By default, Group Policy Management is installed on computers running Windows Server 2008 when the Active Directory Domain Services (AD DS) server role is installed. This procedure describes how to open Group Policy Management on your domain controller running Windows Server 2008. The procedure then describes how to either open an existing domain-level Group Policy object (GPO) for editing, or create a new domain GPO and open it for editing.

Membership in Domain Admins, or equivalent, is the minimum required to perform this procedure.

To open or add and open a Group Policy object
  1. On your domain controller running Windows Server 2008, click Start, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Group Policy Management. The Group Policy Management console opens.

  2. In the left pane, double-click your forest. For example, double-click Forest: example.com.

  3. In the left pane, double-click Domains, and then double-click the domain that contains the GPO you want to manage. For example, double-click example.com.

  4. Do one of the following:

    • To open an existing domain-level GPO for editing, double click the domain that contains the GPO that you want to manage, right-click the domain policy you want to manage, and then click Edit.

    • To create a new Group Policy object and open for editing, right-click the domain for which you want to create a new GPO, and then click Create a GPO in this domain, and link it here.

      In New GPO, in Name, type a name for the new GPO, and then click OK.

      Right-click your new GPO, and then click Edit. Group Policy Management Editor opens.


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