How To Set Group Policy In Server 2008

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Has anyone had to manually apply the new Windows 10 Group policies to a Windows 2008 R2 DC? Is there a specific way this needs to be done?

Thanks!

I would create a central store so that they're available from anything editing the GPO:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929841

This references Vista, but it's all the same. Make sure to download the 10 templates instead of using what shipped with 10 since there are a few updates.

A central store is also great to have since it makes it easy to add templates for Chrome, Office, and tons more.

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I would create a central store so that they're available from anything editing the GPO:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/929841

This references Vista, but it's all the same. Make sure to download the 10 templates instead of using what shipped with 10 since there are a few updates.

A central store is also great to have since it makes it easy to add templates for Chrome, Office, and tons more.

Mike_Choices

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Oct 13, 2015 at 19:36 UTC

I agree...create a central store and download the ADMX files. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48257

Are there any known conflicts between Windows 10 and Windows 7 policy at this time?

I haven't had any. You certainly won't hurt anything by just updating templates; they're the templates, not the policies themselves. At worst there may be a setting removed which will display as extra registry settings, but that doesn't affect the machines.

So after the folder is created, and the download installed, how do you get the new templates to populate and be able to assign them as needed? The Microsoft guide doesn't really elaborate a lot.

Mike_Choices

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Oct 13, 2015 at 20:23 UTC

Extract the download to the folder you created.

\\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions

Mike_Choices

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Oct 13, 2015 at 20:29 UTC

When I did it, I ran the MSI on my workstation and the files went to: %systemroot%\policyDefinitions

I just copied all files and folders from there to : \\domain\SYSVOL\domain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions

There will be a bunch of .admx files and language sub folders. I only needed English, so I deleted all the sub folders except en-US.

Did you run it on a Win 10 workstation?

All I see after I run it on my Win 10 computer, is a bunch of amdx files, and a en-us with a bunch of adml files in it.

The .admx and .adml files are the templates. The templates download is a .msi, which should "install" to Program Files. You need to copy the .admx files and the .adml files in the language folder you need (ie, if you need en-US, that's the only folder of .adml you need). Copy those to the central store and overwrite what's there if anything.

Mike_Choices

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Oct 14, 2015 at 13:20 UTC

Copy them from your local machine out to the domain.

Image: https://content.spiceworksstatic.com/service.community/p/post_images/0000123300/561e56b0/attached_image/Policy_SS.jpg

There are some conflicts. So far I've discovered settings from older SkyDrive.admx and WindowsUpdates.admx templates are no longer available after placing the Windows 10 ADMX templates in the Central Store, orphaning settings as "Extra Registry Settings" for settings defined with the Windows 8.1 versions of these admx's in my Central Store.

After updating my Central Store with the download for the Windows 10 admx's:

WindowsUpdates.admx: setting "disableOsUpgrade" is not in the Windows 10 admx

SkyDrive.admx: settings for registry settings HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\SkyDrive\* get orphaned as well. Previously defined in Windows 8.1 admx templates. 3 settings in old template, only one in the new template. Same file names, but the settings between the old and new are completely mutually exclusive.

"WindowsUpdates.admx: setting "disableOsUpgrade" is not in the Windows 10 admx"

So no disabling OS upgrade?

If i install the new AMDX does this mean i lose the setting to disable my win7 machines from showing the option to upgrade to win10? If so, i'll just hold off until i am ready to upgrade everyone. Has anyone noticed after changing the .amdx?

I have this same. So far registry modification seems to be the only way :/

most of the file names are the same so it is ok to overwrite the 08r2 adm files with the w10 files? just want to make sure i won't mess up all of my W7 machines that get policies from the DC thanks all

Everyone,

this thread is a little stale, but much fresher than most I have found on this topic. Most all of the threads have you copying from a "local computer". Why would you not just do this all on the server?

It would take me longer to figure how to do that from a local computer than it would to copy it from the install location on the server where I have extracted all the files already.

John

Hi John,

I would say the initial step of copying the default ADMX / L files from a local Windows 10 workstation 'as the first step', then copying the extracted ADMX / L files from the download of the templates 'as the second step' is probably to account for any files that 'could' be missing from the extracted ones. I've read comments on occasion complaining of missing ADMX / L files and perhaps its unnecessary but I suspect that is why. I do not think it should be necessary, but it cannot hurt, if the files exist they will be replaced by the extracted ones anyway. That said, the second step copying the extracted ADMX / L files could absolutely be done locally on one DC without needing a remote system.

Here's a good example of a blog specifying two copy steps on TechNet. Again I don't think it should be necessary however, that is my guess as to why.

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/canitpro/2015/10/20/step-by-step-managing-windows-10-with-admini...

%uFEFF

I did all these steps, and that helped, but I cannot get the policy to show up in GPMC on my server, whcih is where I copied everything to in the sysvol folder.

My only options are for older Starter Souce, how do I get the Windows 10 templates in here or pick the template I want?

@Kyle42. I am struggling with GPO also (my first attempt/experience) . The policies do not show up per se in GPMC but when you create a new GPO/link it (both in GPMC) you can then right click on the GPO in GPMC select edit and at that point the admx files will show up as administrative templates.

Reading back on my post I see it is full of three letter acronyms (TLA's) and ETLA's - four letter or extended three letter acronyms !!

Thank you guys, Once I copied over windows 10 ADMX files to newly created central store folder "PolicyDefinations" under windows 2008 R2 ---> sysvol ---> domain ---> Policies.

My question is, will windows 7 will be compatible under new templates. or there is some other process

My question is, will windows 7 will be compatible under new templates. or there is some other process <--- We can figure out what The Matrix is but no one seems to know the answer to this question. I need an answer as well.

I am curious about this too. We seem to be having some policies that are being set on windows 10 machines, even though we don't have the templates imported yet. One of our guy's lock screen time out is set to 4 minutes...

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