What to do if the local group policy editor does not start

Sometimes when trying to start users are greeted with an unpleasant surprise in the form of an error message: "gpedit.msc not found." Let's see how you can fix this problem in Windows 7, and also find out what exactly is causing it.

The “gpedit.msc not found” error indicates that the gpedit.msc file is missing from your computer, or that access to it is not configured correctly. The consequence of the problem is that you simply cannot activate .

The immediate problems of this error are quite different:

Deletion or corruption of the gpedit.msc object due to virus activity or user intervention;
Wrong OS settings;
Using the edition of Windows 7, in which gpedit.msc is not installed by default.

The last point should be considered in more detail. The fact is that not all editions of Windows 7 have this component installed. So it is present on Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate, but you will not find it in Home Basic, Home Premium and Starter.

Specific methods to resolve the “gpedit.msc not found” error depend on the root cause of its occurrence, the edition of Windows 7, as well as the bitness of the system (32 or 64 bits). Various ways to solve this problem will be described in detail below.

Method 1: Installing the gpedit.msc component

First of all, let's find out how to install the gpedit.msc component in case it is missing or damaged. A patch that restores work "Group Policy Editor", is in English. In this regard, if you are using the Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate edition, then it may be better for you to try to solve the problem with other methods, which are described below, before applying the current version.

Let's start the story about the patch installation procedure with a description algorithm of actions on computers with 32-bit Windows 7.

The process of eliminating the error on 64-bit OS slightly different from the above. In this case, you will have to perform a number of additional steps.

Follow all the steps above up to and including the fifth point. Then open "Conductor". Type the following path into its address bar:
C:\Windows\SysWOW64

Click Enter or click on the arrow to the right of the field.

Going to the directory "SysWOW64". Holding down the button ctrl, successively click the left mouse button ( paintwork) by directory names "GPBAK", "GroupPolicyUsers" and group policy, as well as by the name of the object "gpedit.msc". Then click on the selection with the right mouse button ( PKM). Choose "Copy".

Then in the address bar "Explorer" click on the name Windows.

By going to the directory Windows, go to the directory "System32".

Once in the above folder, click PKM for any empty space in it. Choose an option from the menu "Insert".

Most likely, a dialog box will open in which you will need to confirm your actions by clicking on the inscription "Copy and Replace".

After performing the above action, or even instead of it, if the copied objects in the directory "System32" will be missing, another dialog box will open. Here, too, you need to confirm your intentions by clicking "Proceed".

Then enter in the address bar "Explorer" expression:
Click on the arrow to the right of the address bar, or just press Enter.

Going to the directory where temporary objects are stored, look for elements with the following names: "gpedit.dll", "appmgr.dll", fde.dll, fdeploy.dll, gptext.dll. Hold down the key ctrl and click paintwork on each of the above files to highlight them. Then click on highlight PKM. Choose from the menu "Copy".

Now at the top of the window "Explorer" to the left of the address bar, click on the element "Back". It has the shape of an arrow pointing to the left.

If you have performed all of the above manipulations in the specified sequence, then you will return to the folder "System32". Now just click PKM by an empty area in this directory and select an option from the list "Insert".

Confirm the actions in the dialog box again.

Then restart your computer. After reboot you can run "Group Policy Editor". To do this, dial the combination Win+R. The tool will open "Run". Enter the following command:
click OK.

In most cases, the desired tool should run. But if an error still appears, then again follow all the steps listed to install the patch up to step 4 inclusive. But in the completion window with "Setup Wizard" button Finish don't click, just open "Conductor". Enter the following expression in the address bar:
%WinDir%/Temp/gpedit

Click on the navigation arrow to the right of the address bar.

Once in the desired directory, depending on the bitness of the operating system, double-click paintwork by object "x86.bat"(for 32-bit) or "x64.bat"(for 64-bit). Then try again to activate "Group Policy Editor".

If the name the profile under which you are working on a PC contains spaces, then even if all of the above conditions are met, when trying to run "Group Policy Editor" an error will occur, no matter what bitness your system is. In this case, in order to be able to run the tool, a number of actions are required.

Do all the operations to install the patch up to step 4 inclusive. Go to directory "Gpedit" the same as above. Once in this directory, click PKM by object "x86.bat" or "x64.bat", depending on the OS bitness. Select an item from the list "Change".

