What is Group Policy and How to Use It – For Beginners

What is Group Policy?

Group Policy is a feature in Microsoft Windows that lets system administrators control settings on many computers from one place. It can control things like:

- Password rules (length, complexity)

- What users can or can’t do (like blocking access to Control Panel)

- Software installation

- Network drive mapping

- Security settings

Group Policy saves time because you don’t have to go to each computer to change settings manually.

Key Terms You Should Know

GPO - Group Policy Object – a collection of settings you create

OU - Organizational Unit – a folder in Active Directory with users or computers

GPMC - Group Policy Management Console – the tool to manage GPOs

AD - Active Directory – the directory service that stores user, group, and computer info

How to Use Group Policy (Step-by-Step)

1. Open the Group Policy Management Console

- On your Windows Server, go to Start > Administrative Tools > Group Policy Management.

2. Create a New GPO

- Right-click on your domain or OU.

- Choose “Create a GPO in this domain, and Link it here…”

- Name it like 'Sales Desktop Policy'.

3. Edit the GPO

- Right-click your new GPO > Edit.

- You’ll see Computer Configuration and User Configuration sections.

4. Set a Simple Policy (Example)

- Go to: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel

- Double-click “Prohibit access to Control Panel”

- Choose Enabled, click OK

5. Apply the Policy

- Wait a bit, or force update using: gpupdate /force

How to Check If It Worked

Open Command Prompt on a client computer and type:

gpresult /r

This shows which policies were applied.

Examples of What You Can Do with Group Policy

Set desktop wallpaper - User Configuration > Admin Templates > Desktop

Hide Control Panel - User Configuration > Admin Templates > Control Panel

Disable USB ports - Computer Configuration > Admin Templates > System > Removable Storage Access

Force password rules - Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Account Policies

Tips for Beginners

✔️ Start small – Test on one user or one OU first

✔️ Use clear names – Like “HR Password Policy” or “Student Lab Restrictions”

✔️ Document changes – Write down what you change and why

✔️ Don't edit Default Domain Policy unless you really need to

✔️ Backup GPOs – You can export them in GPMC