Windows 7 / Getting Started

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Creating and Managing GPOs Using the GPMC

To create and configure a GPO using the GPMC, follow these steps:

1. Log on to an administrative workstation running Windows 7 with RSAT using a user account that is a member of the Domain Admins built-in group.
2. Right-click Start and then click Properties. On the Start Menu tab, click Customize. Then in the Customize Start Menu dialog box, scroll down to System Administrative Tools, select Display On The All Programs Menu And The Start Menu, and click OK.
3. Click Start, then Administrative Tools, and then Group Policy Management. (Alternatively, you can type gpmc.msc in the Start Search box and then click gpmc.msc when it appears under Programs in your search results.)
4. Expand the console tree to select the domain or OU to which you will link the new GPO when you create it.
5. Right-click this domain or OU and select Create A GPO In This Domain And Link It Here.
6. Type a descriptive name for your new GPO, such as Seattle Computers GPO, and (optionally) select a Starter GPO as a template for it. Then click OK.
7. Expand the domain or OU to display the GPO link for your new GPO beneath it.
8. Right-click the GPO link and then select Edit to open the GPO.
9. Configure policy settings and preference items in the GPO as desired for the computers and/or users targeted by the GPO.

Note If a domain controller is unavailable when a computer running Windows 7 tries to log on to the network, the computer will log on using cached credentials and will use the local copies of the ADMX template files to surface ADM policy settings in the Local Group Policy Editor. Also, if an administrator uses a computer running Windows 7 with RSAT to start GPMC or the Local Group Policy Editor and no central store is found, local copies of the ADMX template files will be used to surface ADM policy settings in the Local Group Policy Editor.