Editing Group Policy (section)

==Group Policy preferences==
Group Policy Preferences are a way for the administrator to set policies that are not mandatory, but optional for the user or computer.
There is a set of group policy setting extensions that were previously known as PolicyMaker. Microsoft bought PolicyMaker and then integrated them with [[Windows Server 2008]]. Microsoft has since released a migration tool that allows users to migrate PolicyMaker items to Group Policy Preferences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=35791cb6-710b-48c4-aaa1-90db170bcf2a&displaylang=en|title=Group Policy Preference Migration Tool (GPPMIG)|website=[[Microsoft]]}}</ref>

Group Policy Preferences adds a number of new configuration items. These items also have a number of additional targeting options that can be used to granularly control the application of these setting items.

Group Policy Preferences are compatible with x86 and x64 versions of Windows XP, Windows Server 2003, and Windows Vista with the addition of the [[Client Side Extensions]] (also known as CSE).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=3628|title=Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows XP (KB943729)|website=Microsoft Download Center}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=23680|title=Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows XP x64 Edition (KB943729)|website=Microsoft Download Center}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=24169|title=Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows Vista (KB943729)|website=Microsoft Download Center}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=15198|title=Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows Vista x64 Edition (KB943729)|website=Microsoft Download Center}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=6955|title=Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows Server 2003 (KB943729)|website=Microsoft Download Center}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=14171|title=Group Policy Preference Client Side Extensions for Windows Server 2003 x64 Edition (KB943729)|website=Microsoft Download Center}}</ref>

Client Side Extensions are now included in [[Windows Server 2008]], [[Windows 7]], and [[Windows Server 2008 R2]].