How to enable & install gpedit.msc on Windows 10 Home Edition

by Andrew Wafer
Andrew Wafer
Andrew Wafer
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Andrew is not just trying to bring you closer to Windows, but he's truly interested in this platform. He just happens to be passionate about sharing that knowledge... read more
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  • The Group Policy Editor is very useful for changing some local computer settings, user configuration, or network settings.
  • To enable gpedit.msc on the Home edition of Windows 10, you will need to make sure it is installed.
  • We also have a couple of solutions to apply if the app won't open or if the file is missing from the system.
Enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 10 Home

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As we all know, there are some differences between the Home and Professional versions of Windows 10.

If the main features that are included in the Pro build are related to networking management capabilities, there is one small feature that is also disabled by default in the Home platform: the Group Policy Editor.

Actually, the Group Policy Editor cannot be accessed in any Home or Starter edition of Windows 10 and the same can be applied if we discuss previous Windows releases such as Windows 7 or even Windows XP.

What to do if gpedit.msc is not found on Windows 11?

Many users reported that Windows 11 cannot find Gpedit.msc and this is most likely because you’re using a Home version of Windows 11.

Even if that’s the case, there are ways to enable Gpedit in Windows 11 with batch files or by using the command line.

This isn’t the only component that’s missing on Windows 11, and the same goes for Group Policy Management Console. Luckily, we have a guide on how to install Group Policy Management Console that can help you with that.

What can Group Policy Editor be used for?

The Group Policy Editor is an extremely useful feature that offers intuitive support in terms of network settings, local computer settings, or user configuration.

Of course, all these capabilities can also be modified or tweaked through the Windows Registry, though the actual process is far more complicated.

Don’t forget, if you are not an advanced user it’s not recommended to change anything within Windows Registry.

If something goes wrong, you can then experience different malfunctions that can affect the way you use your Windows 10 computer or notebook.

Therefore, the best thing to do is to keep everything simple. And, in our case, that can be achieved easily, by learning how to enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 10 Home Edition.

Now, the Group Policy Editor is not entirely gone from Home Edition. It is still there, with all its main files installed, but it’s disabled by default.

So, your job is to activate it in order to enable the gpedit.msc command, which brings the Editor to your computer.

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You can find all the packages associated with the Group Policy Editor under %SystemRoot%servicingPackages.

The files matching the Policy Editor are Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package*.mum, and Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package*.mum respectively.

Now, that you know these aspects, you can activate GPE. We will use the command-line service for enabling gpedit.msc on Windows 10 Home Edition.

How do I enable the Group Policy Editor?

  1. Type cmd in the Search box and click on Run as administrator to start Command Prompt.
  2. Paste the following command in the window and press Enter to run it: dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%servicingPackages{{PackageFileName}}
  3. Press the Windows key + R for launching the Run box, enter gpedit.msc, and reach Group Policy Editor on your Windows 10 Home Edition.

If you have troubles with DISM, check out our article on what to do if DISM commands fail in Windows 10.

How can I open the Group Policy Editor?

  1. Press the Windows key + R to start Run.
  2. Type gpedit.msc and click OK or press Enter.
  3. The Group Policy editor should start and you will be able to change the policies.

What can I do if the Group Policy Editor doesn’t start?

If you are still unable to locate gpedit.msc and the command doesn’t have any results or it comes back with an error, we still have some aces in our sleeve.

1. Force update the Group Policy Editor

  1. Press the Windows key + R to start a Run window.
  2. Type the following command and press Enter or hit OK: gpupdate /force

This procedure will update the policy on your computer and it should also fix the gpedit.msc issue, so check if it runs now.

2. Make changes in the Registry

  1. Press the Windows key + R to open a Run console, type regedit, and press Enter or click OK.
  2. Navigate to the following location in the Registry: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT/CLSID/{8FC0B734-A0E1-11D1-A7D3-0000F87571E3}/InProcServer32
  3. Double-click the Default key, enter the following path, then click OK: %SystemRoot%/System32/GPEdit.dll

3. Change the Environment Variables

  1. Click the Windows button, type control panel, and select the app from the list.
  2. Select System.
  3. Now scroll down in the right pane and choose Advanced system settings.
  4. Click on the Advanced tab, then hit the Environment Variables button.
  5. Select the Path under System variables and click the Edit button below.
  6. Copy and paste the following variables into the form and click OK:
    • %Systemroot%/System32
    • %Systemroot%
    • %Systemroot%/system32/WBEM

How can I change local policies without the Group Policy Editor?

You can also change policies on your PC without running the Group Policy Editor directly and that is by using the Microsoft Manage Console or MMC.

Practically, it’s a workaround that allows you to run GPE without running its command. Let’s see how you can do that easily.

  1. Press the Windows key + R to start Run, then type mmc, and press Enter or click OK.
  2. Click the File menu and select Add/Remove snap-ins.
  3. Select the Snap-in you want to add and click the Add button.
  4. Choose which computer or domain will this snap-in manage, then click Finish.

There are other ways in which you can enable Group Policy Editor but using the steps above represents the safest solution.

Alternatively, you can download a third-party app (a batch executable file) that will automatically enable gpedit.msc on your computer.

However, if you choose to run a third-party app, make sure you are downloading something that was already tested by other users; otherwise, you might end up damaging Windows 10.

That being said, if you managed to open the app, you might also be interested in how to edit a Group Policy in Windows 10.

If you have any other questions, leave them in the comments section below and we’ll be sure to take a look.

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