Using the Windows 7 Group Policies


Group Policies

The Windows tool called Group Policy Editor can be used almost exclusively in business and corporate IT environments. It's accessed by typing gpedit.msc in the Start menu search box. The Group Policy Editor interface is split up into two main areas: Computer Configuration and User Configuration. Each of those areas is subdivided further into Software Settings, Windows Settings, and Administrative Templates.

Computer Configuration covers settings for the whole PC. You will likely not need to alter these unless, for instance, you're turning off Windows Firewall or Windows Update in a company IT environment.

User Configuration covers the settings that affect specific users. These will usually be specified remotely with a Windows Server configuration, but if you are changing these settings within Windows 7, you have to do the like a per-user basis while logged in to that specific user account.

It's unlikely that you'll ever wish to change settings in Group Policy Editor if you don't really are a system administrator on the company network. However, there can be circumstances where, to improve security, you need to block user use of the Run command on the Start menu, deny user use of common Windows features for example Windows Media Player, or alter the default Windows security level for opening email attachments.

Fortunately, all of the available alternatives in Group Policy Editor are clearly labeled, and all sorts of include detailed descriptions of what goes on whenever you edit them. This could help you understand how each selection will affect you and also other users on your PC so you can make informed choices.

Local Security Policies

Another tool used almost exclusively in business and corporate IT environments may be the Local Security Policy window. You can access it by typing security in the Start menu search box and selecting Local Security Policy in the search results.

There's hardly any that you'd wish to change in the Local Security Policy window. However, you can access two useful features. Windows Firewall with Advanced Security This is when you can set and configure specific rules to permit hardware or software with the Windows 7 firewall. This may include games or use of network storage.

Application Control Policies - If you possess the Enterprise or Ultimate version of Windows 7, you can get an element called AppLocker. This feature enables you to control what specific software could be placed on your PC, as a result of the version number. This could be useful for features like graphics card drivers for games as well as for some plug-ins, for example Adobe’s Flash, that works just with specific software versions. This feature enables you to block installing other versions of these bits of software.

Just like Group Policy Editor, all of the available alternatives in the Local Security Policy Editor are evident and display detailed descriptions whenever you click their properties. This will make simple to use to understand how each option will affect you and also other users on the PC helping you make informed choices.

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This article was sent to us by: Patrick Morris at 05122011

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