[TIP] gpedit.msc policies in reg form

[prathapml]

If you have used Group Policy editor on win2k/XP/2k3, you must have seen so many fantastically useful settings there, and thought of doing it unattended. But I've always seen only INFs to be applied by the secedit tool at command-line - which is not a very exciting idea.

Instead, just run gpedit.msc, and go to the option you want to set in it.

1. Disable it - so that the key is set in registry.

2. Take a snapshot of your registry using regshot.

3. Now enable the option you want.

4. Take a 2nd snapshot with regshot.

5. Now ask regshot to "Compare" the two, and it will throw up a text file that shows all modified keys in their "before" and "after" forms.

6. There will be many keys listed - including those that are not related to what you want. Its easy enough for you to identify the right ones and take the "after" form. If the key shown is a per-user setting, it will have the SID before it - just shorten that to HKCU.

7. Now put this key in your regtweaks that you apply during uA setup.

Enjoy!

How to run the policy editor?

Start >> Run >> gpedit.msc

Where is regshot?

link to download

[Yzöwl]

Additionally, I did post an attachment containing a stack of commented policy settings, already in reg format, in the Registry Tweaks Thread recently, for your perusal.

[prathapml]

More to add!

Microsoft's own documentation, updated for SP2: Check out this Excel file, it directly has all the reg changes that "gpedit.msc" (group policy editor) makes - link.

[Wraith]

More to add!

Microsoft's own documentation, updated for SP2: Check out this Excel file, it directly has all the reg changes that "gpedit.msc" (group policy editor) makes  - link.

Now this is DEFINITELY useful...

[durex]

Short of the obvious admin stuff that would be useful in a corporate environment, what are a couple things you guys use this for on your personal pcs?

[grimman]

That's one of the things I do (list of drives on the left hand side), and like prathapml I do it with registry settings identified via the same method he uses.

[durex]

I use the places reg tweak for that... anyone else have 'personal workstation' uses for this stuff?

[nakira]

@prathapml: Nice one

[Dizzy]

I've just browsed through the xls file and there are things in there that doesn't have a registry entry (eg. password policy, account lockout policy etc.). Was looking forward to having everything in regtweaks. Looks like those security templates are still king if you want total security settings made easy.

[prathapml]

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details...;displaylang=en

The above links to an updated xls file. Group Policy settings in reg form, for vista.