[Windows Tip] How to Install and Enable “Group Policy Editor” (gpedit.msc) in Home Edition

DISCLAIMER: This tutorial has been shared for the sake of knowledge sharing. Patching system files or using 3rd party software might be dangerous for your computer. We do not recommend it and we’ll not be responsible if it harms your system.

Many times we post tutorials which require use of Group Policy Editor (GPEdit.msc) program. But the problem is, Group Policy Editor comes bundled with only a few selected Windows editions such as Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions. Other Windows editions such as Home (also known as Core), Home Basic, Home Premium, Starter and Single Language don’t come with Group Policy Editor program. So these Windows editions users can’t use tips-n-tricks which require using Group Policy Editor.

Group_Policy_Editor_GPEdit_Windows.png

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Now the good news is that you can install/enable the missing Group Policy Editor program in any edition of Windows operating system. Today in this tutorial, we are going to share 2 methods to add Group Policy Editor tool to all Windows editions.

  • METHOD 1: Only for Windows 10 Users
  • METHOD 2: For Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 Users

So if you also want to install and enable Group Policy Editor in your Windows OS, following methods will help you:

METHOD 1: Only for Windows 10 Users

If you are using Windows 10 Home edition or Single Language edition and want to enable Group Policy Editor program, this method will help you.

Actually Windows 10 Home and Single Language editions already come with Group Policy Editor program packages included but its disabled by default so users can’t launch the program. But we can activate and enable the program using DISM command.

For your convenience, we have created a small BATCH file which can automatically install Group Policy Editor program by executing required DISM command.

First of all download the batch file from following link:

Download Batch Script to Enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 10

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Extract the downloaded ZIP file using 7-Zip or any other file archive utility and you’ll get “Install Group Policy Editor.bat” file.

Right-click on the BAT file and select “Run as Administrator” option. It’ll launch a Command Prompt window which will take a few seconds in installing and enabling Group Policy Editor program in Windows 10.

Install_Enable_Group_Policy_Editor_Windows_10.png

Restart your computer and now you are ready to use Group Policy Editor in Windows 10 Home or Single Language editions.

METHOD 2: For Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10 Users

This method will work in all Windows versions such as Windows 7, Windows 8/8.1 and Windows 10. It uses a simple installer which installs the required system files in Windows so that you can enjoy Group Policy Editor in all Windows editions.

This installer tool has been created by “davehc” @ Windows7forums and shared by “Drudger” @ DA. It enables Group Policy Editor program in all Windows editions such as Starter, Home Basic, Home Premium, etc.

First download the setup file using following link:

You’ll find the download link in right-side section of the above mentioned page. After downloading the ZIP file, extract it using WinRAR or 7-Zip. Run the extracted setup.exe file. It’ll install the files and you’ll be able to access gpedit.msc command via RUN or Start Menu search box.

NOTE 1: For Windows 7 64-bit (x64) users! You’ll also need to go to “SysWOW64” folder present in “C:\Windows” folder and copy “GroupPolicy”, “GroupPolicyUsers” folders and gpedit.msc file from there and paste them in “C:\Windows\System32” folder.

NOTE 2: If you are getting “MMC could not create the snap-in” error message while running gpedit.msc, check out following steps to fix the problem. Basically it happens when your username in Windows contains more than one word.

1. Run the installer and leave it at the last step (do not click on the “Finish” button).

2. Now go to C:\Windows\Temp\gpedit\ folder.

3. If you are running 32-bit (x86) edition of Windows 7, right-click on x86.bat file and choose “Open With -> Notepad” option. If you are running 64-bit (x64) edition of Windows 7, right-click on x64.bat file and choose “Open With -> Notepad” option.

4. You’ll find a total of 6 lines containing the following string in the file:

%username%:f

5. Edit those lines and replace %username%:f with “%username%”:f

For example:

Original: icacls %WinDir%\SysWOW64\gpedit.dll /grant:r %username%:f
New: icacls %WinDir%\SysWOW64\gpedit.dll /grant:r “%username%”:f

6. Save and run the file (right-click -> Run as Administrator).

7. That’s it. You’ll have working gpedit.msc.

Thanks to our reader “Teazlee” for the fix…

Published in: Troubleshooting Guides, Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8

About the author: Vishal Gupta (also known as VG) has been awarded with Microsoft MVP (Most Valuable Professional) award. He holds Masters degree in Computer Applications (MCA). He has written several tech articles for popular newspapers and magazines and has also appeared in tech shows on various TV channels.

Comments

NOTE: Older comments have been removed to reduce database overhead.

  1. Worked well! Thank you for posting. Best explained of several sources.

    However, my user has a space, I did the .bat edit, ran admin, clicked finished. Got MMC error. Logged into a newly created admin account, ran again and it worked.

