computers. To apply the configuration policy settings in a GPO, it has to be linked to a site or a domain or an OU. The following steps illustrate how to link a GPO:

  • Open the GPMC snap-in. Go to Start Menu → Administrative Tools → Group Policy Management Console.
  • In the left pane, expand the Forest container and then the domain container. Browse to the target domain
  • Right-click on the domain or site or an OU and select Link an existing GPO…
  • In the Select GPO dialog box, under Group Policy Objects, select the GPO and click OK.

Now all the policy settings configured for that GPO will be applied to all users and computers present in the site, domain or OU to which the GPO is linked.

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