Urgent GPOs transferrable to other domains? 1

[guinnessman]

If I create a GPO, can I save it and then install and run it on another domain.
For exaomle, if I create a restricted desktop Group Policy, can I save it and then have it install and be implemented on a seterate domain controller in an unrelated domain?

Remember, it's all just ones and zeros!

 

[ShackDaddy]

Yes, you can. In the Group Policy Management Console, you can use the Backup feature to back up the GPO to a GPO file.

When you do a backup, it creates a set of files that are a combination of the GP Template from the AD and the GP Container from the Sysvol directory. That means that the contents of the backup file are pretty complex.

To bring the backup into a new domain, just bring the backup files to a domain controller in the new domain. The directory that the backup is written to (at least on my system) is c:\Windows\system32\grouppolicy\backup.

To import the GPO on the new domain, run the GPMC, right-click the GP Objects container and choose NEW. Name your new GPO.

Right-click that new GPO and choose Import Settings. It will give you the option to backup your GPO, which you don't need to do since it's empty anyway. Just click NEXT.

On the next screen, point to the source of your import files. The next screen will display a list of GPOs that were in those source files. Select the one that you want to land in your new domain.

If the GPO you are migrating is tricky in any way, perhaps having references to certain security groups or UNC paths, you will need to worry about the migration tables in the Import wizard. If you don't have those concerns, just skip all the screens that mention Migration.

Hope this gets you going,

ShackDaddy

 

[guinnessman]

Beleive it or not, I just found this exact information myself but thanks alot anyway.
Since I have you, do you know if there's any way to create a blank GPO from a command line or batch file for instance.
For example:
create Group Poloicy Test 1
create Group Poloicy Test 2
create Group Poloicy Test 3
create Group Poloicy Test 4
and so on?

Remember, it's all just ones and zeros!

 

[ShackDaddy]

I know that you can run a script to create them. I have the text of the script in front of me, but it's not digital. I'm pretty sure you can find the script for GPO creation at

http://www.moskowitz-inc.com/grouppolicy/scriptingdownloads.html

I've run all the scripts myself in a lab environment, so I know they work.

ShackDaddy