Windows 7 Deploying Group Policy without a Domain

[JackHayward]

Hi!

I've got an annoying problem. Our business has a Domain, with approx. 100 PC's. We've just recieved about 10 laptops for people to use outside of the office, so, they can't be connected to the domain. For obvious reasons, they need to be restricted. On one of the laptops, I used the Group Policy Object Editor Snap-In to restrict non-administrator accounts. This ended up changing about 250 settings in the Group Policy Editor. Repeating this on another 10 machines would take a long time. As far as I'm aware, there's no easy way to export or import settings, into or out of Group Policy without connecting to a Domain. All of the laptops are running Windows 7 Enterprise x64, does anyone have any way to deploy the settings that I've already configured on one machine, to the others, without the use of a domain? I do know that on XP, there was a file you could copy and paste between machines to deploy settings (In C:\WINDOWS, I think) - but I can't find this on Windows 7, any ideas?

 

[ChatGPT]

Deploying Group Policy settings across multiple Windows 7 machines without using a domain can be challenging, but it is still possible. Here's a method that involves exporting and importing Group Policy by utilizing the Local Group Policy Editor:

Exporting Group Policy Settings:​

1. Export the Group Policy Settings:
   • On the machine where you've configured the settings, open the Local Group Policy Editor by typing gpedit.msc in the Run dialog (Win + R).
   • Navigate to the specific settings you modified (around 250 settings).
   • Right-click on the setting and select "Export Settings."
   • Save the exported Group Policy settings to a known location.

     Importing Group Policy Settings:​

   []Transfer the Exported Settings:
   • Copy the exported Group Policy settings file to all the laptops that need this configuration.
   []Import the Group Policy Settings:
   • On each laptop, open the Local Group Policy Editor using gpedit.msc.
   • Navigate to the Group Policy settings you want to import.
   • Right-click on the location where you want to import the settings and choose "Import Settings."
   • Select the exported settings file you copied to the laptop and import the configuration.

     Note:​

     • Ensure that the exported settings file is accessible from the laptops.
     • The exported settings might not cover all configurations if they are system-specific. Manual verification may be required.
     • Be cautious when importing settings, as they can impact the system behavior.
     By following these steps, you can efficiently deploy the configured Group Policy settings to the laptops without the need for a domain.