Introduction (Administering Group Policy with Group Policy Management Console)

  • Article

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

Microsoft Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) is the new tool for Group Policy management that helps administrators manage an enterprise more cost-effectively by improving manageability and increasing productivity. It consists of a new Microsoft Management Console (MMC) snap-in and a set of scriptable interfaces for managing Group Policy.

GPMC simplifies the management of Group Policy by providing a single place for managing core aspects of Group Policy. It addresses the top Group Policy deployment requirements, as requested by customers, by providing the following functionality:

  • A user interface (UI) that makes Group Policy much easier to use.

  • Backup/restore of Group Policy objects (GPOs).

  • Import/export and copy/paste of GPOs and Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) filters.

  • Simplified management of Group Policy-related security.

  • HTML reporting of GPO settings and Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP) data.

  • Scripting of policy related tasks that are exposed within this tool (not scripting of settings within a GPO).

GPMC System Requirements

GPMC helps you manage both Windows 2000 and Windows Server 2003-based domains with the Active Directory® service. In either case, the computer on which GPMC runs must be running one of the following operating systems:

  • Windows Server 2003.

  • Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 (SP1) and the Microsoft .NET Framework. In addition, a post-SP1 hotfix (Q326469) is required. This hotfix updates your version of gpedit.dll to version 5.1.2600.1186, which is required by GPMC. This hotfix is included with GPMC, and GPMC setup will prompt you to install it. However, if the language of GPMC does not match the language of your operating system, GPMC will not install the hotfix, and you will need to separately obtain and install this hotfix. This hotfix will be included in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

Installing GPMC

Installing GPMC is a simple process that involves running a Windows Installer (.MSI) package. All necessary files are installed to the \Program Files\GPMC folder.

  1. Double-click the gpmc.msi package, and click Next.

  2. Accept the End User License Agreement (EULA), and click Next.

  3. Click Close to complete the installation.

Upon completion of the installation, the Group Policy tab that appeared on the Property pages of sites, domains, and organizational units (OUs) in the Active Directory snap-ins is updated to provide a direct link to GPMC. The functionality that previously existed on the original Group Policy tab is no longer available since all functionality for managing Group Policy is available through GPMC.

To open the GPMC snap-in directly, use any of the following methods:

  • Click Start, click Run, type GPMC.msc, and then click OK.

  • Click the Group Policy Management shortcut in the Administrative Tools folder on the Start Menu or in the Control Panel.

  • Create a custom MMC console - Click Start, click Run, type MMC, and then click OK. Point to File, click Add/Remove Snap-in, click Add, highlight Group Policy Management, click Add, click Close, and then click OK.

To repair or remove GPMC, use Add or Remove Programs in Control Panel. Alternatively, run the gpmc.msi package, select the appropriate option, and click Finish.