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13 Configuring Group Policy Preferences
Section Topics
Introducing Group Policy Preferences
Comparing Preferences and Policy Settings
Configuring Preferences Settings
Section Objectives
After completing this section, you will be able to:
Describe the purpose of Group Policy Preferences
Describe the differences between Preferences and Policy settings
Identify the settings that you can configure in the Computer Configuration and User
Configuration sections of the Group Policy Management Console
Describe the Windows and Control Panel settings
List the advanced Preferences configuration options that are common to all GPOPreferences
Section Overview
This section describes the function of Group Policy Preferences. You will learn how tocombine Preferences with Policies, and how Preferences are different from Policies. This
section also explains how to configure Group Policy Preferences and modify the advanced
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configuration options.
Introducing Group Policy Preferences
igure 302: Introducing Group Policy Preferences
This topic describes Group Policy Preferences and explains how to deploy these preferences.
Group Policy Preferences Feature
igure 303: Group Policy Preferences Feature
The Group Policy Preferences feature was formerly available from a company called Desktop
Standard Corporation. Near the end of 2006, Microsoft purchased the company to acquire
heir Group Policy management products.
The Group Policy Preferences feature is now an integral part of the Group Policy
anagement tools in Windows Server 2008 and later. With this addition, administrators now
ave the ability to simply configure a broad array of settings that were previously available
only through logon scripts based on batch files or VBScript.
Traditional GPO Policies are considered managed configuration options. Once these options
are defined, these settings cannot be changed by the end user until the policy is modified by
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he administrator or the policy object is removed.
The GPO Preferences are considered unmanaged settings. The user can modify these
configuration options on his or her system at any time. The GPO Preferences are simply being
redefined at the policy level as a default setting.
The following topic explains how to deploy Group Policy Preferences.
Deploying Group Policy Preferences
igure 304: Deploying Group Policy Preferences
indows Server 2008 and later systems already include everything that needed to utilize
Group Policy Preferences. The Group Policy management tools and the Group Policy client
software are both aware of the new configuration settings.
indows Vista, on the other hand, did not originally include the Preferences functionality. To
edit Preferences from a client operating system, you must be using Windows Vista SP1 or
above with the RSAT pack installed.
n order to configure Windows Server 2003 and Windows XP with Group Policy Preferences,ou must download and install the Group Policy Preferences Client Side Extensions.
Comparing Preferences and Policy Settings
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igure 305: Comparing Preferences and Policy Settings
igure 305 compares the Preferences and Policy settings.
The following topics describe these settings in more detail.
Enforcement of Settings
One of the primary differences between Policies and Preferences is the fact that the user can
ndo the Preferences. You cannot enforce them as you can enforce Policies.
Ease of Administration
n the past, new configuration settings in the registry for an application required the creation of
a new administrative template that you had to import into Group Policy. Now, you can create
or modify any registry value to suit the needs of an application.
Files and Folders
Standard policies allow you to configure permissions on files and folders. Preferences go a
step further and allow you to create or modify folders and files.
pplication
ost GPO Policies that are applied to a user or computer are temporary in nature. When the
olicy object is removed, the settings from that policy revert to their former settings. Group
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olicy Preferences, however, will stay at their new values even if the governing GPO is
emoved.
Filtering
The ability to apply a GPO based on a WMI query is a powerful feature. Unfortunately, therocess for creating a WMI query is cumbersome and time consuming. Item-level targeting in
Group Policy Preferences presents a user-friendly interface to configure the exact computer or
ser to which a specific preference item should apply.
Configuring Preferences Settings
igure 306: Configuring Preferences Settings
This topic describes the Computer Configurationand User Configurationsettings of
Group Policy Management Editor. This section also describes the Windows and Control Panel
settings within Group Policy Preferences.
Computer and User Configuration Sections
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igure 307: Computer and User Configuration Sections
ike all group policies, the Preferences are also split between theComputer Configuration
and the User Configuration sections. A few preference items are available only to either the
Computeror the Usersections.
nique Computer Preference Items
Some settings apply to the computer as a whole, no matter who is logged on at the console.These settings include:
Network Shares
Services
nique User Preference Items
The following settings are more personal in nature for each individual user and do not apply to
he computer as a whole.
Applications
Drive Maps
Internet Settings
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Start Menu
Windows Settings
igure 308: Windows Settings
The Windows Settings within Group Policy Preferences provide a new mechanism with
hich to configure certain aspects of the operating system. Features like drive mapping,
creating folders, and editing the registry were formerly only available through the use of logon
scripts.
The ultimate goal of these settings is to eliminate the complexity of configuring these settings,
and to provide a common foundation of settings that will give the user a good starting point.
rom there, users still have the flexibility to modify the settings to suit their own needs.
Control Panel Settings
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igure 309: Control Panel Settings
The Control Panel Group Policy Preferences provide a way to manage aspects of the
operating system that have been unreachable by traditional means. Some of these settings
could be scripted, but others really have no workable mechanism from which to configure
hem.
One notable example is the Folder Optionspreference item. At the user level, this settingallows you to configure the Windows Explorer file browsing attributes. For instance, instead of
he default Hide Extensions, you could make extensions visible.
Another great feature of the Preferences interface is that the options are laid out in a fashion
similar to what you would see on the screen itself. Instead of just looking at a bland list of
options, you actually experience the settings in a familiar layout.