The text content of the selected object opens in Notepad. The problem is that "Command line", which, when processing the patch, does not understand that the second word in the account is a continuation of its name, but considers it the beginning of a new team. To "explain" "Command line" how to correctly read the contents of the object, we will have to make small changes to the patch code.

Click on Notepad menu "Edit" and choose an option "Replace…".

The window starts "Replace". In field "What" enter:
In field "How" enter the following expression:

“%username%”:f

Click "Replace All".

close the window "Replace" by clicking on the standard close button in the corner.

Click on Notepad menu "File" and choose "Save".

Close Notepad and return to the directory "Gpedit" The where the mutable object is located. Click on it PKM and choose .

After the batch file is executed, you can press Finish in the window "Install Wizard" and try to activate "Group Policy Editor".

Method 2: Copy files from the GPBAK directory

The following method for restoring a deleted or corrupted gpedit.msc object, as well as related items, is only suitable for Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions. For these editions, this option is even more preferable than fixing the error using the first method, since it is associated with fewer risks, but a positive result is still not guaranteed. This recovery method is done by copying the contents of the directory "GPBAK", where are the backup original objects "Editor" to catalog "System32".

open "Conductor". If you have a 32-bit OS, then type the following expression into the address bar:
%WinDir%\System32\GPBAK

If you are using the 64-bit version, then enter the following code:

%WinDir%\SysWOW64\GPBAK

Click the arrow to the right of the field.

Select all the contents of the directory you are in. Click on highlight PKM. Choose an item "Copy".

Then click in the address bar on the inscription Windows.

Next, find the folder "System32" and go into it.

In the directory that opens, click PKM for any empty space. Choose from the menu "Insert".
If necessary, confirm the paste and replace all files.

In another type of dialog box, click "Proceed".

Then restart your PC and try to run the desired tool.

Method 3: Checking the integrity of OS files

Considering that gpedit.msc and all objects related to it belong to system components, it is possible to restore functionality "Group Policy Editor" by running the utility "SFC", designed to check the integrity of OS files and restore them. But this option, like the previous one, only works in the Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions.

Click "Start". Come in "All programs".

Go to "Standard".

Find an object in the list "Command line" and click on it PKM. Choose "Run as administrator".

will start "Command line" with administrator rights. Enter into it:
Click Enter.

The procedure for checking OS files, including gpedit.msc, is launched by the utility "SFC". The dynamics of its implementation is displayed as a percentage in the same window.

After the scan is complete, a message should appear in the window stating that corrupted files were found and repaired. But at the end of the scan, an entry may also appear that the utility has found damaged files, but is unable to fix some of them.
In the latter case, you need to scan with the utility "SFC" through "Command line" on a computer running "Safe Mode". It is also possible that copies of the necessary files are not stored on the hard drive. Then, before scanning, you must insert the Windows 7 installation disk from which the OS was installed into the drive.

Method 4: System Restore

If you use the Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate editions and you have an OS restore point on your computer that was created before the error began to appear, then it makes sense to use it to restore the OS to full working capacity.

Method 5: Eliminate viruses

One of the reasons for the “gpedit.msc not found” error may be virus activity. Assuming that the malicious code has already entered the system, it makes little sense to scan it with standard anti-virus software. For this procedure, you need to use special utilities, for example,. But, even using third-party programs that do not provide for their installation, it is better to do it from another computer or by booting from a LiveCD or LiveUSB. If the utility detects a virus, then you must follow its recommendations.

But even the detection and elimination of the virus that led to the error we are studying does not guarantee a return to working capacity. "Group Policy Editor", since system files could be damaged by it. In this case, after neutralization, you will need to perform the recovery procedure using one of the algorithms from the methods presented above.

Method 6: Reinstalling the operating system

If none of these methods helped you, then the only way to fix the situation is to reinstall the operating system. This method is also suitable for those users who do not want to mess around with various settings and recovery utilities, but prefer to solve the problem in one fell swoop. Moreover, this method is relevant if the “gpedit.msc not found” error is not the only problem on the computer.

In order to no longer encounter the problem described in this article, when installing, use the disk with the Windows 7 distribution kit of the Professional, Enterprise or Ultimate edition, but not the Home Basic, Home Premium or Starter editions. Insert the OS media into the drive and restart your computer. Then follow the instructions that will be displayed on the monitor. After installing the required edition of the OS, the problem with gpedit.msc should disappear.

As you can see, the choice of a more convenient and relevant way to solve the problem with the “gpedit.msc not found” error on Windows 7 depends on many factors. These include the edition of the operating system and its bit depth, as well as the immediate causes that caused the problem. Some of the options presented in this article can be used in almost all cases, while others are applicable only for a certain set of conditions.

