10 Easy Methods To Open Local Group Policy Editor In Windows

The Local Group Policy Editor allows you to control several settings without the need to modify the registries. If you can use the Local Group Policy Editor properly, the gpedit.msc becomes a very handy tool that can unlock or disable features. You can access features via gpedit.msc tool that otherwise could not be accessed via the usual paths.

Editing Group Policy settings is much easier and safer when you use Local Group Policy Editor instead of Windows Registry Editor. However, Local Group Policy Editor is available only in Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. But, with some modifications, you can enable the Local Group Policy Editor.

What Is Meant By Local Group Policy Editor?

The Local Group Policy Editor or gpedit.msc is a Management Console (MMC) plug-in. It works as a common interface between User Configuration settings and Computer Configuration.

The computer administrator can make use of gpedit.msc tool for creating policies that get applied to the system. You can also apply these policies to only certain computer users via their user accounts.

In case, the administrator makes use of the Computer Configuration to set its policy, the settings will get applied to all users regardless of whoever is logged in.

If the administrators use the User Configuration to enforce a policy, it gets applied to all the users mentioned in the policy, irrespective of which computers they use.

The policies enforced with the Local Group Policy Editor will be effective for all computer users unless the administrator specifies something else.

How To Open Local Policy Editor On Your Computer

When you are certain your Windows 10 system can open the Local Policy Editor, you can try the following methods to open the gpedit.msc tool.

You can choose whichever method you like because they will open the Local Group Policy Editor. However, ensure you have signed in with an administrator account for opening and using the Local Group Policy Editor.

Try out any of the given methods to open the Local Group Policy Editor on your computer:

  1. The Run Utility
  2. Windows Search Bar
  3. Command Prompt
  4. Windows PowerShell
  5. Control Panel
  6. Windows Settings
  7. Task Manager
  8. Windows Explorer
  9. The .Exe File
  10. MMC Snap-in

Method #1. Via The Run Utility

This is the fastest way to access the Local Group Policy Editor. Follow the steps given below to implement it:

Step 1. Press the Windows + R keys together to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2. Type in gpedit.msc in the Run field.

open gpedit.msc via the run dialog box

Step 3. Hit the Enter key to open the Local Group Policy Editor or click the OK button.

Note: If you get an error stating “Windows can’t find gpedit.msc” after following the above steps, then your Windows version may not open the gpedit.msc tool.

Method #2. Via Windows Search Bar

This is yet another quick way to open the Local Group Policy Editor. Given below are the steps that will guide you on this:

Step 1. First, click on the Windows icon from the bottom left of the screen or the magnifying glass icon. Else, you can also press the Windows key.

Step 2. Type in gpedit.msc in the search field. Click on the Edit group policy option from the search results.

Step 3. Next, click the Yes button in the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.

Method #3. Via Command Prompt

This is yet another way to open the Local Group Policy Editor. Follow the guide given below to know how to do this:

Step 1. First, press the Windows key from your keyboard to access the search bar. Or, you can also click on the Windows icon from the bottom left of the screen.

Step 2. Next, type in “cmd” in the search field and click on the search result. Or else, you could have pressed the Windows + R keys to open the Run utility and typed “cmd” there. Then, hit the Enter key.

Step 3. The Command prompt window will open now. Type in gpedit.msc and press Enter to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

open gpedit via the command prompt

Method #4. Via PowerShell

This is another way to open the Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc). Here are the steps you need to do it:

Step 1. Click on the Windows Start button and type PowerShellin the given field.

Step 2. Click on Windows PowerShell from the search results. Otherwise, you can also try pressing the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box and typing in “PowerShell”. Then, hit the Enter key to open the Windows PowerShell window.

Step 3. Type in gpedit.msc in Powershell and press the Enter key to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

open gpedit via windows powershell

Method #5. Via Control Panel

You can also try the age-old control panel to open the Local Group Policy Editor. Although Microsoft has been bringing the new Settings menu to replace the Control Panel, you can still use it. Follow the steps given below and open the Local Group Policy Editor from there:

Step 1. Press the Windows + R keys to open the Run utility. Type in “Control” and hit Enter to open the Control Panel menu.

Step 2. From the Control Panel menu, click on Administrative Tools and then, double click on Edit Group Policy.

open local group policy editor via the control panel

Note: You can also type in group policy in the search bar above and then, select “Edit group policy”

Method #6. Via Windows Settings

Step 1. Press the Windows + I keys to open the Windows Settings

Step 2. Type in “group policy” in the search function of the Settings window.

Step 3. Click on Edit group policy to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

open local group policy editor via windows settings

Method #7. Via Task Manager

You can also use Windows Task Manager to open the Local Group Policy Editor or gpedit.msc. The Local Group Policy Editor is a built-in function in the Task Manager.

Step 1. Right-click on Taskbar and then, choose Task Manager.

Step 2. Click on File Menu and then, choose “Run new task.”

Step 3. Go to the “Create new task” window and type “gpedit.msc” in the Open field. Then, press the Enter key.

Method #8. Via Windows Explorer

Step 1. Open your Windows file explorer

Step 2. Go to the address bar of the file explorer and type in “gpedit.msc” and press the Enter key

Method #9. Via The .Exe File

Step 1. Open the Windows File Explorer and go to: C:\ Windows \ System32

Step 2. Look for “gpedit.msc” using the search bar located above.

Step 3. Double-click on the gpedit.msc to open the Local Group Policy Editor

Look for "gpedit.msc" using the search bar located above

Step 4. Next, click Yes at the User Account Control (UAC) prompt.

Method #10. Via MMC Snap-in

Step 1. Go to the Start menu and type in “mmc” in the search bar and then, press the Enter key

Step 2. Select the File option and click on Add/Remove Snap-in option

Step 3. A list of snap-ins will show up. Now, you need to select Group Policy Editor and then, click on Add.

Step 4. From the Select Group Policy Object dialog box, select the Browse option

Step 5. Click on This Computer to edit the local GPO

Step 6. Click on the Users tab to edit administrator, non-administrator, or other user policy settings.

Step 7. Now, you can save this new policy snap-in and click on Finish.

How To Edit Group Policies Via The Local Group Policy Editor?

Follow the given steps to know how to edit a Local Group Policy object:

Step 1. From the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor, double-click on a folder to check out its policy settings in the details section

Step 2. Now, in the results section, double-click on a policy setting to check out its Properties and then, edit the policy settings based on your requirements.

How To Create A Shortcut For Local Group Policy Editor?

In case you need to work with the gpedit.msc tool frequently, it’s better to create its shortcut on your system’s Desktop for convenience. Follow the steps given below to know how to do so:

Step 1. Right-click on a space in the Desktop and click on New item. Then, choose Shortcut.

Step 2. In the “Type the location of the item” field, enter “gpedit.msc”

Step 3. Click on Next

Step 4. Name the shortcut “Group Policy Editor”

Step 5. Click on “Finish.”

Conclusion

That’s all about how to open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows from our side! The above article gives you ten ways to open the Local Group Policy Editor. All of them should yield the same result. But, if one method doesn’t work for you, you always have an alternative.