How force group policy update
GPupdate is command line utility of Microsoft and that comes with all versions of Windows operating systems which update the group policies on system that have changed.
It is preferable to just execute gpupdate without the /force switch to implement new policy settings if you have a big client or many of GPOs. The workload on the client and domain controllers will be reduced because this will only receive modifications or new group policies.
GPupdate /Force command will re-applied all group policies settings forcefully. By default, only policy settings that have changed are applied.
- Log in to the to system using an account with administrative privileges.
- Open the run windows.
- Type gpupdate /force and press enter This command forces an immediate update of Group Policy on the system.System will start updating the Group Policy settings. This process may take a few minutes to complete.
- Once command is executed, All Group polices are re-applied as per below screenshot.
- A reboot is necessary to be sure that all settings are applied so please reboot your computer.
GPUpdate vs GPUpdate Force command
The most frequently used group policy update command is probably gpupdate /force. All policy settings are reapplied when the /force switch is used. For the majority of use cases, this is OK, but keep in mind that utilizing the /force will impose a significant load on the domain controllers when you have a large environment or a lot of group policies objects (GPO).
It is preferable to just run gpupdate without the /force switch to implement new policy settings if you have a big tenancy or many of GPOs. The workload on the client and domain controllers will be reduced because this will only receive changes or new group policies.
Updates to user or computer group policies only
It might be helpful to just update what is necessary if you have a big environment or need to update the group policies on several computers at once. This is obviously quicker and will decrease the burden on the domain controllers.
The /target switch can be used to do this. This allows you to update only the GPOs for the user or computer.
Update the User Policies Only
To update user policies specifically, please follow these steps:
- Log in to system using an account with administrative privileges.
- Open the run windows.
- Type gpupdate /target:user and press enter.
- This command specifically updates the user policies on the system.System will start updating the user Group Policy settings. This process may take a few minutes to complete.
gpupdate /target:user
By executing the gpupdate /target:user command, you trigger an immediate update of the user policies on the system. This ensures that any modifications or additions to the user policies will be applied immediately rather than having to wait for the scheduled update interval.
Update the Computer Policies Only
To update computers policies specifically, please follow these steps:
- Log in to system using an account with administrative privileges.
- Open the run windows.
- Type gpupdate /target:computer and press enter.
- This command specifically updates the computer policies on the system.System will start updating the computer Group Policy settings. This process may take a few minutes to complete.
gpupdate /target:computer
By executing the gpupdate /target:computer command, you trigger an immediate update of the computer policies on the system. This ensures that any modifications or additions to the computer policies will be applied immediately rather than having to wait for the scheduled update interval.
What is the Refresh interval for Group Policy
Refresh interval time play a major role to update or refresh the group policy for DCs as well clients. Refresh interval means how long a domain controller can get the update from another domain controller respective to group policy and same happens between domain controller to client machines after a set of time duration.
Consider the following scenario:
We made changes to the group policy. Changes to group policies won’t take effect right away, we’ll need to wait for group policy refresh because the default setting is 90 minutes. After a 90-minute refresh interval, group policy will automatically apply or update settings.
Yes, there are two other ways to update the group policy right away, one of which involves forcing the update on the computer by running GPUPDATE /Force. On the client machine, the group policies are immediately updated.
The second is to open the group policy console, navigate to the OU where the group policy is linked, and then select Update from the context menu. This will update the group policy for all of the OU’s available objects.
Default refresh interval for Domain Controllers is 5 minutes, and the refresh interval for all other computers in the network is 90 minutes and we can also change it by editing the domain and domain controller default group policies.
How to update group policy on computer/Server.
GPupdate is command line utility of Microsoft and that comes with all versions of Windows operating systems which update the group policies on system that have changed. For example, you have made the changes in one of group policy that map the shared folder for users, to apply this policy on users, you have to update the group policy on system by running the GPupdate command.
Once you run the command group policies will be updated.
What is Group Policy
Group Policy is a Windows feature that contains a variety of advanced settings, particularly for network administrators. However, local Group Policy can also be used to adjust settings on a single computer. Group Policy isn’t designed for home users, so it’s only available on Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise versions of Windows. 
The settings that you configure are stored in a Group Policy Object (GPO), which is then associated with Active Directory objects such as sites, domains, or organizational units. Group policies cover many different aspects of the network, desktop, and software configuration environment, including:
- Application deployment policies: These policies assign or publish applications to users or computers and affect the applications that user’s access on the network.
- File deployment policies: These policies allow an administrator to place files in special folders on the user’s computer, such as the desktop or My Documents areas.
- Script policies: Using a script policy, an administrator can specify scripts that should run at specific times, such as login/logout or system startup/shutdown.
- Software policies: Administrators can use software policies to globally configure most of the settings in user profiles, such as desktop settings, Start menu options, and applications.
- Security policies: These policies allow an administrator to restrict user access to files and folders, configure how many failed login attempts will lock an account, and control user rights.
Group Policy Hierarchy
GPOs are applied in the following order – a very predictable and logical order.
- Local
- Site.
- Domain
- Organizational Units
- Local – Any settings in the computer’s local policy. Prior to Windows Vista, there was only one local group policy stored per computer. Windows Vista and later Windows versions allow individual group policies per user accounts.
- Site – Any Group Policies associated with the Active Directory site in which the computer resides. (An Active Directory site is a logical grouping of computers, intended to facilitate management of those computers based on their physical proximity.) If multiple policies are linked to a site, they are processed in the order set by the administrator.
- Domain – Any Group Policies associated with the Windows domain in which the computer resides. If multiple policies are linked to a domain, they are processed in the order set by the administrator.
- Organizational Unit – Group policies assigned to the Active Directory organizational unit (OU) in which the computer or user are placed. (OUs are logical units that help organizing and managing a group of users, computers or other Active Directory objects.) If multiple policies are linked to an OU, they are processed in the order set by the administrator.
The local GPO is applied.
GPOs linked to sites are applied.
GPOs linked to domains are applied.
GPOs linked to organizational units are applied. For nested organizational units, GPOs linked to parent organizational units are applied before GPOs linked to child organizational units are applied.
The resulting Group Policy settings applied to a given computer or user are known as the Resultant Set of Policy (RSoP). RSoP information may be displayed for both computers and users using the gpresult command. How Often Group Policy is updated.
As you can see, Group Policy is an essential tool for automating otherwise tedious and time-consuming tasks. Do you have tried and true Group Policies that are indispensable to you as a sysadmin? If so, we’d love to hear about them in the comments!
So, that’s all in this blog. I will meet you soon with next stuff. Have a nice day!!!
Recommended contents
- GP Result
- Group Policy
- Group Policy Update
- Design Considerations for Group-Policy
- Refresh Interval for Group Policy
- Group Policy templates and containers
- Group Policy objects
- Group Policy health check
- Group Policy health check on specific domain controller
- Group Policy verification tool gpotool exe
- how to find the group policy guid
- Understanding group policy preferences
- Group Policy management process
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