Editing Windows Registry (section)

=== Group policies ===
{{Main|Group Policy}}
Windows [[Group Policy|group policies]] can change registry keys for a number of machines or individual users based on policies. When a policy first takes effect for a machine or for an individual user of a machine, the registry settings specified as part of the policy are applied to the machine or user settings.

Windows will also look for updated policies and apply them periodically, typically every 90 minutes.<ref>{{cite web|title=Applying Group Policy|url=https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/aa373481(v=vs.85).aspx|publisher=Microsoft}}</ref>

Through its ''scope'' a policy defines to which machines and users the policy is to be applied. Whether a machine or user is within the scope of a policy or not is defined by a set of rules which can filter on the location of the machine or user account in organizational directory, specific users or machine accounts or security groups. More advanced rules can be set up using [[Windows Management Instrumentation]] expressions. Such rules can filter on properties such as computer vendor name, CPU architecture, installed software, or networks connected to.

For instance, the administrator can create a policy with one set of registry settings for machines in the accounting department and policy with another (lock-down) set of registry settings for kiosk terminals in the visitors area. When a machine is moved from one scope to another (e.g., changing its name or moving it to another organizational unit), the correct policy is automatically applied. When a policy is changed it is automatically re-applied to all machines currently in its scope.

The policy is edited through a number of administrative templates which provides a user interface for picking and changing settings. The set of administrative templates is extensible and software packages which support such remote administration can register their own templates.