Very often, when configuring Windows, the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc) is used. But some editions of Windows 7 (Home Premium, Home Basic and Starter) do not include the Group Policy Editor and when you try to start it, a message appears: Can't find "gpedit.msc". Check if the name is correct and try again.

The gpedit.msc editor is installed by default on Windows 7 Ultimate, Professional, and Enterprise editions. But to be able to use this component, it is not necessary to upgrade to these versions of Windows.

To enable gpedit.msc in Windows 7 Home Premium, Home Basic and Starter, follow these steps:

Attention! The utility to enable gpedit.msc in Windows 7 Home Premium, Home Basic and Starter is not officially supported by Microsoft. Therefore, the author of the article is not responsible for possible violations in the operation of the operating system after its use.

1. Go to the Group Policy Editor installer download page, click the link Download and save the archive with the installer to your computer.

2. Unpack the downloaded ZIP file using 7-ZIP or WinRAR. As a result, you should receive an installation file setup.exe.

3. Run setup.exe.

4. Follow the instructions of the installer. After installation is complete, click the button Finish.

5. User Only 64-bit (x64)Windows 7!

Open the folder “ C:\Windows\SysWOW64” and copy the folders and file listed below to the folder “C:\Windows\System32”

folder " group policy”
folder " GroupPolicyUsers”
file gpedit.msc

6. Restart your computer and try running the Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).

If at startup gpedit.msc an error “Management Console ( then follow the steps below. Basically, this error occurs if the Windows username consists of two or more words.

1. Run again setup.exe, go through all the installation steps and stop at the last step where you need to click the button Finish.

2. Open a folder “C:\Windows\Temp\gpedit”

3. Depending on which version of Windows you have installed 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64), you need to open the corresponding batch file for editing. Right-click on the desired file and select Change.

4. Find in the open file 6 lines containing the following fragment:

5. Replace this fragment in all 6 lines with

For example:

before change:

icacls %WinDir%\SysWOW64\gpedit.dll /grant:r %username%:f

after change:
icacls %WinDir%\SysWOW64\gpedit.dll /grant:r "%username%":f

6. Save the file and run it as administrator (right mouse button -> Run as administrator)

7. Close the installation window by pressing the button Finish.

Now you can run gpedit.msc.

If after doing all the above steps you still get the error “Management Console (MMC) cannot create a snap" then try another option:

1. Create a new temporary administrator user with a one-word name.

2. Log in as this user.

3. Run the setup.exe file and follow the instructions of the installer.

4. Restart your computer.

5. Log in with the user you worked with before.

6. Remove the temporary user account.

The newly installed Group Policy Editor has an English interface, but it can be easily understood if desired.

The Group Policy Editor, or, as the OS calls it, gpedit.msc, is a handy tool for flexible customization of Windows. The program allows you to enable or disable those system components that cannot be deactivated using standard tools. You can also flexibly configure the user access policy: any account on your Windows 10 will be able to allow and prohibit a number of actions. Unfortunately, users who want to work with the editor face the problem that gpedit msc is not found in Windows 10 Home.

That's right, the developers decided not to burden the home version of their operating system with unnecessary functionality. But what if you have just such an OS, and you need an editor? This is what we will talk about in our article-instruction, each step of which is accompanied by a screenshot for clarity. If after reading you still have questions, ask them in the comments, and we undertake to answer them in as much detail as possible. Let's get down to business.

The gpedit.msc utility requires an administrator account. It changes the system files of your operating system, so before you get started, be sure to create a restore point. The thing is that this program is not an official tool from Microsoft - it was developed by users from one forum.

Gpedit.msc was developed and compiled by a person with the nickname "davehc" from the Windows 7 Forums resource. Initially, the package was prepared for OS Windows 7, but, as it turned out, it works well on later versions of Windows 8.1, 10. We will install it on Windows 10 Home. You can download the desired application by.

We took the program from the official site and posted it here for convenience. Once the download is complete, proceed with the installation of gpedit.msc. The file will be downloaded as a ZIP archive, extract it to a convenient location.

Run the installation file and in the window that appears, click the "Next" button.

Another window opens - here we click "Install".

The installation of gpeditmsc has begun, it will not take much time.

Windows found? that we do not have the NET Framework5 library installed. We agree with its installation by pressing the item indicated in the screenshot.

