How to enable Gpedit.exe in Windows 11
- Even though Group Policy Editor isn’t bundled with Home editions, you can still enable Gpedit in Windows 11.
- When Gpedit.exe is not found in Windows 11, you can correct the issue with a batch file.
- Alternatively, you can install Group Policy Editor via the Command Prompt.
The Group Policy Editor (Gpedit) is a handy utility that incorporates a wide variety of configuration settings (known as Group Policies) for Windows platforms. With that tool, you can adjust some options that aren’t available within the Control Panel and Settings.
You can utilize Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 much the same as in Windows 10 and Windows 10 Home. This utility doesn’t come included with the Home edition. Group Policy Editor is a utility incorporated within the Windows 11 Professional and Enterprise editions.
Yet, that doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t utilize Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 Home Edition. You can enable Gpedit.exe in Windows 11 with the two methods below.
Why do I need Group Policy Editor?
Most users probably don’t need Group Policy Editor all that much. It’s actually more of a network administrator tool for enforcing policies that restrict access to Control Panel applets, folders, and software on networked PCs. That’s why it’s not bundled with Windows 11 Home.
However, Group Policy Editor can still be quite useful for more general home users. You can configure Windows 11’s Start menu, taskbar, notification area, and login screen among other UI features by adjusting policy settings for them.
So, maybe you should check out the Local Group Policy Editor. As it includes thousands of policy settings, you might discover some handy configuration options in it. This is how to enable Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11.
How can I enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 11?
1. Enable Group Policy Editor with a batch file
- To open the search box, click the magnifying glass taskbar icon for that tool.
- Enter Notepad in the search box.
- Select to open Notepad from the search results.
- Copy this batch file code by selecting that text and pressing the Ctrl + C hotkey:
@echo off
pushd "%~dp0"
dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package~3*.mum >List.txt
dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package~3*.mum >>List.txt
for /f %%i in ('findstr /i . List.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\%%i"
pause - Press the Ctrl + V keyboard shortcut to paste the copied batch file code into Notepad.
- Click File at the top left corner of Notepad.
- Select the Save As option.
- Next, select the All Files option from the Save as type drop-down menu.
- Enter Group Policy Editor.bat within the File name text box.
- Select Desktop on the left of the Save As window.
- Click Save on the window.
- Thereafter, right-click the Group Policy Editor batch file saved on the desktop to select Run as administrator.
- If a UAC prompt opens, select the Yes option on it.
- Thereafter, a Command Prompt window will open. Wait until it says 100% This operation completed successfully before you close that window.
2. Enable Group Policy Editor via the Command Prompt
- Open the search tool by clicking its taskbar button.
- Type cmd in the search box to find the Command Prompt.
- Click the Command Prompt’s Run as administrator option on the right of the search results.
- Next, select and copy this text with the Ctrl + C hotkey:
FOR %F IN ("%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package~*.mum") DO (
DISM /Online /NoRestart /Add-Package:"%F"
)
FOR %F IN ("%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package~*.mum") DO (
DISM /Online /NoRestart /Add-Package:"%F"
) - Press the Ctrl + V hotkey to paste that text into the Command Prompt’s window. Doing so will automatically execute a command that enables Group Policy Editor.
- Wait for the operation to reach 100 percent, and then you can close the Command Prompt.
How do I open Group Policy in Windows 11 and change policy settings?
- Now it’s time to try out your new Group Policy Editor utility. First, open Run by right-clicking the taskbar’s Start button to select the shortcut for that accessory on the menu.
- Type the following text into Run:
gpedit.msc - Click OK to open the Group Policy Editor.
- Then double-click Computer Configuration on the left side of Group Policy Editor.
- Double-click Administrative Templates to expand it.
- Select a Group Policy Object category from there.
- Then you can double-click policy settings on the right side of Group Policy Editor to open a window like the one in the screenshot directly below;
- Select an Enabled or Disabled radio button to configure the policy setting.
- Click Apply to save the new policy setting.
Has Microsoft updated Windows 11’s Group Policy Editor in any way?
Yes, Microsoft has released new ADMX templates for Windows 11’s Group Policy Editor. Those templates amount to new policy settings for GPE. However, you’ll need the ADMX Templates for Windows 11 October 2021 Update package to do so.
You can download that Group Policy Editor package from the ADMX Templates for Windows 11’s October 2021 Update [21H2] webpage.
Then you’ll need to install the templates with the downloaded setup file. Our guide on how to install Windows 11 ADMX templates provides full instructions in that regard.
When you’ve enabled Local Group Policy Editor, you can discover a handy Windows 11 configuration tool. Have a good look through its Windows Components, Start Menu, and Taskbar policy settings to see how you can customize the platform with GPE.
Overall, it’s very quick and straightforward to enable Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 with the methods above. So, don’t upgrade to Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise for the sake of GPE when you don’t need to.
Follow the steps presented and let us know which method worked for you in the comments area below.
