This tutorial demonstrates how to reset all Local Group Policy Settings back to default in Windows 11 and Windows 10. This can help you troubleshoot your system if you have been making tweaks using Group Policy, and restore your system to its initial state to improve stability.
Understanding Local Group Policy in Windows
Group Policy allows you to centrally manage system and user settings, as well as application configurations. It includes policies for managing security, user permissions, network settings, and other system behavior. Group Policy functionality is available in the Pro and Enterprise versions of Windows 11 and Windows 10.
Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are sets of configuration options that affect how the associated Windows feature or application behaves. GPOs are split into Computer Configuration (applying to only the current Windows PC and any user who is logged in to it) and User Configuration (applying to a specific user account and being applied to whichever device they log in to for the duration of their session).
Group policies can be set up on a single PC using Local Group Policy or deployed to multiple PCs that are part of a Windows Domain:
- Local Group Policy: Local group policies only apply to the PC they are configured on. Local Group Policy is always overridden by Group Policy in Active Directory.
- Group Policy in Active Directory: Group Policy Objects that are defined in Windows Active Directory (e.g., in an enterprise or education environment) give you centralized control of users and computers connected to a Windows Domain. Group policies in Active Directory can be scoped per-user or based on organizational units (OUs).
Administrative tasks performed using Group Policy often include:
- Automatically connecting network shares and shared printers.
- Configuring logon/logoff scripts.
- Enforcing internet browser security settings.
- Ensuring firewalls and antivirus are enabled.
- Blocking certain applications or Windows features (for example, restricting computer usage to only approved productivity apps, or disabling administrative tools).
When and why to clear Group Policy settings
Group policies grant a great deal of control over your Windows system, and it may become necessary to revert all changes in case a mistake was made or the system has become unstable after making multiple configuration tweaks. It may also be necessary to reset Group Policy settings to their defaults if third-party software has made an unwanted change.
Resetting Local Group Policies should not affect your personal files but may affect programs that rely on Group Policy Objects. Make sure you take a full system backup before making any changes to Group Policy, just in case there are unintended side effects.
How to reset Local Group Policy settings to default
Before you follow any of the steps in this article, make sure you back up your Local Group Policy settings so that you can restore them if something goes wrong.
The most efficient way to revert Local Group Policy to its defaults is to delete all of their configuration files. This can be done in several different ways:
Using Windows Explorer
Open the Windows File Explorer and navigate to %WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy and %WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers, then delete the contents of each directory. You’ll need to be logged in as an administrator to do this.
Using the Command Prompt
Running the following Command Prompt command as an administrator will delete the configurations used to set Local Group Policy, restoring the defaults:
RD /S /Q “%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy”
RD /S /Q “%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers”
Using PowerShell
Run the following PowerShell command as an administrator to force the deletion of Local Group Policy configuration files:
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force “$env:WinDir\System32\GroupPolicy”
Remove-Item -Recurse -Force “$env:WinDir\System32\GroupPolicyUsers”
Resetting Local Group Policy using the Group Policy Editor
Finally, you can manually reset each Group Policy Object you’ve modified by opening the Local Group Policy Editor, locating the Group Policy Objects that you have previously modified, and toggling them back to Not Configured. This allows you to reset individual Group Policy settings.
However, this method is not foolproof, as you may not remember which changes you have made. To comprehensively reset all policies, it’s recommended to use one of the above methods and then re-create any policies you still require.
Post-reset considerations and troubleshooting tips
After using any of the above methods to restore Local Group Policy to its defaults, make sure to run:
gpupdate /force
This is to ensure that the new settings are applied. If some settings still fail to revert, try rebooting your Windows PC.
Managing Windows Group Policy in an enterprise environment
Local Group Policy can only be used to manage a single Windows device. A Windows Domain with Active Directory is required to fully leverage Group Policy to centrally manage tens or thousands of Windows devices, from workstations to tablets, and work-from-home deployments connected using VPNs.
Windows domains provide tools for identity and access management, device management, and security (including antivirus and firewalls) to ensure that the Windows PCs that you are responsible for are properly configured and secured. The security and resiliency of enterprise networks can be further enhanced by implementing a remote monitoring and management solution that provides full visibility over your IT assets.
NinjaOne is a complete end-to-end endpoint management solution with a unified interface for configuring and maintaining Windows PCs (as well as Android, Apple, and Linux devices). NinjaOne allows you to oversee the current configuration for your entire fleet of devices and deploy and roll back changes to their defaults to minimize downtime and reduce support overheads.
