How to Set Up Locally-Based System Policies

MORE INFORMATION

• Automatic Update Method
• Remote Update Method

Automatic Update Method

1. Share the Winnt\System32\Repl\Import\Scripts folder (where Winnt is the name of your Windows directory) as Netlogon.
2. Grant the group Everyone "Read" Permissions and the group Administrators "Full Control" to this share.
3. Start System Policy Editor (Poledit.exe).
4. On the File menu, click New Policy and make the changes for your policy. Start with something simple such as "Remove Run command from Start Menu" from Shell/Restrictions in the Users Properties window.
5. On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the policy file in the Netlogon shared folder as Ntconfig.pol.
6. On the File menu, click Open Registry.
7. Double-click Local Computer, double-click Network, double-click System Policies Update, and then click the Remote Update check box to select it.
8. In the Update Mode box, click Automatic (Use Default Path), and then click OK.
9. Save your policy to the location listed above as Ntconfig.pol, and then quit Policy Editor.
10. Restart Windows NT for the changes in the policy to take effect.

Remote Update Method

1. Start System Policy Editor(Poledit.exe) and make the changes for your policy.
2. On the File menu, click Save As, and then save the policy file on your hard disk. For example, save the file as:

   c:\ntconfig.pol

3. On the File menu, click Open Registry.
4. Double-click Local Computer, double-click Network, double-click System Policies Update, and then click the Remote Update check box to select it.
5. In the Update Mode box, click Manual (Use Specific Path), type a path name in the Path for Manual Update dialog box (for example, c:\winnt\ system32\repl\import\scripts\Ntconfig.pol), and then click OK.
   
   Note that to display error messages if the policy file is not found when Windows NT starts, you can click the Display Error Message check box to select it.
6. Save your policy to the location listed above as Ntconfig.pol, and then quit Policy Editor.
   
   Note that while using the Manual Update, you may name the policy file anything you would like; just be sure to enter it into the path in step 5 above.
7. Restart Windows NT for the changes in the policy to take effect.