After the data is downloaded, their installation will begin automatically.

NET Framework has been successfully installed, click "Close".

Gpedit.msc is also installed, click on "Finish".

Features of installation on Windows 10 Home 64 bit

There are no difficulties with a 32-bit system - you need to do everything as described above. But in the case of a 64-bit PC architecture, you will have to make a number of additional settings. Getting Started:

Navigate to the C:\Windows\SysWOW64 directory and find the following files and folders in it:

GroupPolicy(folder);
GroupPolicyUsers (folder);
msc (file).

We select them (you can mark several objects with the Ctrl key pressed) and click on their name with the right mouse button. In the context menu, click "Copy" or use the hot key combination Ctrl + C.

Run gpedit.msc

The program opens in the same way as in the professional version of Windows 10. Let's consider two options for launching it.

Opening the Group Policy Editor with the Run utility

To launch the Run tool, press the Win+R keys simultaneously. A small window will open, in which you need to enter the gpedit.msc command and click OK.

Launch via search

You can also run the program through Windows search. To do this, click on the magnifying glass icon in the lower left part of the taskbar and enter the word gpedit.msc in the search field. In the output that appears, select the desired result.

As a result, the local policy editor should be launched, but this is not always the case. Sometimes, instead of a tool, users see an error, but we took this point into account: below is an instruction that will help fix the problem.

Fixing an error when starting the utility

This error can occur for several reasons, for example, when the username consists of several words. To fix the problem, do the following:

We reinstall the application from the downloaded file, however, at the end of it, we do not close the installer with the "Finish" button, but leave it running for now.

We pass along the path indicated in the screenshot with a red frame.

Here you will see x64.bat and x86.bat files. Depending on which operating system you have installed (meaning the bit depth), select the file that suits us, right-click on it and select "Change".

We need the file to open with Notepad. When this happens, go to line 6 - it is marked in the screenshot.

Edit the line by wrapping %username% in quotes.

Now find all the lines where there is %username%, and put quotes on both sides of it everywhere.

After the changes are made, you can save the file. This is done through the "File" menu or using the hot key combination Ctrl + S.

Now we right-click on the file that we have modified and select the menu indicated in the screenshot.

The program will add the necessary changes and now we can close the installer window. There should be no further errors when launching the Local Group Policy Editor.

Attention! All work must be carried out exclusively from an account with administrator privileges.

How to install gpedit.msc on Windows 10 using a bat file

There is another option to run gpedit.msc in Windows 10 Home which is suitable for both 32 and 64 bit systems. Follow our step by step instructions.

First, download the archive using the button below.

Download archive

Unpack it and run the file that is inside as administrator. The process of adding the program we need to the system will begin. Upon completion, we will see an inscription about the successful operation.

Instead of an afterword

With the help of such simple manipulations, we figured out how to solve the problem if gpedit.msc cannot be found in Windows 10. The Home version received a group policy editor, but this method is also suitable for other operating systems from Microsoft. I would like to note that all the actions that were performed above are possible only when working from an administrator account. Otherwise, you will see nothing but an error.

It should be understood that the Group Policy Editor is an important and necessary thing even in the home version of Windows 10. Although most users, for example, on a home PC or in an educational institution, may not need it. In addition, this tool is just a duplicate of the regedit program (the standard system registry editor), which can perform all the actions that require a local policy editor. Another important point is that if you have made changes to the registry using this editor, you will not be able to undo them in regedit. Therefore, before doing anything, make a restore point, which will later help you undo any actions.

Let's first understand what gpedit msc is. Let's start from afar. When managing a computer, you specify settings. The operating system remembers them and is guided by the specified parameters when loading. Where and in what form are they stored and why might gpedit msc not be found in Windows 10?

Registry and Group Policy

The registry is a kind of database of your PC settings. It is huge and has many options and commands. It’s better for a non-professional not to climb into it, since an unreasonable change in parameters can crash the entire system. The registry in its architecture is built in compliance with two important principles:

Systematization and grouping.
Hierarchical structure.

This allows you to navigate it. To work with the registry, there is an editor in which everything is presented in the form of commands.

Group Policy can be configured:

For the network (ActiveX Directory directory service).
For local machine.

If your computer is a network server, then you will find the editor without problems - you have the PRO or Enterprise version installed. These options have an editor by default. But in the home version of the operating system, the developers removed it. Why? The answer is obvious - HOME edition is designed for ordinary people who do not need to climb into the settings and change them. Do you remember that from the very first version, Microsoft positioned its OS as a system for housewives?

