Full Fix: Corrupt local group policy on Windows 10, 8.1, 7

Milan Stanojevic
by Milan Stanojevic
Deputy Editor
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corrupt local group policy

Corrupt local group policy can be a big issue, especially because the group policy is in charge of many advanced settings. However, there’s a way to fix corrupt local group policy, and in this article we’re going to show you how to do it.

Corrupt local group policy can cause many issues, and speaking of issues, here are some common problems reported by the users:

  • Registry.pol not updating, not created – Registry.pol file is charge of your group policy settings, and you can fix most problems with group policy simply by recreating this file.
  • Group Policy folder missing from system32 – Sometimes Group Policy folder might be missing but you can fix this issue by performing both SFC and DISM scans.

Corrupt local group policy, how to fix it?

  1. Delete or move registry.pol file
  2. Move or delete secedit.sdb file
  3. Use Command Prompt
  4. Perform DISM and SFC scans
  5. Disable Certificate Services Client – Certificate Enrollment Policy
  6. Delete the contents of the History folder
  7. Perform a System Restore
  8. Perform an in-place upgrade or reset Windows 10

Solution 1 – Delete or move registry.pol file

All your group policy settings are stored in a registry.pol file, and you can fix this issue simply by deleting or moving this file. This is relatively simple to do, and you can do it by following these steps:

  1. Open File Explorer.
  2. In File Explorer paste the C:\Windows\System32\GroupPolicy\Machine\ in the address bar and press Enter. Navigating manually to this directory might not work because the Machine folder is hidden, but if you want, you can reveal the hidden files and manually navigate to this directory.
  3. Now locate registry.pol file and move it or delete it. A safer option would be to move it to your desktop because you might want to restore this file if any new issues occur.
    Registry.pol not updating

After moving or deleting this file, you’ll need to run one command in Command Prompt to recreate this file and restore the original group policy values. To do that, simply follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows Key + X to open Win + X menu. Now choose Command Prompt (Admin) or Powershell (Admin).
    Group Policy folder missing from system32
  2. When Command Prompt opens, run the gpupdate /force command.
    Registry.pol not created
  3. Now restart your PC.

Once your PC restarts, the registry.pol file will be recreated and the problem should be completely resolved. Many users reported that this solution fixed their problem with corrupted local group policy, so be sure to try it out.

Solution 2 – Move or delete secedit.sdb file

Another cause for corrupt local group policy can be secedit.sdb file. By deleting this file, you’ll reset your group policy settings to the default. To delete or move this file, you just need to do the following:

  1. Go to the C:\WINDOWS\security\Database directory.
  2. Now locate secedit.sdb file, and move it to your Desktop.
    Group Policy folder missing from system32

After doing that, restart your PC and the issue should be resolved.

Solution 3 – Use Command Prompt

If you’re having issues with corrupt local group policy, you might be able to fix the problem simply by using Command Prompt. To fix this problem, you just need to start Command Prompt and run a few commands. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Start Command Prompt as an administrator.
  2. When Command Prompt starts, run the following commands:
  • RD /S /Q “%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers”
  • RD /S /Q “%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy”
  • gpupdate /force

After executing these three commands, restart your PC and check if the problem is resolved. This isn’t the most reliable solution, but several users reported that it works, so feel free to try it out.

Solution 4 – Perform DISM and SFC scans

According to users, sometimes corrupt local group policy can be caused by corrupted Windows installation. However, you can repair your installation by performing both SFC and DISM scans. To do that, just follow these steps:

  1. First, start Command Prompt as an administrator.
  2. Once the Command Prompt starts, enter sfc /scannow command and press Enter to run it.
    Registry.pol not updating
  3. The SFC scan will start. This process can take about 15 minutes, so leave your PC while the SFC scan is doing its thing.

After the scan is completed, check if the issue is still there. If so, you’ll need to run a DISM scan. You can perform this scan by doing the following:

  1. Start Command Prompt as an administrator.
  2. Run the DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth command.
    Group Policy folder missing from system32
  3. DISM scan will now start. The scan usually takes about 20 minutes, so don’t interfere with it.

Once the DISM scan is completed, check if the problem is still there.

Solution 5 – Disable Certificate Services Client – Certificate Enrollment Policy

If you’re having problems with corrupt local group policy, the issue might be Certificate Services Client – Certificate Enrollment Policy. According to users, this policy will cause your local group policy to become corrupted, so in order to fix the problem you need to disable this policy.

To do that, go to Public Key Policies under Default domain GPO and disable Certificate Services Client – Certificate Enrollment Policy. To do that, follow these steps:

  1. Press Windows Key + R and enter gpedit.msc. Now press Enter or click OK.
    Registry.pol not created
  2. In the left pane, navigate to the Computer Configuration\Windows Settings\Security Settings\Public Key Policies. In the right pane, double-click the Certificate Services Client – Certificate Enrollment Policy.
    Group Policy folder missing from system32
  3. Set the Configuration Model to Not configured. Now click Apply and OK to save changes.
    Registry.pol not created

After doing that, this policy will be disabled and the issue should be resolved. You might have to run gpupdate /force after disabling this policy in order to apply changes.

Solution 6 – Delete the contents of the History folder

According to users, group policy has its own cache folder, but if there’s an issue with cache, you might experience problems with group policy. To fix corrupt group policy, you just need to remove the contents of the History folder.

This is relatively simple to do, and you can do it by following these steps:

  1. Open File Explorer and paste C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Group Policy\History in the address bar. History folder is hidden, and by pasting the address to it directly, you should be able to access it instantly.
  2. Now delete all files from the History directory.
  3. After doing that, open Command Prompt and run GPUpdate /force command.

This isn’t a universal solution, and if you don’t have History folder on your PC, you can just skip this solution.

Solution 7 – Perform a System Restore

If you keep having problems with corrupt group policy, you might be able to fix the issue simply by performing a System Restore. System Restore is a feature of Windows that allows you to restore your system to an earlier state and fix many problems. To perform a system restore, you need to do the following:

  1. Press Windows Key + S and type system restore. Select Create a restore point from the list of results.
    Group Policy folder missing from system32
  2. A new window will now appear. Click the System Restore button.
    Registry.pol not updating
  3. When System Restore window opens, click Next to proceed.
    Group Policy folder missing from system32
  4. Check Show more restore points option, if available. Select the desired restore point and click Next.
    Registry.pol not updating
  5. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish the process.

Once your PC is restored, the issue should be resolved and everything will start working once again.

Solution 8 – Perform an in-place upgrade or reset Windows 10

If all other solutions failed, your last option is to perform an in-place upgrade. This process will reinstall Windows 10, keep all your files and applications, and repair all corrupted files. If you’re having problems with corrupt local group policy, an in-place upgrade might be the best way to fix them.

To perform an in-place upgrade, you need to do the following:

  1. Download and start Media Creation Tool.
  2. Select Upgrade this PC now.
  3. Select Download and install updates (recommended) and click Next. This step isn’t mandatory, so if you’re in a hurry, you can choose not to install updates.
  4. Follow the instructions on the screen. When you get to the Ready to install screen, select Change what to keep.
  5. Select Keep personal files and apps and click Next.
  6. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish the process.

After performing an in-place upgrade, you’ll have a fresh installation of Windows 10, and all your issues should be resolved. If the problem is still there, we suggest that you reset Windows 10.

Corrupt group policy can cause many issues, but we hope that you managed to solve them using one of our solutions.

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