How To Open Local Group Policy Editor In Windows 11

Key Takeaways

• You can tweak the Group Policy settings using the Group Policy Editor.
• The Local Group Policy Editor is available only in Windows Pro and Enterprise editions; only administrators can access it.
• You can learn how to open Local Group Policy Editor and make changes to affect all users or specific user groups.

You need to access the Local Group Policy Editor if you want to configure the Group Policy settings for your Windows 11 PC. The utility allows changing several settings in Windows from a user-friendly interface. If you know how to open local group policy editor in Windows 11, you can access it to make changes that will help you work better on your PC.

To open the Group Policy Editor, you need to be an administrator. A regular user will get an error message saying you do not have permission. If you have worked with the Group Policy Editor on your Windows 10 system, the method to open it may be familiar. But here, we will understand it better with steps particular to Windows 11.

What is the Group Policy Editor?

Group Policy Editor is mainly helpful for administrators who need to manage policy settings. This means some deeper settings of the Windows PC can be accomplished using the utility. For example, with the help of the Group Policy, you can decide how you or a group of users can use the computers.

The Group Policy Editor works with security settings, desktop settings, administrative templates, remote installation, and software installation services. The filename using which you can access the Editor is gpedit.msc. Note that the Group Policy Editor is available only in Windows Pro and Enterprise editions, not the Home edition.

How To Open Local Group Policy Editor In Windows 11

You can open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 in two ways. One, if you want to apply the changes made to all users, and two, if you’re going to apply the changes to a specific group of users.

We have explained methods for both objectives. So, let us see the list of methods in detail.

Method 1: Open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 to Make Changes for All Users

How to Open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 Using the Windows Search Function

The search icon or the magnifier icon is right in the taskbar, and you might have done numerous searches in it for a quick solution. So, if you have no clue about how to open local group policy editor in Windows 11, do a simple search, and you will find the utility. Here is how you can do it.

Type “gpedit.msc” in the search box and click “Edit Group Policy” when the option appears.

Alternatively, you can type “Local Group Policy Editor” to initiate a search. Then, click “Yes” on the next screen that asks for confirmation.

How to Open gpedit in Windows 11 Using the Run Dialog box

Run is a convenient tool in Windows that opens applications and files. It can also be used to access certain settings in Windows. Let us see how to access Local Group Policy Editor using Run.

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run window. Type “gpedit.msc” in the dialog box, similar to how you did in the search window.

Finally, click “OK” to launch the Group Policy Editor.

How to Open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 from Windows Settings

We naturally open the Settings app if we want to change any Windows settings. In this case, also, we can go to the Settings app to open the Local Group Policy Editor. Here is how.

Press Windows + I to open Windows Settings or use the search button to get to the app. You will see a search function to find a setting in the left pane.

Type “gpedit” in it, and it will give the Edit Group Policy search result for you to open.

How to Open Windows 11 Group Policy Editor Using File Explorer

You can find the Local Group Policy Editor executable file in the File Explorer’s System32 subfolder. By navigating the path and double-clicking the file, the Editor opens. So, let us see how to open local group policy editor in Windows 11 using File Explorer.

Open File Explorer and go to C drive > Windows > System32. In the System32 folder, you will find the file gpedit.msc. Double-click on the correct file name to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Alternatively, you can also open File Explorer, type “gpedit.msc” in the address bar, and press Enter.

How to Access Local Group Policy Editor Using the Command Prompt or PowerShell

Power users can opt for the command line methods like the Command Prompt and PowerShell. You can simply open either one, type the correct command, and open the Local Group Policy Editor as you did in the Run command box. Let us open the Command Window here.

Type “cmd” in the search box and open the Command Prompt window.

Type the command “gpedit.msc” in it and press Enter to open Local Group Policy Editor.

Similarly, you can type “PowerShell” in the search box and execute the command in Powershell.

How to Open Windows Local Group Policy Editor Using Control Panel

The Control Panel doesn’t have any direct link which can take you to the Local Group Policy Editor. But you can use the search feature in the Control Panel to get to the Editor. Here is how to open local group policy editor in Windows 11 using the Control Panel.

Type “control panel” in the search bar and open the Control Panel when the app appears.

In the upper right corner, you will see a search box. Type “group policy” in it, and the Edit group policy link appears. Click on it to open Group Policy Editor.

How to Open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 Using Task Manager

Task Manager is like a monitoring tool that tracks system performance. It lists various tasks running on the PC and the system resources used. You can open the Local Group Policy Editor from the Task Manager by creating a new task. Let us see how.

Right-click on the Windows start menu and select “Task Manager” from the list. Or you can press the famous Ctrl + Alt + Del key combinations and select “Task Manager” from the menu.

In the Task Manager window, click the Run new task option.

In the Create new task window, type “gpedit.msc” and click “OK.”

How to Open Windows 11 Group Policy Editor via Shortcut

We usually have desktop shortcuts for files and apps that we open often. So, if you want, you can create one for the Local Group Policy Editor too. Every time you think of how to open local group policy editor in Windows 11, you can double-click on the shortcut and open it quickly. Here are the steps to create a shortcut for Local Group Policy Editor.

Right-click anywhere on your desktop and select New > Shortcut from the context menu.

The Create shortcut window will be opened now. Type “gpedit.msc” in the textbox near the Browse button, and click “Next.”

In the next window, type in a name for the shortcut, and click “Finish.” You will now have a Local Group Policy Editor shortcut on your computer. You can double-click on the newly-created icon whenever you want to open it.

Once the shortcut is created, you can pin it to the default start menu or taskbar for easy access. Right-click on the shortcut we just created, and select “Show more options.” The next menu will show two options: Pin to Start and Pin to taskbar. Select one of the two, which gets pinned to your selected location. Now, you can use the taskbar or the start menu to open the Local Group Policy Editor.

Method 2: Open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 to Make Changes for Specific User Groups

To open Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11 to change the settings of specific users, you must first open the Microsoft Management Console.

Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type “mmc” in it and press Enter.

In the MMC window, click the File menu and select “Add/Remove Snap-in.”

Select Group Policy Object Editor under the Available snap-ins in the Add or Remove Snap-ins window. Next, click “Add.”

Then, in the Select Group Policy Object window that appears, click “Browse.”

In the next window, select the Users tab. In this tab, choose the group of users for whom you want to make the changes, click “OK,” and then click “Finish.” Now, the Add or Remove Snap-ins window appears. Again, click “OK,” and you can change the settings for the selected users from here.

Final Thoughts

Administrators often use the Local Group Policy Editor tool for tweaking certain Windows PC settings. However, great care must be taken when you access the utility because you don’t want to disturb the working of the OS unnecessarily. The above article lists different ways to address and learn how to open local group policy editor in Windows 11.

You can choose one of the two ways to open it. You can change the settings globally for all users or specific users. So, how you open it varies depending on it. Don’t forget that if you are a Windows Home user, you might not have the built-in Group Policy Editor available.