Import a GPO from a File

In Advanced Group Policy Management (AGPM), if you are an AGPM Administrator (Full Control) and you have exported a Group Policy Object (GPO) to a CAB file, you can import the policy settings from that GPO into a new GPO or an existing GPO in a domain in another forest. For information about exporting GPO settings to a CAB file, see Export a GPO to a File.

A user account with the AGPM Administrator role or the necessary permissions in AGPM is required to import policy settings into a new controlled GPO. A user account with the Editor or AGPM Administrator role or necessary permissions in AGPM is required to import policy settings into an existing GPO. Review the details in "Additional considerations" in this topic.

Importing policy settings from a file

When you import policy settings from a file, you can import them into a new GPO or an existing GPO. However, if you import policy settings into an existing GPO, all policy settings within it are replaced.

To import policy settings into a new controlled GPO

  1. In the Group Policy Management Console tree, click Change Control in the domain to which you want to import policy settings.

  2. On the Contents tab, click the Controlled tab to display the controlled GPOs.

  3. Create a new controlled GPO. In the New Controlled GPO dialog box, click Import and then click Launch Wizard. For more information about how to create a GPO, see Create a New Controlled GPO.

  4. Follow the instructions in the Import Settings Wizard to select a GPO backup, import policy settings from it for the new GPO, and enter a comment for the audit trail of the new GPO.

To import policy settings into an existing GPO

  1. In the Group Policy Management Console tree, click Change Control in the domain to which you want to import policy settings.

  2. On the Contents tab, click the Controlled tab to display the controlled GPOs.

  3. Check out the destination GPO to which you want to import policy settings.

  4. Right-click the destination GPO, point to Import from, and then click File.

  5. Follow the instructions in the Import Settings Wizard to select a GPO backup, import its policy settings to replace those in the destination GPO, and enter a comment for the audit trail of the destination GPO. By default, the destination GPO is checked in when the wizard is finished.

Additional considerations

  • To import policy settings to a new controlled GPO, you must have List Contents, Import GPO, and Create GPO permissions for the domain. By default, you must be an AGPM Administrator to perform this procedure.

  • To import policy settings to an existing GPO, you must have List Contents, Edit Settings, and Import GPO permissions for the domain, and the GPO must be checked out by you. By default, you must be an Editor or an AGPM Administrator (Full Control) to perform this procedure.

Additional references