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GPOADmin 5.17 - User Guide

Introducing Quest GPOADmin Configuring GPOADmin Using GPOADmin
Connecting to the Version Control system Navigating the GPOADmin console Search folders Accessing the GPMC extension Configuring user preferences Working with the live environment Working with controlled objects (version control root)
Creating a custom container hierarchy Selecting security, levels of approval, and notification options Viewing the differences between objects Copying/pasting objects Proposing the creation of controlled objects Merging GPOs Restoring an object to a previous version Restoring links to a previous version Managing your links with search and replace Linking GPOs to multiple Scopes of Management Managing compliance issues automatically with remediation rules Validating GPOs Managing GPO revisions with lineage Setting when users can modify objects Working with registered objects Working with available objects Working with checked out objects Working with objects pending approval and deployment
Checking compliance Editing objects Synchronizing GPOs Exporting and importing
Creating Reports Appendix: Windows PowerShell Commands Appendix: GPOADmin Event Log Appendix: GPOADmin Backup and Recovery Procedures Appendix: Customizing your workflow Appendix: GPOADmin Silent Installation Commands Appendix: Configuring Gmail for Notifications Appendix: Registering GPOADmin for Office 365 Exchange Online Appendix: GPOADmin with SQL Replication About Us

Rights and role for Protected Settings for GPOs

The Protected Settings for GPOs requires the following rights to control the actions of the Protected Settings tab on containers and provide the ability to export GPOs to create protected settings:

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Block Protected Settings Inheritance
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Export Group Policy Objects as Protected Settings Policies
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Modify Protected Settings Assignments
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Modify Protected Settings Exclusions
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NOTE: These rights are not available until the Protected Settings for Group Policy Objects is enabled through the server properties. See Working with Protected Settings policies .

These rights are automatically assigned to the System Administrator role when Protected Settings are enabled. No other roles, built in or otherwise, are given the Protected Settings rights. They must be assigned.

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IMPORTANT: Built-in roles cannot be modified, so if users require these rights then a new role must be created.
To create and assign the required role to the user responsible for managing containers and controlling the settings on the Protected Settings tab for containers
1
Create a role called Prot_All and assign rights listed above and the Read right to this role. No other rights are required for this role.
2
Right-click the Protected Setting container, and select the Security tab. Click Add and add the user who is going to manage the container. Give them the Prot_All role. Do not give them any other roles to the Protected Settings container. Select OK to apply the security changes.
3
Right-click the container that the user is to manage, and select Properties.
4
Select the Security tab, and click Add to add the user account. Give them the User (built-in) and the Prot_All roles. Click Apply and OK.
The user account now has the necessary rights to make all the required changes to the container.

To review why the above roles were created and assigned consider the following:

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The Prot_All role gives the user the necessary rights to perform any of the Protected Settings functions and because they have the Read right, the user can see what is in the Protected Settings container but cannot change or add anything to the container. The ability to Read is needed so the user can assign a Protected Settings policy to a container or any sub containers being managed.
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The User role is also given so the user can do the normal actions such as create, check out, edit, and check in a GPO in the container. The role Prot_All has the right, Export Group Policy Objects as Protected Settings policies. The user also needs the Create right which is part of the built-in User role.
Securing protected settings

Protected Settings policies can be further controlled by delegating who has permission to modify protected settings. To secure the protected settings, you can assign a role (that contains the “Modify Protected Settings” right) to a user on the Protected Settings policy. If during the validation process, GPOADmin determines the current user possess this right, the associated Protected Settings policy is excluded from the validation allowing the modification of those protected settings to proceed.

Create a Protected Settings policy

Once the ability to use Protected Settings has been enabled, you can create the policies using one of the following methods:

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Create a policy directly from the Protected Settings container.
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Export a GPO to the Protected Settings container.
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Drag a GPO onto the Protected Settings container.
To create Protected Settings Policy from the Protected Settings container
1
Select the Protected Settings container in the tree view.
2
Right-click and select New | New Protected Settings Policy.
3
Enter a name for the policy. Quest recommends using a naming convention that sets these GPOs apart from other GPOs and make them easily identifiable as protected. For example, PROT_01.
4
Select the domain that the Protected Settings policy will be related to and click Next.
5
In the Settings page, edit the policy and configure the setting you want to protect.
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NOTE: You can elect to configure the settings later.
6
Click Finish.
The policy is identified as a Protected Setting Policy type and has the same icon as the Protected Settings container.
At this point, the Protected Settings policy is checked out and has a version of 0.0.
Protected Settings policies have a modified workflow and therefore require workflow processing such as requesting approval during creation.
To export a GPO to the Protected Settings container
1
In the Version Control Root, right-click the GPO you want to export, and select Protected Settings | Export as Protected Settings.
2
Select the version of the GPO you want to make as a Protected Settings policy, and click Next.
3
Review and confirm the version and GPO to export, and click Finish.
The selected GPO exports and then import into the Protected Settings container.
4
Refresh the Protected Settings container.
The newly imported GPO has the same name as the exported GPO. Best practice is to rename it using a naming convention that identifies it as protected. For example, PROT_01.
To create a Protected Settings policy through drag and drop
1
In the Version Control Root, select the GPO you want to use for a Protected Settings policy.
2
Drag it on the Protected Settings container.
The Export Wizard opens.
3
Select the version of the GPO you want to make as a Protected Settings policy, and click Next.
4
Review and confirm the version and GPO to export, and click Finish.
The selected GPO exports and then import into the Protected Settings container.
5
Refresh the Protected Settings container.
6
The newly imported GPO has the same name as the exported GPO. Best practice is to rename it using a naming convention that identifies it as protected. For example, PROT_01.

Protecting policy settings based on extensions

If required, you can prevent users from editing policy settings based on one or more policy extensions. Once you have selected the extension to block, if a policy contains any settings from the extension, the policy will fail the validation test and will not be checked in.

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NOTE: A blocked extension overrides allowed settings in a Protected Settings policy.
NOTE: The Modify Protected Settings right is required to block file extensions using a Protected Settings policy.

Available extensions include:

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Advanced Audit Configuration
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Application Control Policies
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Central Access Policy
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Data Sources
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Deployed Printer Connections Policy
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Devices
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Disk Quota
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Drive Maps
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Environment Variables
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Files
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Folder Options
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Folder Redirection
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Folders
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Ini Files
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Internet Explorer Maintenance
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Internet Settings
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IP security
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Wired Network Policies
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Local Users and Groups
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Name Resolution Policy
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Network Access Protection Client Management
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Network Options
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Network Shares
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Policy-based QoS
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Power Options
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Printers
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Public Key
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Regional Options
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Administrative Templates
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Remote Installation
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Scheduled Tasks
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Scripts
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Security
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Services
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Shortcuts
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Software Installation
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Software Restriction
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Start Menu
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Windows Firewall
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Windows Registry
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Wireless Network Policies
To block specific extensions
1
Right-click the required object or container and select Properties.
2
Select the Protected Settings tab and the Blocked Extensions tab.
3
Click to select the extensions that you want to block and click Apply.

Generating Protected Settings policies reports

The following reports are available for Protected Settings policies: Latest, Working Copy, and Differences reports.

To generate a report
1
Select the Protected Settings Root container in the tree view.
2
Right-click the Protected Settings Policy, and select Reports.
3
Select the type of report to run.
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NOTE: When a Protected Settings policy is used in GPOADmin, a separate report is generated by the protection process and is generated when the comparison is made between a Protected Settings policy and a GPO.
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