Windows Server 2003 Security: A Technical Reference

Group Policy Tools

Group Policy Editor (GPE) is the native Windows tool for managing Group Policy. The GPE snap-in can be added to an MMC console and is opened when a GPO is created or modified from the Group Policy property pages of a container in Active Directory Users and Computers. The GPE is easy to use and provides basic utility. However, it does not provide many features that are essential for managing Group Policy. You cannot tell, for example, the impact of a combination of multiple GPOs on a specific workstation, server, or user. You cannot copy the GPO or export it and use it in another domain. You cannot even print the policy. To examine the settings in the policy, you must browse through the policy, opening many subcontainers to ...