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This guide is included as part of the Windows Guides security and administration series. In this guide, you will learn what the Group Policy Editor is and how to access and configure it.

This guide covers the following:

What is the Group Policy Editor?

Group Policy is a feature of Microsoft Windows that provides centralized management and configuration of computers.

Please Note: The Group Policy Editor is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. When possbile, a workaround using the registry editor is included in my guides. Please follow these workarounds if you use any of the above operating systems.

Accessing the Group Policy Editor

In Windows XP, press Start > Run and type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
In Windows Vista, press the start button, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
In Windows 7, press the start button, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.

When the Group Policy Editor loads, you will be presented with a screen that looks like Figure 1.

Working with the Group Policy Editor

Figure 1: Screenshot of the Windows Group Policy Editor

Enabling Options

To enable any options (as directed in any of the guides), simply double-click on the option in the right pane and change the setting to Enabled (see Figure 2.)

Working with the Group Policy Editor

Figure 2: Enabling Options in Windows Group Policy Editor

Now you know what the Group Policy Editor is, why not learn what you can do with it?

About Rich

Rich is the owner and creator of Windows Guides; he spends his time breaking things on his PC so he can write how-to guides to fix them.

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Comments

32 thoughts on “How to Use the Group Policy Editor (Windows 7, Vista, XP)”

  1. Happy Reader says:

    I wish Vista Home had this tool as some of the guides in the book need it :(

  2. Happy Reader says:

    I wish Vista Home had this tool as some of the guides in the book need it :(

  3. Happy Reader says:

    I wish Vista Home had this tool as some of the guides in the book need it :(

  4. Disable Shutdown in Windows Vi says:

    […] Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  5. Make User Account Control (UAC says:

    […] Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. There is a workaround using the registry editor included. Please follow this workaround if you use any of the above operating systems. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  6. Disable Restart Now Message af says:

    […] Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  7. Search Google, Wikipedia, and says:

    […] Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  8. Disable System Properties Acce says:

    […] This guide is included as part of the Windows Guides security and administration series. Please visit the main page if you would like to learn why this guide may be useful. Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  9. Disable Logging off in Windows says:

    […] This guide is included as part of the Windows Guides security and administration series. Please visit the main page if you would like to learn why this guide may be useful. Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  10. Disable Run Dialogue in Window says:

    […] This guide is included as part of the Windows Guides security and administration series. Please visit the main page if you would like to learn why this guide may be useful. Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  11. Disable Control Panel Access i says:

    […] This guide is included as part of the Windows Guides security and administration series. Please visit the main page if you would like to learn why this guide may be useful. Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  12. Disable Right Click in Windows says:

    […] This guide is included as part of the Windows Guides security and administration series. Please visit the main page if you would like to learn why this guide may be useful. Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  13. How to Remove the 20% Bandwidt says:

    […] Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  14. Disable Access to Removable Dr says:

    […] Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  15. shrikkant says:

    how can make gpedit.msc enable and disable

  16. shrikkant says:

    how can make gpedit.msc enable and disable

  17. shrikkant says:

    how can make gpedit.msc enable and disable

  18. shrikkant says:

    how make group policy editor desable

  19. shrikkant says:

    how make group policy editor desable

  20. shrikkant says:

    how make group policy editor desable

  21. shrikkant says:

    how make gpedit desable

  22. shrikkant says:

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  23. shrikkant says:

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  24. Show Only Specific Control Pan says:

    […] Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  25. Disable Error Reporting in Win says:

    […] Please Note: This guide involves the use of the Group Policy Editor, which is not included with Vista Home Premium/Basic or Windows XP Home. If this is the first time you are using the Group Policy Editor, read this guide. […]

  26. Update Group Policy without Re says:

    […] are many guides on this site that require you to use the Group Policy Management Console. Once you#8217ve made […]

  27. Ramoncito Balboa says:

    this one’s interesting. thanks

  28. Ramoncito Balboa says:

    this one’s interesting. thanks

  29. Ramoncito Balboa says:

    this one’s interesting. thanks

Comments are closed.


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