4 Ways to Fix Group Policy Editor (gpedit) Missing on Windows 10

The Group Policy Editor, or GPE, as it is commonly known, is a feature limited to Windows Pro and Enterprise editions. If it is missing in the Home Edition, it is because it is not supposed to be there. We recommend adjustments to the Group Policy Editor in several Windows GT guides. Let's see how to fix the missing problem of Group Policy Editor in Windows 10.

Network administrators mainly use GPE (centralized group policy editor). However, it can also be used on a single computer (local Group Policy Editor) by individual owners to modify certain Windows settings. You can search for it by typing gpedit or gpedit.msc in Windows search.

1. How to activate Group Policy Editor in Windows 10 Home

Although Microsoft has retained the Group Policy Editor functionality for Windows Pro and Enterprise Edition, you can also get it from Windows Home. Before continuing, make a backup of everything on your computer. Make sure your Windows is synchronized with one of the cloud storage services. You do not want to redo all parameters from scratch.

Earlier this year, a Reddit user released a script that appears to work for some Windows users. This is a random case, but you can try. I succeeded with my computer.

 @echo off  pushd "%~dp0"  dir /b %SystemRoot%servicingPackagesMicrosoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientExtensions-Package~3*.mum >List.txt  dir /b %SystemRoot%servicingPackagesMicrosoft-Windows-GroupPolicy-ClientTools-Package~3*.mum >>List.txt  for /f %%i in ('findstr /i . List.txt 2^>nul') do dism /online /norestart /add-package:"%SystemRoot%servicingPackages%%i"  pause 

Copy the code to a notepad file and name it windows-home-gpedit-hack.bat and choose All Files in the File Type field. Do not save it as a .txt file but rather as a .bat file. This is important, so make sure you have disabled "Hide extensions for known file types" in the folder options under the View tab at the top.

After that, right-click on the .bat file to select Run as administrator and grant the necessary permissions when prompted in the pop-up window that follows.

It is also possible that the script only adds the GUI, but you will not be able to modify the rules. Like I said, it's a success or a failure, but it's worth a try.

2. How to install Group Policy Editor in Windows 10 Home

There is another way to do this, in case the above method does not work for you. A Windows 7 user shared the Group Policy Management Console installer I ran into on the DeviantArt forums. Even though it was developed for Windows 7, it seems to work on Windows 10. Download and save the file to your computer. Download the 32-bit version of Microsoft directly if your computer is running it.

Navigate to this location in the file explorer.

 C:WindowsSysWOW64

Copy these three folders and paste them into the next folder.

 C:WindowsSystem32

• GroupPolicy folder
• GroupPolicyUsers folder
• gpedit.msc file

Double-click the downloaded file to begin the installation process of the Group Policy Editor. I still don't miss the Group Policy Editor on your Windows 10 computer.

3. How to resolve common errors

You may experience some hiccups during the troubleshooting process. If that doesn't work, check if your Windows username contains a word or two. I always recommend using only one word. If there are two words, uninstall the Group Policy Editor and try again. This time do not click on the Finish button which we usually see when the installation process is complete. Instead, access this folder.

 C:WindowsTempgpedit

Right-click the x64.bat file and select Open with Notepad. If you just see Open, select it, then select Notepad from the list of available options.

Replace all instances (there should be 6) of % Username% with & #39;% Username% & #39; – with single quotes. Save the file and open it with administrator rights to complete the installation process. If that doesn't work, try adding double quotes ("% username%") instead.

4. Take the help of Policy Plus

If nothing else works for you, try the free and open-source Policy Plus. It is a third-party Windows application for making changes to registry entries using a user-friendly graphical user interface. Yes, the missing Group Policy Editor on your Windows 10 computer also works by editing the registry entries.

Editing registry entries can be annoying and complicated, but the Group Policy Editor makes it easier. Additionally, you can modify and apply settings using administrative templates that allow you to control and apply rules on all computers connected to the network. Policy Plus will allow you to do the same.

Again, as these settings can be sensitive, make a backup before continuing.

Download Policy Plus

File a missing report

The Group Policy Editor must be present when you install Windows Pro and Enterprise Edition. For Windows Home users, if nothing else works, the only way left is to upgrade. The decision will depend on how much you are willing to spend and whether it is worth it for you.

Then: Worried about privacy? You should be. Learn more about all the privacy settings you should change in Windows 10.