Windows Group Policy settings

[4wd]

Looking through back issues of APC (Australian Personal Computer) I found this little bit of info that might be useful for those stuck with Windows Home versions.

Normally the Group Policy Editor isn't available for Home editions (it can be hacked in) so calling gpedit.msc doesn't work but since it's just a frontend for registry settings, you can still effect the same changes through regedit.

Windows 10 ADMX spreadsheet - lists all the registry settings and what they do, courtesy of Microsoft.

There are other spreadsheets relating to other Windows versions available for download also.

[wraith808]

if that's the case, then why would they exclude it?  Makes little sense.

[IainB]

@4wd: Thanks!   

@wraith808: It might not seem to make sense, but it might make sense if one realises that some moronic marketing guy at M$ probably thought it made sense.

[cranioscopical]

Looking through back issues of APC (Australian Personal Computer) I found this little bit of info that might be useful for those stuck with Windows Home versions...Windows 10 ADMX spreadsheet - lists all the registry settings and what they do, courtesy of Microsoft.

-4wd (October 09, 2016, 08:06 PM)

Thanks 4wd! Helpful as ever and with such impeccable timing. Having just saddled myself with 10 Home on a new toy, I was about to investigate solutions.

 

[wraith808]

@4wd: Thanks!   

@wraith808: It might not seem to make sense, but it might make sense if one realises that some moronic marketing guy at M$ probably thought it made sense.

-IainB (October 10, 2016, 12:24 AM)

I'm sure it's more than just marketing.  There's some sort of decision making process behind it- especially as MS released the spreadsheet, and this isn't a marketed feature.  I was just wondering what that reasoning might be.

[4wd]

if that's the case, then why would they exclude it?  Makes little sense.

-wraith808 (October 09, 2016, 10:58 PM)

Why should Home users have that kind of easily accessible power is more likely the reason.  Getting to the Group Policy Editor is simple, getting the information on what registry settings do the same thing takes a little more effort.

Just another arbitrary decision by a corporation in order to maximise profit in some way ... or more likely, "We know how to protect users from themselves, think of all the support we'd have to provide for Home users when they screw up their Group Policy settings or forget their Bitlocker password, that'll cost us bucket loads, just remove those items from the Home edition."

What's the reasoning behind not having Bitlocker available in Home editions?
Don't normal users have data to protect from prying eyes?

[IainB]

...I'm sure it's more than just marketing.  There's some sort of decision making process behind it- especially as MS released the spreadsheet, and this isn't a marketed feature.  I was just wondering what that reasoning might be.
_______________________

-wraith808 (October 10, 2016, 07:47 AM)

Well, good luck with that. Do let us know if you ever discover "what that reasoning might be". It might be interesting.
Meantime, I personally could never "feel sure" about the rationale for anything M$ does, or whether they even have a rationale sometimes, especially after their various prior examples of daft marketing - e.g., (cases in point) the release of Metro/Win8 or "push" marketing of Win10. There is such a thing as the potential for antagonising the market, after all.

[IainB]

...Why should Home users have that kind of easily accessible power is more likely the reason.  Getting to the Group Policy Editor is simple, getting the information on what registry settings do the same thing takes a little more effort. ...
______________________________

-4wd (October 10, 2016, 08:24 PM)

The first bit might be mere supposition on your part.

Reminds me of (from memory):

"Moses supposes his toeses are roses,
But Moses supposes erroneously.
If Moses supposes his toeses are roses,
Where do you suppose his toeses to be?"

(From "Singin' in the Rain", the "Moses Supposes" routine was performed by Gene Kelly and Donald O'Connor.)
__________________________

[4wd]

...Why should Home users have that kind of easily accessible power is more likely the reason.  Getting to the Group Policy Editor is simple, getting the information on what registry settings do the same thing takes a little more effort. ...
______________________________

-4wd (October 10, 2016, 08:24 PM)

The first bit might be mere supposition on your part.

-IainB (October 10, 2016, 08:41 PM)

I really should learn to use more smileys 

[IainB]

OIC. My mistuk. Sorry.   

[wraith808]

... or more likely, "We know how to protect users from themselves, think of all the support we'd have to provide for Home users when they screw up their Group Policy settings or forget their Bitlocker password, that'll cost us bucket loads, just remove those items from the Home edition."

-4wd (October 10, 2016, 08:24 PM)

That makes a bit more sense. Not that I agree that it shouldn't at least have some easily unlockable featureset, but I can see that rationale.

[Stoic Joker]

... or more likely, "We know how to protect users from themselves, think of all the support we'd have to provide for Home users when they screw up their Group Policy settings or forget their Bitlocker password, that'll cost us bucket loads, just remove those items from the Home edition."

-4wd (October 10, 2016, 08:24 PM)

That makes a bit more sense. Not that I agree that it shouldn't at least have some easily unlockable featureset, but I can see that rationale.

-wraith808 (October 11, 2016, 06:55 AM)

Think back to how many times in the past you've had a user in a business environment ask you what the green files are for ... and that's about as much justification as is needed.

[wraith808]

... or more likely, "We know how to protect users from themselves, think of all the support we'd have to provide for Home users when they screw up their Group Policy settings or forget their Bitlocker password, that'll cost us bucket loads, just remove those items from the Home edition."

-4wd (October 10, 2016, 08:24 PM)

That makes a bit more sense. Not that I agree that it shouldn't at least have some easily unlockable featureset, but I can see that rationale.

-wraith808 (October 11, 2016, 06:55 AM)

Think back to how many times in the past you've had a user in a business environment ask you what the green files are for ... and that's about as much justification as is needed.

-Stoic Joker (October 11, 2016, 11:11 AM)

It annoys me when I say, Open Windows Explorer.  Then we go through a bit of back and forth... and I realize they've opened Internet Explorer.

[Stoic Joker]

... or more likely, "We know how to protect users from themselves, think of all the support we'd have to provide for Home users when they screw up their Group Policy settings or forget their Bitlocker password, that'll cost us bucket loads, just remove those items from the Home edition."

-4wd (October 10, 2016, 08:24 PM)

That makes a bit more sense. Not that I agree that it shouldn't at least have some easily unlockable featureset, but I can see that rationale.

-wraith808 (October 11, 2016, 06:55 AM)

Think back to how many times in the past you've had a user in a business environment ask you what the green files are for ... and that's about as much justification as is needed.

-Stoic Joker (October 11, 2016, 11:11 AM)

It annoys me when I say, Open Windows Explorer.  Then we go through a bit of back and forth... and I realize they've opened Internet Explorer.

-wraith808 (October 11, 2016, 11:47 AM)

After suffering the agony of constantly having to tell people not to type the www. in front of support.companyname.com (ad nausium). I finally gave up, and created an cname alias of www.support.companyname.com. Because the back and forth was consuming way to much time trying to catch them doing it.

It really is amazing how many people just assume things are complicated and simply shutdown with out even trying.