Group Policy Analyzer is a novel tool from Microsoft TechNet that lets yous analyze, sentiment too compare sets of Group Policy Objects (GPOs) inward Windows. The freeware, launched past times Microsoft end calendar week is a skillful tool to uncovering if a laid of Group Policies has redundant settings or internal inconsistencies. With Policy Analyzer yous tin flaming also highlight the differences betwixt versions or sets of Group Policies.
Group Policy Analyzer from Microsoft TechNet
For those looking to care GPO’s effectively, Policy Analyzer lets yous process a laid of GPOs equally a unmarried unit of measurement thence making it easier to gain upwardly one's withdraw heed whether item settings are duplicated across the GPOs or are laid to conflicting values. It also lets yous capture a baseline too so compare it to a snapshot taken at a later on fourth dimension to position changes anywhere across the set.
The finding of the Policy Analyzer are displayed inward a tabular array where highlighted areas inward Yellow shows “Conflict”, spell Grey cells dot absent settings. The finding tin flaming also hold out exported to an Excel spreadsheet for farther use.
Analyze, view, compare Group Policy Objects
Microsoft Policy Analyzer is a lightweight standalone application too it doesn’t involve whatsoever installation. To foremost using the application follow the below steps.
Step 1
Download “Run PolicyAnalyzer.exe” (less than 2MB) too extract the files. The extracted files comprise PolicyAnalyzer.exe too 2 helper programme files – PolicyRulesFileBuilder.exe too PolicyAnalyzer_GetLocalPolicy.exe, documentation .pdf file too sample GPO sets taken from the Microsoft safety configuration baselines.
Step 2
Click “PolicyAnalyzer.exe” too yous volition run into the Main window popular upwardly on your covert equally shown below.
The listing box shows the elevate of the directory where Policy Rule sets in. You tin flaming modify the location of the directory past times clicking on this box too select yous ain preferred directory name.
Initially, equally shown above, the directory volition hold out empty.
Step 3
To add together a Policy Rule laid to the Policy Analyzer collection, click the Add push equally shown to a higher house inward the Main window. Here, I added the sample GPO sets taken from the Microsoft safety configuration baselines supplied equally component subdivision of the Download file earlier.
You tin flaming select to add together files using the Policy File Importer, shown inward the screenshot below.
Policy Analyzer tin flaming ingest 3 types of GPO files: registry policy files, safety templates, too audit policy backup files. Refer screenshot below,
If yous add together files using Add files from GPO(s, Policy Analyzer identifies GPO names from files inward the GPO backup or backups. If yous pick files using the other options, Policy Analyzer sets the file’s policy elevate to a placeholder value.
Step 4
After yous gain got added the files, run the Main window to select the files yous desire to compare. In the to a higher house screenshot, I selected all.
Now click “View/Compare” to opened upwardly the Policy Viewer
As shown above, the Policy Viewer lists all the settings configured past times the policy sets too the values configured past times each policy laid inward its ain column. Here the cells are highlighted amongst unlike colours each representing a unlike pregnant equally listed below.
- The jail cellphone background is xanthous if whatsoever 2 policy sets configure the value differently.
- A greyness background amongst no text indicates that the policy laid inward that column does non configure the setting.
- A white background indicates that the policy laid configures the setting too that no other policy laid configures that setting to a unlike value.
- A lite greyness background inward a jail cellphone indicates that the policy laid defines the same setting multiple times, typically inward unlike GPOs.
So amongst the Policy Viewer windows, yous tin flaming analyze, sentiment too compare sets of Group Policy Objects.
Additional Features
Click View > Show Details Pane (may gain got been already enabled)
The Details Pane resides inward the lower department of the window identifies the path (or paths) inward the Group Policy Object editor that tin flaming configure the selected setting, the GPO pick or options associated amongst the selected values, the underlying information type, too whatsoever other available information.
Click Export > Export Table to Excel or Export All Data to Excel
This is a useful business office to import the information for your farther run too analysis.
- Export tabular array to Excel exports exactly the information inward the tabular array view, while,
- Export all information to Excel exports information equally shown inward the Details Pane, including GPO paths, pick names, too information types.
Policy Analyzer is a helpful tool to analyze too compare sets of Group Policy Objects (GPOs) inward Windows. As of today, the tool is useful to uncovering if a laid of GPOs contains contradictory settings. However, it doesn’t propose yous on which of them volition win too may be, that’s something which may come upwardly inward later on versions.
Go here to download it from TechNet blog.
Source: https://www.thewindowsclub.com/
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