Automating Group Policy changes

  • Thread starter BertieBigBollox
  • Start date
B

BertieBigBollox

Newbie question....

I've got a list of Group Policy changes to perform. Is there any way to
automate if I want to do the same on another machine?

Can I export after I've made the changes and import this onto another
machine?
 
K

Kevin Sullivan

Well... of course you can create one GPO that applys to all of the
computers/users in a given AD path. That is the beauty of the whole system.
One GPO affecting many users/computers.

Depending on what settings you are talking about there are other things you
can do, like create secruity templates to be deployed.

Also, whitin the GPMC you can create a GPO, back it up and then create other
GPOs and import the settings from the old into the new (sort of creating a
template of sorts for a starting point.).

Is AD at play here or are you just using Local Group Policy?

Kevin
 
B

BertieBigBollox

Well... of course you can create one GPO that applys to all of the
computers/users in a given AD path. That is the beauty of the whole system.
One GPO affecting many users/computers.

Depending on what settings you are talking about there are other things you
can do, like create secruity templates to be deployed.

Also, whitin the GPMC you can create a GPO, back it up and then create other
GPOs and import the settings from the old into the new (sort of creating a
template of sorts for a starting point.).

Is AD at play here or are you just using Local Group Policy?

Standalone server so no AD....

All I want to do is be able to edit the group policies on one machine,
then when I go to another machine import this. Can I just export and
import ?
 
K

Kevin Sullivan

if they are security settings you can create security templates (.inf files)
that can be imported into the other machine. But most of Group Policy
(Administrative templates and such) are not included into the templates.

Are your settings security settings? or ADM stuff like desktop lockdown...?
 
B

BertieBigBollox

Kevin said:
if they are security settings you can create security templates (.inf files)
that can be imported into the other machine. But most of Group Policy
(Administrative templates and such) are not included into the templates.

Are your settings security settings? or ADM stuff like desktop lockdown...?

Admin templates and security stuff...
 
M

Mark Heitbrink [MVP]

Hi,

I've got a list of Group Policy changes to perform. Is there any way to
automate if I want to do the same on another machine?

Copy
%systemroot%\system32\GroupPolicy\Machine\registry.pol
%systemroot%\system32\GroupPolicy\User\registry.pol
after that make a gpupdate /force

Security Settings:
Create them with the MMC SnapIn Security Template and save the *.inf
apply it by:
secedit /configure /db %temp%\temp.sdb /cfg path_and_nameofyour.inf

Mark
 
B

BertieBigBollox

Copy
%systemroot%\system32\GroupPolicy\Machine\registry.pol
%systemroot%\system32\GroupPolicy\User\registry.pol
after that make a gpupdate /force

Security Settings:
Create them with the MMC SnapIn Security Template and save the *.inf
apply it by:
secedit /configure /db %temp%\temp.sdb /cfg path_and_nameofyour.inf

Both of these steps?

I thought all the group policy stuff was stored in these two .pol
files....
 
M

Mark Heitbrink [MVP]

Both of these steps?
Yes.

I thought all the group policy stuff was stored in these two .pol
files....

No. Only the Registry entries from Administrative Templates.

Mark
 
B

BertieBigBollox

Hi,
Copy
%systemroot%\system32\GroupPolicy\Machine\registry.pol
%systemroot%\system32\GroupPolicy\User\registry.pol
after that make a gpupdate /force

Only trouble is you can't access these files when windows is running
(which I suppose makes sense).
Security Settings:
Create them with the MMC SnapIn Security Template and save the *.inf
apply it by:
secedit /configure /db %temp%\temp.sdb /cfg path_and_nameofyour.inf

Do you mean gpedit.msc to create them?
 

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