Group Policy Backup
Group Policy Objects (GPOs) are vital components of Active Directory (AD). They control the behavior of users and computers in AD by applying policy settings. An accidental deletion or modification of GPOs can therefore adversely impact the AD environment. So it is highly recommended that GPOs be backed up regularly. Backups are useful when GPOs need to be restored. The Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) MMC snap-in can be used to backup and restore the GPOs.
The following data are backed up while performing a GPO backup operation:
- Settings inside the GPO
- Permissions
- GUID
- WMI filter links
Backing up GPOs
The following steps illustrate how to backup GPOs:
- Go to Start → Administrative Tools → Group Policy Management.
- In the GPMC, expand the Group Policy Objects folder containing the GPO that needs back up.
- Right click the GPO, and then click Back Up. To back up all GPOs in the domain, right click the Group Policy Objects folder, and then click Back Up All.
- Specify the path to the folder where the backed-up versions of the GPOs will reside. Click Back Up.
- Finally, click OK.
Restoring a GPO
The following steps illustrate how to restore a GPO:
- Go to Start → Run. Type gpmc.msc and click OK
- In the GPMC, right click the Group Policy Objects folder and select Manage Backups.
- Specify the path to locate the backup folder.
- From the list Backed up GPOs, select the GPO that needs to be restored, and click Restore.
- Confirm by clicking OK.
- Finally click OK and then Close.
PowerShell Equivalents for GPO Backup
While GPMC offers a graphical interface for controlling GPO backups, administrators can automate the GPO backup process with the help of Microsoft scripts, or even better, the equivalent PowerShell cmdlets.
The following are just a few Microsoft scripts and their equivalent PowerShell cmdlets that can handle GPO backups:
| MICROSOFT SCRIPT | POWERSHELL CMDLET | FUNCTION |
|---|---|---|
| BackupGPO.wsf | Backup-GPO | Backs up a single GPO in the domain |
| BackupAllGPOs.wsf | Backup-GPO | Backs up all the GPOs in the domain |
| RestoreGPO.wsf | Restore-GPO | Restores a single GPO from the backup location |
| RestoreAllGPOs.wsf | Restore-GPO | Restores all GPOs from the backup location |
| QueryBackupLocation.wsf | None | Gives the location of the backed up GPOs |
So, that’s all in this blog. I will meet you soon with next stuff. Have a nice day!!!
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