Mapping Drives
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igure 311: Common Settings
The Commontab of the Properties sheet for each preference setting contains additional
options for the Preference item. Some of these options enable a more powerful application of
he preference setting.
One of these options, however, should be used with care. The Remove this item when it is
o longer appliedsetting is not the same as reverting standard Group Policy settings back to
he previous value. In this case, the item is removed completely. There is no previous setting;
he value is just deleted. This may be fine in the case of a desktop shortcut that is no longer
eeded.
owever, this could be a problem with values such as registry keys or service settings.
The following topic describes item-level targeting, item-by-item filtering on which computer orser should get a setting,
Item-Level Targeting
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igure 312: Item-Level Targeting
One of the best features of the Group Policy Preferences section is the ability to perform item-
y-item filtering on which computer or user should get the setting. With standard Group Policy
iltering, a WMI query must be created and applied to the entire GPO, not just one setting.
This option provides a granularity that simply does not exist anywhere else in Group Policy. In
addition, the item-level restrictions are easy to create, and do not require any knowledge of
MI or SQL-type syntax. It is simply a process of clicking through a series of drop-down
lists.
cronyms
The following acronyms are used in this section:
UN dial-up networking
GPO Group Policy Object
SV independent software vendor
ODBC Open Database Connectivity
SP1 Service Pack 1
SQL Structured Query LanguageBScript Visual Basic Scripting Edition
PN virtual private network
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MI Windows Management Instrumentation
Section Review
Summary
Group Policy Preferences allow administrators to configure a broad array of settings, which
were previously available only through logon scripts based on batch files or VBScript.
The following table compares Preferences and Policy settings.
Feature Policies Preferences
Enforcement of
settings User cannot change settings.
User can change preferences.
Settings are refreshed regularly.
Refresh is optional.
Ease ofadministration
New settings require editing of
administrative templates.
New settings can be imported or
created.
Files and folders File and folder management is not
possible.
New files and folders can be
created.
Existing files can be modified.
Application Settings are temporary.
Policy removal reverts settings.
Preferences are permanent.
Policy removal does not revert
preferences.
Filtering WMI queries for filtering. Granular targeting is built in.
In the Group Policy Management Console, the Computer Configurationsection, you can
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configure these settings:
Network Shares
Services
In the Computer Configurationsection, you can configure these settings:
Applications
Drive Maps
Internet Settings
Start Menu
The following table describes the Windows Group Policy Preferences settings.
Setting Description
Applications Extensible for ISVs to create simple Group Policy preference settings for their applications.
Drive Maps Create, modify, or delete mapped drives
Environment Create, modify, or delete environment variables
Files Copy, modify the attributes of, replace, or delete files
Folders Create, modify, or delete folders
Ini Files Modify .inior .inffiles
Registry Copy registry settings to other computers and create, replace, or delete registry settings
Network Shares Create, modify, or remove shares
Shortcuts Create, modify, or delete shortcuts
The following table describes the Control Panel Group Policy Preferences settings.
Setting Description
Data Sources Manage ODBC connections
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Devices Manage device drivers
Folder Options Configure folder options and file extension associations
Internet Settings Manage Windows Internet Explorer settings
Local Users and Groups Create, modify, or delete local users and groups
Network Options Manage VPN and DUN connections
Power Options Configure power management settings
Printers Manage printer connections
Regional Options Modify regional settings
Scheduled Tasks Manage scheduled tasks
Services Manage service behavior
Start Menu Configure Startmenu settings
The advanced configuration options are available on the Commontab of the Properties
sheet for each preference setting. Some of the options that are common to all GPO
Preferences are:
Error handling
Security context
Item removal
Reapplication
Item-level targeting
nowledge Check
1. What are the differences between GPO Policies and GPO Preferences? (Choose all that
apply.)
a. Preferences are not enforced.
b. Preferences do not revert when the policy is removed.
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c. Preferences targeting requires a WMI query.
d. Preferences allow you to create or modify folders and files.
2. What is the purpose of Group Policy Preferences?
3. Which of the following settings are located in the Computer Configurationsection ofthe Group Policy Management Console? (Choose all that apply.)
a. Start Menu
b. Drive Maps
c. Applications
d. Services
. List the advanced Preferences configuration options that are common to all items in
Group Policy.
5. Describe each of the following Group Policy Preferences settings.
Registry:
Drive Maps:
Folder Options:
Network Options:
Knowledge Check Answer Key
The correct answers to the Knowledge Check questions are bolded.
1. What are the differences between GPO Policies and GPO Preferences? (Choose all that
apply.)
a. Preferences are not enforced.
b. Preferences do not revert when the policy is removed.
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c. Preferences targeting requires a WMI query.
d. Preferences allow you to create or modify folders and files.
2. What is the purpose of Group Policy Preferences?
Group Policy Preferences allow administrators to configure a broad array of
settings, which were previously available only through logon scripts based on
batch files or VBScript.
3. Which of the following settings are located in the Computer Configuration section of the
Group Policy Management Console? (Choose all that apply.)
a. Start Menu
b. Drive Maps
c. Applications
d. Services
. List the advanced Preferences configuration options that are common to all items in
Group Policy.
Error handling
Security context
Item removal
Reapplication
Item-level targeting
5. Describe each of the following Group Policy Preferences settings.
Registry: Copy registry settings to other computers and create, replace, or delete
registry settings
Drive Maps: Create, modify, or delete mapped drives
Folder Options: Configure folder options and file extension associations
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