What is gpedit msc windows 10, how can I find it and why doesn't it open? And this is nothing more than a file for launching the local group policy editor. And it does not open, most likely because the home edition of the OS is installed on your home computer.

Where is gpedit msc in Windows 10?

Let's try to find this file first. Click the "Start" icon in the lower left corner and type the file name in the search bar.

As you can see in the screenshot, the result gives general phrases, but not the gpedit msc program itself. This means that we cannot find gpedit msc in windows 10. However, in the 64-bit version, things are not so simple. The system32 folder contains 32-bit applications, and the search tries to find it there.

Let's look in another folder. It's called SysWOW64.

Open it and in the upper right corner, type the file name in the search bar. If you couldn't find it again, then you definitely don't have gpedit msc .

That's why gpedit msc won't run in windows 10 - it just isn't there. Do not despair. If you absolutely want to install the editor and try to set up policies for your users, there is a way.

Installing the editor

You can download this useful application from our website .

The patch was posted for windows 7, but works fine with 8 and 10 versions.

Download and open the archive. In it you will see the only setup.exe file - this is the program installer. Run. Try looking for it in the folder again. File found!

Try to find and run it through the search bar. And again gpedit msc does not start in windows 10? We remind you that for the windows 64 bit version, all applications are searched for in the system32 folder. To solve problems, copy the GroupPolicy, GroupPolicyUsers, GPBAK folders and the gpedit.msc, gpedit.dll, fde.dll, gptext.dll, appmgr.dll, fdeploy.dll files to the System32 folder. This will allow you to launch the editor from the search bar. In order for the system to allow you to do this, log in with administrator rights!

You should now be able to open the editor.

Features of the local group policy editor gpedit msc in Windows 10

All its functions are a separate topic. But we still list a few:

deny users access to applications;
block external devices (for example, flash drives) - this is very important for educational institutions in order to protect against viruses!
prohibit climbing into the control panel or touching the settings;
hide the control panel elements;
block changes in the design of the desktop;
disable the WIN button;
stop using the task manager.

If you don't have a network, but have a few computers with a large number of users (small office or school), it makes sense to disable many actions to keep the system safe and sound. The playful hands of many users are capable of spoiling the administrator's blood.

The Group Policy Editor is a Microsoft control panel for various system settings by editing group policies - previously set settings. As you know, various system settings are stored in . We can say that the Group Policy Editor (executable file gpedit.msc) is a utility for editing certain registry values.

However, Microsoft has deprived the initial versions of its Windows 7 Home Premium, Home Basic, Starter OS with a policy editor, so if you need to install it on these versions of the "seven", you will have to use a patch. Download (mirror to Ya.Disk), and installer.

When installing, everything is standard: first click Next, then Install, and finally Finish.

If you have a 32-bit Windows 7 system, this will probably complete the installation of the patch. Open with hot keys Win+R utility Run, enter gpedit.msc and if all is well, the editor will open.

When using a 64-bit operating system, things are not as smooth as we would like. On the Internet, there are various tips for setting up the installed editor, however, they can not always help launch gpedit.msc. The most common startup problem is the "MMC cannot create the snap-in" error.

Microsoft on its user support site suggests doing the following:
To solve this problem, you need to add a folder %SystemRoot%\System32\WBEM to an environment variable PATH. To do this, follow these steps.

1. Right click on the icon My computer and select command Properties.
2. Tab Additionally press the button Environment Variables.
3. Listed System variables double click environment variable PATH .
4. Enter:
%SystemRoot%\System32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\system32\WBEM
Note. Other system variables for PATH do not need to be removed.
5. Press the button OK.

Another bug fix.
From a folder C:\windows\SysWOW64 need to copy:
- gpedit.msc file
- folders GroupPolicy and GroupPolicyUsers
to a folder C:\Windows\System32. Restart your computer.

Another way is to run the setup.exe patch installer, but do not click on the Finish button during installation. Instead, you need to open the folder C:\Windows\Temp\gpedit\ and open the file with a text editor x64.bat(or x86.bat for 32-bit OS). You need to replace six fragments in the file %username%:f on the "%username%":f- in other words, add quotes. Then save the modified file, and in the same folder, right-click on the file x64.bat or x86.bat and choose Run as administrator. Close the installer and try running gpedit.msc.

If the Group Policy Editor starts successfully, it will look like this: