How to enable gpedit.msc (Group Policy) on Windows 10 Home devices
The Group Policy Editor gpedit.msc is only available in Professional and Enterprise editions of the Windows 10 operating systems.
The editor is not included in Windows 10 Home; while it is possible to make many changes in the Registry directly, using the Group Policy Editor is often more convenient, especially when it comes to the discovery of new settings or making multiple changes.
Some tutorials on the Internet provide Group Policy Editor instructions only. Home users have to search for Registry keys linked to policies in those cases to make those changes to PCs running Windows 10 Home.
Windows 10 Home users could install third-party programs like Policy Plus in the past to integrate Group Policy support in Home editions of Windows.
Update: The method described below adds the Group Policy Editor GUI to the operating system but not the functionality.
Enable the Group Policy Editor on Windows 10 Home
A Reddit user published a batch script today on the Windows 10 board on the site that enables the Group Policy Editor directly on Windows 10 Home systems.
Note that it requires elevated privileges to run since it uses DISM.
Here is the script:
@echo off
pushd "%~dp0"dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package~3*.mum >List.txt
dir /b %SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\Microsoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package~3*.mum >>List.txtfor /f %%i in ('findstr /i . List.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%\servicing\Packages\%%i"
pause
I have created the file and zipped it. You can download it with a click on the following link: (Download Removed)
Note: If you have troubles downloading the file, download it from this link instead.
All you have to do is the following to enable gpedit.msc on Windows 10 Home.
- Make sure you create a backup of the system before you make the change. I have tested this on multiple Windows 10 Home PCs and virtual machines and it worked each time without issues. You want to be on the safe side of things, however, so back up before you run the batch file.
- Extract the archive on your system using the built-in zip extractor or a free third-party program like Bandizip or 7-Zip.
- Right-click on the batch file, gpedit-windows-10-home.bat is the name if you downloaded the archive version, and select "run as administrator" from the context menu.
- Wait until the commands run their course.
- Press any button on the keyboard when asked to do so to exit the command prompt window. The Group Policy Editor should be available now.
- Open Start, type gpedit.msc and see if it pops up as a result.
Now You: do you use the Group Policy Editor?
C:\Windows\WinSxS
where you can find a file called gpedit.bat :P
Just wanted to say that :P
Ayo.. thank you my g. <3
It took no time aswell, fast af.
Thank you for making this simple that even a noob like me can work it out. Much appreciated!
Hi ,
Thank u very much ,its working for me!
Script ran with no errors but gp editor still not found on Win 10 home.
Oh my God, Finally! Thank you!
the command ran succesfully but when i search gpedit.msc it doesnt show any results other than web results
Greatly appreciate you making this available. Works flawlessly !!! Thank you very much!
Thanks bro, works fine.
Regards.
Dear Sir,
It is not complete gpedit setting ? many setting is not appear under
Computer Configuration–>Administrative Template –> System
Why ??
Please advise
Best Regards,
Thank you very much for the command file. Worked flawlessly! Well done!
John Di
Will this make my Windows 10 copy not genuine?
thank
hi
thanks for this, it worked as i could now access Gpedit, but i get the message : “MMC could not create the snap-in”….
Please what do i do to fix that?
Wow, that’s the bomb. I had to reboot before I could use gpedit.msc, but it works!
I have 30 entries for “GPEDIT” on this newPC; – but none of them finish with .MSC …
Perhaps my 1909 version is a move towards users being offered a more direct solution, but how to activate it?
Windows 10 Home versjon 1909, from September.
I see there are entries here from satisfied users, from November; can I assume they also have the 1909 version?
– and that the solutions mentioned here are still the way to go?
Worked great. Thank you
Nice script works like charm tnks
Thank you works perfectly. Sad that Windows tries to make a profit on a gp editor.
Thank you so much. Worked like a charm.
I’m thinking about upgrading Skynet 10 to Skynet 10 Pro, just so I can have gpedit and then my convenient control back. Windows 10 makes me feel the OS commands and owns me and my computer and network instead. I really don’t like that, but its technology and compatibility are excellent. Awful and awesome are two sides of the same damn coin.
but, before that, thank you for the script
how to disable it again?
Worked perfectly. Simply script, 10 seconds, gpedit.msc, disbled BITS. Perfect, thanks.
emmm, Sorry,
Because a mistake operation, I closed the bat when it worked.
so can it work again if I open it again?
thank you
FYI – After running the batch file, “gpedit.msc” was not in the “C:\Windows\System32” folder until after I rebooted the computer. You may want to mention in your steps that a reboot should be done after the packages have been installed.
ok tried this and it works
i now have gpedit
Unfortunately, for some reason changes are not applied to any user I choose via mmc.
Hi, I have downloaded and install script, on fresh install of windows 10 home 1809, GroupPolicy, GroupPolicyUsers and gpedit.msc have been installed, gpedit.msc GUI works, buy it doesn’t change registry file to make the changes,ie; use gpedit.msc to disable Windows defender restart pc, but there are no change to registry. and defender not disabled, in short gpedit.msc can’t change Registry, any ideas?
Yes, the information provided sounds like it just produces the GUI to look at what is set. you still have to set the registry values your self.
Thank you. I find it (GP Editor) great to use for hardening systems, specifically for parents to make the computers safer for their kids.
for those complaining about the download link not working
there is a simple solution you are missing
just copy the code
open notepad
paste the code
save as anything.bat
open the file
DONE
Thanks! I was able to download the file but could not run it as an Admin. This method is good work around.
Worked like a champ. Thanks.
I followed the instructions to the letter on a Windows 10 Home laptop and even after a restart this doesn’t work.
I receive a message saying that that gpedit.msc cannot be found.
You wrote “The method described below adds the Group Policy Editor GUI to the operating system but not the functionality.” what does that mean? so does it work or not? Thanks
(don’t have Home edition to try now)
It is adding the interface but changes are not applied to the system.
true
Use https://wpd.app
only if they were open source…
This “hack” is so old and useless, why even post it? Microsoft adds/remove/changes GP switches in every version making it even more useless. This will do nothing.
Yeah, been around forever in different flavors. Some of the “absolutely, positively, guaranteed to work and tested!” versions download gredit from 10 years ago, which barely resembles today’s version.
I did get gpedit to function yesterday on a Win 10 v.1703 Home machine with internet disabled. A version of gpedit from 2010, which was a little better than useless but not much.
If I go online, will it be removed? Maybe but that would be minor compared to damage missing updates would do; I need the laptop to run analysis software current versions block.
Martin,
when you write:
“using the Group Policy Editor is often more comfortable”, I think you mean “more convenient”.
Great blog!
Well… I definitely want to look into this.
As Im such a noob I cant use the Ghacks.js file.
I have No idea how. Im too incompetent to.LoL
I’ll get a UEFI virus from Windows before.
Thats not being too incompetent is it?!?
wth are you talking about??? none of that made any sense. UEFI virus ? frommicrosft?
No point in making gpedit appear if it doesn’t work. Better for Home users who really want to mess with the registry to back up the registry before experimenting and after successful mods. Windows Updates will reset most of the changes Home users make, so backups are a good idea.
Even better is to spend a little money to upgrade to Pro.
Works. I needed this a few times following some guides. Thanks!
>Update: The method described below adds the Group Policy Editor GUI to the operating system but not the functionality.
There probably is a way to properly enable GPEdit on Home editions. I doubt they went so far ahead as completely breaking it, there’s probably another package not installed or some registry config missing. However, if a proper way is to be found, I expect MS to break it even further, since GPEdit is one of the features Pro or Ultimate sells for.
Regarding the download issues some are facing, you must accept, or manage then accept the GDPR popup if you live in a EU country. I tried from a UK VPN and if you bypass that popup, the download won’t start. In Ukraine we don’t get that popup, so it works.
Downloaded …with some efforts. I clicked and got the loop reloading the page. I temporarly deactivated my firewall.
Let the loop going for a while – maybe 10 times – then the download pop up appeared.
Seems there’s something wrong in the download page, maybe it’s .js?
Martin,
I tried it with Firefox 64 on Linux Mint 18.3 – same thing as the others. The page keeps refreshing by itself. No download. Right click save as did not work either.
Thank you very much, this is so useful !!!
The file can’t be downloaded. It goes in a loop returning to the site with the link.
do you get a “download blocked” notification in the address bar?
@Martin Brinkmann : No i didn’t then it just looped. Now the download works. Thanks ! :)
Just typing the URLin will get you there…ypu dont need the download link.
But…does this not work?? Others are saying its a waste of time…
I don’t.
Patched out in 5,4,3,2,1.
Seriously, they were brave enough to patch out ReFS creation, a feature that professional users paid for, in order to up-sell said users onto the new workstation edition that didn’t exist when the user bought pro. so if this story starts making the rounds, I’m sure they won’t hesitate to patch it out too.
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2017/08/microsoft-to-remove-full-refs-support-from-windows-10-pro-push-workstation-sku/
Thank you Martin here is the abanother link no need to run as admin
https://yadi.sk/d/AHkFNpBEe6i3VQ
This and similar methode just activate Gpedit.msc in windows language But if you try to use Gpedit.msc you will see that actually gpedit.msc doesn’t work , Just try.
Thanks, you are right. I added the info!
You’re welcome greeting
Hi Martin. After this, the GPE it will be in what language? In english or in the system language?
Good question. I don’t know. I only ran the comment on English Home editions.
Same here, tried Firefox and IE.
I can’t download the zip file
Why not? What is happening? It works on my end.
When I click on your link, it goes to the Download in Progress page. That page continuously refreshes without ever getting to the save as window.