Open or Add and Open a Group Policy Object

Updated: October 4, 2010

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Vista, Windows XP

By default, the Group Policy Management feature is installed on computers running Windows Server 2008 R2 when the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) server role is installed. The procedure that follows describes how to open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) on your domain controller running Windows Server 2008 R2. The procedure then describes how to either open an existing domain-level Group Policy object (GPO) for editing, or create a new domain GPO and open it for editing.

Membership in Domain Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to perform this procedure.

To open or add and open a Group Policy object

  1. On your Windows Server 2008 R2 domain controller, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Group Policy Management. The Group Policy Management Console opens.

  2. In the left pane, double-click your forest. For example, double-click Forest: example.com.

  3. In the left pane, double-click Domains, and then double-click the domain for which you want to manage a Group Policy object. For example, double-click example.com.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To open an existing domain-level GPO for editing, double click the domain that contains the Group Policy object that you want to manage, right-click the domain policy you want to manage, and then click Edit.

    • To create a new Group Policy object and open for editing, right-click the domain for which you want to create a new Group Policy object, and then click Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here.

      In New GPO, in Name, type a name for the new Group Policy object, and then click OK.

      Right-click your new Group Policy object, and then click Edit. Group Policy Management Editor opens.