Using Administrative Templates

Using Administrative Template files

Administrative Template files are used to define the registry-based Group Policy settings in the Group Policy Management Editor (GPME). The files are XML-based, provide multi-language functionality, and are stored in the %SystemRoot%\PolicyDefinitions folder.

Administrative Template files consist of two files, one that's language-neutral (ADMX) and one that's language specific (ADML):

  • ADMX. A configuration file that determines the number and type of policy settings, as well as their location by category in the GPME.

  • ADML. A file that provides language-related information to the ADMX file. This information enables a policy setting to appear in the correct language. Adding a new language is done by adding a new ADML file in the required language.

The Administrative Template file consists of a hierarchy of policy categories and subcategories that define how the policy settings appear in Group Policy Object Editor. The file also contains the following information:

  • Registry locations that correspond to each setting.

  • Options or restrictions in values that are associated with each setting.

  • A default value for many settings.

  • Text explanations for the purpose of each setting.

  • The versions of Windows and Internet Explorer that support each setting.

For an overview of the concepts and architecture of the Administrative Templates, see Managing Group Policy ADMX Files Step-by-Step Guide.

You can create a central store that provides all administrators who edit domain-based Group Policy Objects (GPOs) access to the same set of Administrative Template files. The central store is an administrator-created folder on SYSVOL that provides a single centralized storage location for all Administrative Template files (ADMX and ADML) for the domain. Once you create the central store, the Group Policy tools use only the ADMX files in the central store and ignore ADMX versions stored locally. The central store is optional; if you do not create it, the Group Policy tools use the local ADMX files. The root folder for the central store must be named PolicyDefinitions (that is, %SystemRoot%\SYSVOL\domain\policies\PolicyDefinitions). For more information about creating a central store, see Scenario 1: Editing the Local GPO Using ADMX Files.

Internet Explorer 10 Policy Settings

The following table describes categories of registry-based Internet Explorer 10 policy settings that you can configure in the GPME. The Administrative Template file named Inetres.admx and its language definition file Inetres.adml define these settings.

When you install Internet Explorer 10, it updates the Inetres.admx and Inetres.adml files in the PolicyDefinitions folder. If you edit your Internet Explorer 10 policy settings on a computer that does not have Internet Explorer 10 installed, the new policy settings will not be available. To resolve this issue, you can copy the updated Inetres.admx and Inetres.adml files from another computer to the local computer’s PolicyDefinitions folder, or copy the files to the PolicyDefinitions folder on SYSVOL. You can also simply install Internet Explorer 10 locally.

For each policy setting, the GPME displays the versions of Internet Explorer and Windows that support the policy. Not all available settings apply to Internet Explorer 10 on all Windows operating systems. You can find these categories in the following policy paths for your GPOs:

  • User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components

  • Computer Configuration\ Policies\Administrative Templates\Windows Components

Catalog Description

Internet Explorer

Enables or disables standard Internet Explorer configurations.

Internet Explorer\Accelerators

Configures Accelerators.

Internet Explorer\Administrator Approved Controls

Enables or disables ActiveX® controls.

Internet Explorer\Application Compatibility

Enables or disables Cut, Copy, or Paste operations from the clipboard, if URLACTION_SCRIPT_PASTE is set to Prompt.

Internet Explorer\Browser Menus

Shows or hides menus and menu options in Internet Explorer.

Internet Explorer\Compatibility View

Enables or disables Compatibility View settings.

Internet Explorer\Delete Browsing History

Enables or disables Delete Browsing History settings.

Internet Explorer\InPrivate Filtering

Configures InPrivate Filtering features.

Internet Explorer\Internet Control Panel

Enables or disables pages in Internet Options, in addition to subcategories that manage settings on the Security and Advanced pages.

Internet Explorer\Internet Settings

Configures Advanced Settings, AutoComplete, Display Settings, and URL Encoding.

Internet Explorer\Offline Pages

Configures offline pages and channels.

Note
These settings do not apply to Internet Explorer 10.

Internet Explorer\Privacy

Allows or restricts how privacy features in Internet Explorer are used.

Internet Explorer\Persistence Behavior

Configures file size limits in Internet security zones.

Internet Explorer\Security Features

Contains settings that enable or disable security features for Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, and other applications.

Internet Explorer\Security Features\AJAX

Enables or disables technologies that allow communications between clients and server, or cross-domain communications.

Internet Explorer\Toolbars

Allows or restricts users from editing toolbars in Internet Explorer. Administrators can also set the default toolbar buttons.

RSS Feeds

Manages RSS feeds in Internet Explorer.

For a complete list of Internet Explorer 10 Group Policy settings, see Configuring and Administering Group Policy Settings.

Editing Internet Explorer 10 Policy Settings

The steps necessary to edit Internet Explorer 10 Group Policy settings depend on the tools you are using: the GPMC alone, the GPMC with AGPM, or local Group Policy. The following resources provide guidance for editing GPOs: