Open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc)

The Local Group Policy Editor changes Windows settings that the Settings app does not show. It is part of the Pro, Enterprise and Education editions.

Time
A few minutes
Level
Medium
You need
An administrator account and Windows 11 or 10 Pro, Enterprise or Education.

Before you start

  • Check your edition: open Settings > System > About and look at Edition under Windows specifications. On a Home edition, read Windows Home below this guide instead.
  • Write down each setting before you change it, so you can set it back.

Windows 11 and 10

Steps written for Windows 11 and Windows 10, Pro, Enterprise and Education (the steps are the same).

  1. Open the Run box

    Press Windows key + R.

  2. Start the editor

    Type the command below and select OK. Select Yes if Windows asks for permission.

    gpedit.msc
    Run box with gpedit.msc typed in
    Type gpedit.msc in the Run box and select OK. Screenshot: Windows 11 26H2
  3. Go to the folder the guide names

    In the left pane, expand Computer Configuration (settings for the whole PC) or User Configuration (settings for users), then open Administrative Templates and the folders your guide lists.

    Local Group Policy Editor with Computer Configuration and User Configuration
    The two main branches of the Local Group Policy Editor. Screenshot: Windows 11 26H2
  4. Open the policy

    In the right pane, double-click the policy name.

  5. Change the setting

    Select Enabled, Disabled or Not Configured as the guide says, fill in any values under Options, and select OK.

    Policy window with Enabled selected and an option value
    Choose Enabled, Disabled or Not Configured; the Help box explains what each does. Screenshot: Windows 11 26H2
  6. Apply the change

    Restart the PC, or open Terminal as administrator and run the command below to apply the change now.

    gpupdate /force
Steps checked against Our screenshots (Windows 11 Pro 26H2, build 26300); Microsoft Learn: Open the Local Group Policy Editor on Oct 3, 2026.

Undo a change

Open the same policy and select Not Configured. Windows then uses its default behaviour again. Run gpupdate /force or restart.

See every policy you have changed

Open Computer Configuration (or User Configuration) > Administrative Templates > All Settings, then select the State column header. Enabled and Disabled policies are listed together.

Windows Home

Windows 11 Home and Windows 10 Home do not include the Local Group Policy Editor, so gpedit.msc reports that Windows cannot find it. Most policies have a registry value that does the same thing; when your guide gives one, back up the registry first: Back up the registry before editing it. Scripts that add gpedit to Home install packages Microsoft does not support for that edition, so we do not recommend them.

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Sources

  1. Microsoft Learn: Open the Local Group Policy Editor (read Oct 3, 2026)
  2. Microsoft Learn: gpupdate command reference (read Oct 3, 2026)

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