    This is why I’m here. The new admin account doesn’t have full admin rights and I can’t install new software reliably. The adventure continues.

  2. This worked, thanks! Had to make sure I ran it as administrator for the command prompt to work.

  3. Well, this doesn’t work on W7X64 insofar as it doesn’t make any changes !
    Installs, runs and acts like it has but even after a reboot, registry changes have not been made.
    Has anyone actually CHECKED to see if changes have been made or just assuming they have !?
    Looks like it may well need more core components to really work, or just splurge on W7 PRO…

  4. Thanks a lot. I checked with YouTube, checked by other sources in webpages, for my Home edition Windows 10 about “gpedit.msc” but the results were not perfect as well as useless information and wasting my time.
    Yous instruction are excellent and perfect.
    Thanks a lot for your instructions which is more reliable than the other’s info.
    Much appreciated and may expect much more help in the future…..

  5. I successfully installed this on my Windows 7 64Bit laptop and I can open it and make changes. I am the administrator so I did not have to “run it as administrator?.

    When I installed this on my Windows 7 64Bit Desktop PC it installed, but I get the “MMC could not create the snap-in” error message when I tried to run it. I tried running as an administrator also. I also tried the fix by running the installer again and before clicking finish by replacing %username%:f with this “%username%”:f and I still get the message “MMC could not create the snap-in” error message.

    Do I need to uninstall this; start over and then run the gpedit file and add the above fix before clicking finish?

    Any thoughts why the laptop will run the gpedit.msc and the PC will not?

  6. excelente para win 10 de 64 bits versión home, después de bajar casi 4 programas de setup, ninguno me soluciono el problema,borrando por por todos lados la carpeta de MMC y nada ,borrando incluso en REGEDIT la carpeta de mmc y nada…….este articulo y su forma de explicar en letras es exacto…….muchas gracias gente de ASKVG.COM

  7. Hello guys, does any1 know if METHOD 1 batch script does work in Win 10 Home 64-bit (x64) NON-ENGLISH language too…?

  8. Hi. I have W10, so I downloaded Batch Script to Enable Group Policy Editor in Windows 10. Reading the file, I think I found a typo. On line 6, the command output string is ‘findstr /i . Files.txt 2^>nul’. Shouldn’t it be ‘findstr /i . Files.txt 2>nul’—without the ^ between 2 and >? Testing your syntax gives this error: “FINDSTR: Cannot open 2>nul”. Or am I missing something?

  9. Never mind. I see that the > needs to be escaped with the ^ in a FOR command. I wish I could find better documentation. Oh, well. That’s why I test.

  10. Excellent script, advise. Disabled damned “Store” and its nonsense and turned 100% disk access on new 1TB drive to 3% idle use. Computer no longer hosed by its stupid operating system. Still might dump it and go back to Linux….

  11. Not working in windows 8.1 64 bits!!!
    gpedit.msc not found.

    Guideline given here is not clear.

  12. for windows 8.1 64bits
    I got MMC could not create the snap-in

    I have tried all the methods but to no avail. Can any one help?

    I can’t find “GroupPolicyuser”, “goupPolicy” in “sysWOW64” folder for windows 8.1

  13. I have a laptop that always goes into “system update” at the worst time (like when I’m traveling). I can’t get anything done with it running. My laptop also won’t let me disable updates, but gpedit does.
    administrative templates\windows components\windows update\configure automatic updates (then disable).
    Thank for your help.

  14. i instaled the gpedit but i restrict regedit command for users but users can open the regedit

  15. Unfortunately, I have no GPBAK folder. How can I find this please? Groupploicy and GroupPolicyUsers are both already in the System 32 folder, but no gpedit anywhere.

  16. I tried downloading from the Drudger page, but when I click Download, it attempts to force me to join DeviantArt, in which I have no interest. Is there any way of bypassing this please?

  17. ^^ The download button is given below the main screenshot. Check the 3rd number icon in right-side below the screenshot.

  18. I installed the gpedit.msc from the provided link (Method 2). However, there are no User Account Control options displayed under the Local Computer Policy>Windows Settings>Local Policies>Security Settings area. My list of options stops after the “System Settings” group of settings. Did I miss a step?

  19. About downloading; if you don’t feel like signing up at Deviant to get it, you can also get it at Softpedia without any such hassle;
    softpedia.com/get/Tweak/System-Tweak/Add-GPEDIT-msc.shtml

  20. For those are able to run the completely setup as instructed above but after running the gpedit.msc not able to see any data in the window or blank window. You need to run the gpedit as administrator, by right clicking on the gpedit.msc file and run as administrator. It will show up the data. What I suggest is to run the entire setup with administrator wherever possible.

    Thanks it worked for me too…..

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