Tag: User Configuration

This policy setting allows you to set the default display name for new Group Policy objects. This setting allows you to specify the default name for new Group Policy objects created from policy compliant Group Policy Management tools including the Group Policy tab in Active Directory tools and the GPO browser. The display name can contain environment variables and can be a maximum of 255 characters long. If this setting is Disabled or Not Configured the default display name of New Group Policy object is used.

This policy setting specifies how often Group Policy for users is updated while the computer is in use (in the background). This setting specifies a background update rate only for the Group Policies in the User Configuration folder. In addition to background updates Group Policy for users is always updated when users log on. By default user Group Policy is updated in the background every 90 minutes with a random offset of 0 to 30 minutes. If you enable this setting you can specify an update rate from 0 to 64800 minutes (45 days). If you select 0 minutes the computer tries to update user Group Policy every 7 seconds. However because updates might interfere with users’ work and increase network traffic very short update intervals are not appropriate for most installations. If you disable this setting user Group Policy is updated every 90 minutes (the default). To specify that Group Policy for users should never be updated while the computer is in use select the “Turn off background refresh of Group Policy” setting. This setting also lets you specify how much the actual update interval varies. To prevent clients with the same update interval from requesting updates simultaneously the system varies the update interval for each client by a random number of minutes. The number you type in the random time box sets the upper limit for the range of variance. For example if you type 30 minutes the system selects a variance of 0 to 30 minutes. Typing a large number establishes a broad range and makes it less likely that client requests overlap. However updates might be delayed significantly. Important: If the “Turn off background refresh of Group Policy” setting is enabled this setting is ignored. Note: This setting establishes the update rate for user Group Policies. To set an update rate for computer Group Policies use the “Group Policy refresh interval for computers” setting (located in Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Group Policy). Tip: Consider notifying users that their policy is updated periodically so that they recognize the signs of a policy update. When Group Policy is updated the Windows desktop is refreshed; it flickers briefly and closes open menus. Also restrictions imposed by Group Policies such as those that limit the programs a user can run might interfere with tasks in progress.

This policy setting determines which domain controller the Group Policy Object Editor snap-in uses. If you enable this setting you can which domain controller is used according to these options:”Use the Primary Domain Controller” indicates that the Group Policy Object Editor snap-in reads and writes changes to the domain controller designated as the PDC Operations Master for the domain. “Inherit from Active Directory Snap-ins” indicates that the Group Policy Object Editor snap-in reads and writes changes to the domain controller that Active Directory Users and Computers or Active Directory Sites and Services snap-ins use. “Use any available domain controller” indicates that the Group Policy Object Editor snap-in can read and write changes to any available domain controller. If you disable this setting or do not configure it the Group Policy Object Editor snap-in uses the domain controller designated as the PDC Operations Master for the domain. Note: To change the PDC Operations Master for a domain in Active Directory Users and Computers right-click a domain and then click “Operations Masters. “

This policy setting prevents administrators from viewing or using Group Policy preferences. A Group Policy administration (. adm) file can contain both true settings and preferences. True settings which are fully supported by Group Policy must use registry entries in the Software -> Policies or Software -> Microsoft -> Windows -> CurrentVersion -> Policies registry subkeys. Preferences which are not fully supported use registry entries in other subkeys. If you enable this policy setting the “Show Policies Only” command is turned on and administrators cannot turn it off. As a result Group Policy Object Editor displays only true settings; preferences do not appear. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting the “Show Policies Only” command is turned on by default but administrators can view preferences by turning off the “Show Policies Only” command. Note: To find the “Show Policies Only” command in Group Policy Object Editor click the Administrative Templates folder (either one) right-click the same folder and then point to “View. “In Group Policy Object Editor preferences have a red icon to distinguish them from true settings which have a blue icon.

This policy setting defines a slow connection for purposes of applying and updating Group Policy. If the rate at which data is transferred from the domain controller providing a policy update to the computers in this group is slower than the rate specified by this setting the system considers the connection to be slow. The system’s response to a slow policy connection varies among policies. The program implementing the policy can specify the response to a slow link. Also the policy processing settings in this folder lets you override the programs’ specified responses to slow links. If you enable this setting you can in the “Connection speed” box type a decimal number between 0 and 4294967200 indicating a transfer rate in kilobits per second. Any connection slower than this rate is considered to be slow. If you type 0 all connections are considered to be fast. If you disable this setting or do not configure it the system uses the default value of 500 kilobits per second. This setting appears in the Computer Configuration and User Configuration folders. The setting in Computer Configuration defines a slow link for policies in the Computer Configuration folder. The setting in User Configuration defines a slow link for settings in the User Configuration folder. Also see the “Do not detect slow network connections” and related policies in Computer Configuration -> Administrative Templates -> System -> User Profile. Note: If the profile server has IP connectivity the connection speed setting is used. If the profile server does not have IP connectivity the SMB timing is used.

This policy setting determines how programs interpret two-digit years. This policy setting affects only the programs that use this Windows feature to interpret two-digit years. If a program does not interpret two-digit years correctly consult the documentation or manufacturer of the program. If you enable this policy setting the system specifies the largest two-digit year interpreted as being preceded by 20. All numbers less than or equal to the specified value are interpreted as being preceded by 20. All numbers greater than the specified value are interpreted as being preceded by 19. For example the default value 2029 specifies that all two-digit years less than or equal to 29 (00 to 29) are interpreted as being preceded by 20 that is 2000 to 2029. Conversely all two-digit years greater than 29 (30 to 99) are interpreted as being preceded by 19 that is 1930 to 1999. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting Windows does not interpret two-digit year formats using this scheme for the program.