Implementing Group Policy Preferences in Server 2022
Posted on 21st June 2023
Group Policy Preferences are a powerful tool for managing Windows settings. They were first introduced in Windows Server 2008 and are available in all subsequent versions of Windows Server.
Group Policy Preferences allow administrators to configure and manage a wide range of settings in Active Directory. These settings can be applied to users, computers, and groups.
Group Policy Preferences are especially useful for managing settings that are not available through traditional Group Policy Objects (GPOs). For example, Group Policy Preferences can be used to configure power management settings, mapped drives, and printers.
In this article, we will show you how to implement Group Policy Preferences in Windows Server 2022.
First, let’s take a look at the different types of Group Policy Preferences that are available.
There are eight types of Group Policy Preferences:
1. Control Panel Settings
2. Data Sources
3. Drive Maps
4. Environment Variables
5. Files
6. Folders
7. Ini Files
8. Registry Settings
Each type of Group Policy Preference has its own unique set of options that can be configured.
For example, when configuring a Drive Map preference, you can specify the following options:
– Action (Create, Replace, or Update)
– Location (Local Drive, Remote Drive, or Network Share)
– Label
– Drive Letter
– Path
– Connect as
Now that we’ve taken a look at the different types of Group Policy Preferences, let’s go over how to implement them in Windows Server 2022.
Implementing Group Policy Preferences
Group Policy Preferences can be implemented in two ways:
1. Using the Group Policy Management Console
2. Using PowerShell
In this section, we will show you how to implement Group Policy Preferences using the Group Policy Management Console.
First, open the Group Policy Management Console and create a new Group Policy Object (GPO).
Name the GPO and click OK.
Next, right-click the GPO and click Edit.
In the Group Policy Management Editor, navigate to the following location:
Computer Configuration > Preferences > Control Panel Settings
Right-click Control Panel Settings and select New.
A list of preference items will appear. Select the preference item you want to configure and click OK.
For this example, we will be configuring the Regional Settings preference item.
In the New Regional Settings Properties dialog, select the action you want to take.
For this example, we will be selecting the Update action.
Next, select the options you want to configure for the preference item.
For this example, we will be configuring the following options:
– Language for non-Unicode programs
– Location
– Copy settings to Default user profile
– Do not use the Welcome Center
When you are finished configuring the options, click OK.
The preference item will now be added to the GPO.
Repeat this process for each preference item you want to configure.
When you are finished configuring all of the preference items, close the Group Policy Management Editor.
The Group Policy Preferences will now be applied to the users and computers in the scope of the GPO.
If you want to deploy Group Policy Preferences using PowerShell, you can use the Group Policy PowerShell cmdlets.
To learn more about using PowerShell to manage Group Policy, check out this article.
Conclusion
In this article, we showed you how to implement Group Policy Preferences in Windows Server 2022. Group Policy Preferences are a powerful tool for managing settings in Active Directory.
We hope this article has been helpful.
Group Policy Preferences (GPP) is a feature in Microsoft Server 2012 and later that allows administrators to configure and deploy non-Administrative Template settings. These settings were previously only available through the use of logon or startup scripts. GPP provides a wider range of configurable options and can be deployed to users or computers in Active Directory.
GPP can be used to configure many common settings, such as drive mappings, printer connections, shortcut creation, registry updates, and more. GPP can also be used to configure more advanced settings, such as setting environment variables or deploying custom .admx files.
To use GPP, an administrator first needs to create a Group Policy Object (GPO) and link it to the appropriate Active Directory container (site, domain, or OU). The GPO can then be edited to add the desired GPP settings.
GPP settings are stored in XML files that are located in the SYSVOL folder on the domain controller. When a client computer processes the GPO, the GPP settings are applied by reading the XML files and applying the settings to the local computer.
One advantage of using GPP over logon or startup scripts is that GPP settings are applied after the user has logged on, which can make the user’s experience more seamless. Additionally, GPP settings are applied even if the user is not connected to the network, as long as the GPO has been cached on the client computer.
Another advantage of using GPP is that it is much easier to deploy settings to multiple users or computers. With logon or startup scripts, an administrator would need to create a separate script for each user or computer. With GPP, the administrator can simply create one GPO and link it to the appropriate Active Directory container.
There are some disadvantages to using GPP, however. One is that GPP settings are not applied until the user logs on, which can cause a delay in the application of the settings. Additionally, GPP settings are not applied if the user is not connected to the network, which can cause problems for mobile users.
Another disadvantage of using GPP is that it can be difficult to troubleshoot problems with GPP settings. Unlike with logon or startup scripts, there is no way to see what settings have been applied to a user or computer. Additionally, there is no way to see what settings have been applied to a GPO.
Despite these disadvantages, GPP is a powerful tool that can be used to deploy a wide variety of settings to users and computers in an Active Directory environment.
Group Policy preferences are not available in Server 2016.
Group Policy preferences are available in Server 2019 and Server 2020.
To use Group Policy preferences, you need to install the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) on your computer.
1. Open the GPMC console.
2. In the left pane, expand the Forest node, and then expand the Domains node.
3. Right-click the domain where you want to create a new Group Policy object (GPO), and then click Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here.
4. In the New GPO dialog box, type a name for the new GPO, and then click OK.
5. In the left pane of the GPMC console, expand the Group Policy Objects node.
6. Right-click the new GPO, and then click Edit.
7. In the Group Policy Management Editor window, expand the User Configuration node, expand the Preferences node, and then expand the Control Panel Settings node.
8. Right-click the Control Panel Settings node, and then click New.
9. In the New Control Panel Settings dialog box, select the type of preference item that you want to create, and then click OK.
10. In the New Control Panel Settings dialog box, configure the preference item, and then click OK.
