Changing Local Policies in Windows 11

When working on a computer, we rarely think about the settings that remain “behind the scenes.” One such hidden but powerful system in Windows 11 is the Local Group Policy Editor. This is a special tool that allows you to fine-tune the behavior of your operating system far beyond the standard “Settings” application.

Imagine that the default settings are buttons on a car dashboard, and the Local Group Policy Editor is access to the on-board computer, where you can change everything from the engine algorithm to the backlight color. With it, you can adjust everything from denying other users access to certain functions to setting security rules and the appearance of the system.

This article will help you understand how to open and use this tool. We will look at several practical examples of changes that can make working on a computer more convenient and secure. Even if you are not a system administrator, understanding these mechanisms will give you more control over your Windows 11.

Launching the Local Group Policy Editor

To change the local group policy settings in Windows 11, a special editor with a graphical interface and convenient sorting of all settings is used. You need to make sure that group policies are supported in your Windows 11 by looking at the edition you are using. It must be Pro or Enterprise; in other editions, there is no access to the editor, and various settings can only be changed through the registry. However, you can also check for the presence of local group policy by attempting to launch the editor. For more details, please refer to the material at the following link.

More details: Launching the Local Group Policy Editor in Windows 11

Additionally, we note that rarely, but still, some users encounter problems when local group policies must be supported in the installed Windows 11, but the editor window does not open for some reason. In this case, it is worth checking several solution methods, figuring out the system settings and resolving possible failures.

Categories with settings

Now that you know how to open the window you need to access local group policy, it's time to figure out the settings themselves. To do this, you need to know how the parameters are distributed, unless you are specifically looking for a specific rule using instructions from the Internet. Pay attention to the two main groups with the names “Computer Configuration” and “User Configuration”. In the first one, the directories are intended for changing settings that affect the operation of the entire operating system. The changes made will apply to all users who log into Windows 11. Accordingly, “User Configuration” and applies only to the current account. If you change something under one profile and then log in under another, the setting will not be active and you will have to specify it again.

Each of these categories has three folders with identical names. They contain additional directories and individual settings, but more on that later. The first directory is called “Program configuration”. The settings in it are designed to manage the policies of programs installed on the PC for both a specific user and the entire computer. Next comes Right-click on the selected area and select Select the appropriate format from the list, which includes security settings, shutdown and login settings, additional startup options, and printer management. For “Number formats” characteristic settings, some of which can be changed both through the graphical interface of the OS and through Registry Editor, sometimes it is easier to make the necessary changes in the local group policy. In this section, you will find tools for managing the menu “All formats”, desktop, network, and standard applications. The simplest example of working with Or =dATE(LEFT(A1,4),RIGHT(A1,5,2),RIGHT(A1,2)) Tab If you need a format that is not in the standard list, switch to the category or “Custom”

Now you have a general idea of where to look for the setting you are currently interested in. Next, we will take a closer look at specific policies, rules for editing them, and at the end we will touch on the topic of filters, which will further simplify the process of navigating “Cell Format”.

In Windows 11, you can configure many important security and system behavior settings through local policies—for example, prohibit password changes, restrict access to the control panel, or configure automatic updates. These settings are especially useful on work computers where you need to control what users can do. Not all versions of Windows 11 have access to the local policy editor, but when it is available, it is a powerful tool for fine-tuning the system without installing third-party programs.

Searching for the right setting

We have already discussed the categories and directories within them. However, these folders also contain additional directories, which in turn contain settings that can be edited. Let's look at an example of searching for the right policy so that you can apply the right algorithm at any time and easily find the settings you want to change.

1. Use the knowledge you have gained to select a category for configuring the entire PC or only a specific user, then select the directory with groups and the item you would like to edit. These can be security settings, graphical menu items, PC behavior, or program control.
2. Group
3. For more detailed information, select the desired policy with the left mouse button and read the information that appears on the left. The description usually consists of two short paragraphs in Russian, which are sufficient to understand the purpose of the setting and decide what state to set for it.
4. 

Changing local group policy

Each policy has three basic states, each of which determines its behavior. Additionally, some settings have parameters that allow you to manually set the desired values, specify the programs involved, set the time, and much more related to a specific policy. If we take a generalized example of changing a local group policy, the process looks like this:

1. Using the previous instructions or on your own, find the desired policy and double-click on its name with the left mouse button to go to its properties. On the left, you will see three values for the status. “Not set” find the channel selection option, expand the list, and select any available channel other than 12 and 13. “Enabled” activates the policy action, which is usually indicated in the name. “Disabled” allows you to disable the policy and prohibit changes without prior subsequent activation or setting to the state “Not set”. If you have set a new status, be sure to click “Apply”, to save the settings and restart your computer, as they will only take effect after that.
   

   Some policies do not activate certain features, but rather deactivate them. They usually have names that begin with “Remove…”, “Do not save…”, “Do not show…”, “Exclude…”, etc. In this case, the status “Enabled” means agreement to delete/disable a specific function.

2. Please note that you can add any comment to each policy when changing or simply viewing it. Usually, people write here what the setting is for, whether it is worth changing, and what features it has. Adding comments will help you work with the filter more easily, which will be discussed in detail in the next section of the article.
3. 
4. If the field “Settings” for the policy is not empty, which means you can specify additional settings. For example, enter the default domain for logging in, select a program to block, or set the time for certain applications to start automatically. It all depends directly on the selected policy and its action.
5. The quickest way to convert a numeric value to a date is to change the cell format. Excel stores dates as ordinal numbers, where January 1, 1900 corresponds to the number 1, and each subsequent day increases the value by one. For example, the number 45000 represents a date in 2023, and you only need to apply the correct formatting to see the familiar display.

Let's figure out how to make Excel understand your dates. This will save you a lot of time and headaches when working with spreadsheets.

Dd.mm.yyyy

1. “Type” Select the cell or range of cells with numerical values that you want to convert to dates. Please note that the numbers must be within the acceptable range of 1 to 2958465, which corresponds to the period from January 1, 1900, to December 31, 9999. in the dialog box that opens, go to the tab Sometimes in Excel, dates are displayed as regular numbers — for example, 45000 instead of March 15, 2023. This is because the program stores dates as numbers, where each day is +1 from the starting date. To convert such numbers into a readable date, simply change the cell format: select the desired cell or column, right-click, select “Format Cells” and specify the “Date” type. After that, the number will immediately turn into a readable date..
2. “OK” Find and select a category. Yyyy Will display the date as 08/15/2024., “Customizable” dd Ctrl + 1. For the month, “With comments”, if it is not already active. In the list
3. Then
4. 
5. For If you don't need to remove parts of videos very often, you can do without installing third-party video editors and any video cropping software. It is enough to use special online services that allow you to do this. configure the list of platforms and components whose parameters should be applied to the filter. This is only necessary for situations where you want to sort BITS or Internet Explorer policies, or select those that are specific to certain versions of operating systems.
6. “Not set”

Click the “Convert” button to convert formats immediately, or “Add to list” if you need to work on several files at once.

Of course, with great power comes great responsibility. Before making any changes, always think carefully about why you are doing it. Carelessly changing certain settings can lead to unexpected program crashes or even system failure.

Don't be afraid to experiment, but approach it wisely. Start with the least critical settings and create a system restore point before making important changes. Gradually, you will master this tool and be able to fully unlock the potential of your operating system, turning it into the perfect assistant.