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Group Policy Not Applying? 5 Simple Ways to Force it
Group Policy not applying? How about trying a reset
6 min. read
Updated onJuly 12, 2024
updated onJuly 12, 2024
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Key notes
Group Policy applies settings to users and computers in Active Directory domains. A domain is a collection of objects that belong to one another — users, groups, computers and so on.
You can use Group Policy to configure settings and preferences for these objects at the domain level. Once configured, all the members of the domain will receive those settings as soon as they’re applied.
This makes Group Policy ideal for managing large networks. It saves you from having to set up individual configurations for each computer or user.
Group Policy should apply almost instantaneously depending on a number of factors. However, if you wait several minutes or longer and the policy isn’t applied, then something is wrong.
Although it is a core Windows feature, it is not available on each version. Nonetheless, no need to worry as we have covered ways how toinstall the Group Policy Editor using the Group Policy Management Console.
How long does it take for Group Policy to apply?
Applying a Group Policy is not an instantaneous process. The answer depends on a number of factors. The size of your Active Directory domain, the number of GPOs linked to the domain, and how many policies are being applied at once all play a role.
If you have a small number of GPOs that targets a few computers, it will take a relatively short time for them to apply. On the other hand, if you have many GPOs that target many computers, it will take much longer to apply.
Group Policy objects are applied every 90 minutes by default. However, this interval can be changed using the Gpupdate command.
Group Policy is applied in two phases:
What can I do if Group Policy is not applying?
1. Ensure you are signed in to the administrator account
If you’re logged in as a standard user, you won’t have access to the resources needed to fix the problem. You’ll need to log off and sign back in again before making any changes. An administrator account has administrative privileges that can modify settings. Unless of courseCMD has been disabled.
You will need toset the account as an administrator. Alternatively, you can create another user account and then assign yourself the administrator privileges.
2. Create another user account
If you’re struggling to get Group Policy to apply, it might be worth checking your user account. If the account is corrupt, it can cause problems with Group Policy.
To check whether your account is corrupt, try logging on with another account. If this works fine, then there’s a problem with your user account. You may need to fix it by deleting and recreating it.
3. Uninstall recently added programs
If you’ve been using some third-party software or custom scripts to configure your system’s registry, then there’s a chance that these tools could havecorrupted some of your registry settings.
This can cause problems with the GPO application. Some GPOs require certain registry values to be present in order for them to be applied successfully. You’ll need to find out if any changes were made in this area and restore them if necessary.
You can quickly uninstall these programs with CCleaner. This tool helps you manage your apps more easily because it lists all of them in one place and lets you uninstall any program you prefer. It can also remove junk and build-up files that can cause issues to your PC.
⇒GetCCleaner
4. Refresh policy settings
If you have recently made changes to your policies and want them immediately applied, running this command will force them to be refreshed immediately even if they haven’t been refreshed since your last logon.
You don’t need to restart the computer after running this command because it doesn’t change anything in memory but rather refreshes policy settings from the server.
5. Reset Group Policy Editor
If the group policy update is not working, you may have to reinstall your Windows version and see if this resolves the problem.
How do you check if Group Policy is applied or not?
To check if Group Policy is applied to a computer, you can use the Gpresult command-line tool. The Gpresult command accepts a number of parameters that allow you to view different parts of the Group Policy settings that are applied to a computer.
To check, follow the steps below:
The two commands specify different policies applied. Computer-based policies affect only computers and not users. User-based policies affect only users.
You may also run into a problem whereGroup Policy is greyed outbut we have adequately covered various ways to address this issue.
If you find out that your version ofWindows doesn’t have Group Policy installed,we also have a guide to help you get around it.
Let us know whether you have been able to solve this issue in the comments section below.
More about the topics:group policy editor,Windows 11
Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
Claire has a knack for solving problems and improving the quality of life for those around her. She’s driven by rationality, curiosity, and simplicity, and always eager to learn more about Microsoft’s products. With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11, errors, and software.
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Claire Moraa
Windows Software Expert
With a background in teaching and reviewing, she breaks down complex topics into easily understandable articles, focusing mostly on Windows 11 errors.
