How to Reset Group Policy Windows 11 to Default

Step 1Open Windows Terminal as an Administrator

First, open Windows Terminal with administrator rights. This special window lets you give commands to Windows with full control. To do this, click the Start button ⊞, type ‘Windows Terminal’, and then right-click on 🖱️ the result.

Here’s how to open it:

• Click the Start button or press the Win on your keyboard.
• Type “Windows Terminal” in the search 🔍 box.
• When you see “Windows Terminal” in the results, don’t just click it. Instead, right-click on it.
• From the menu that appears, choose “Run as administrator”.
• You’ll see a message asking, “Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?” Click “Yes”.

This is necessary for changing security settings.

If Windows Terminal opens to PowerShell, that works fine. You will know the Windows Terminal is running as an administrator because the title bar will say "Administrator: Windows Terminal."

Step 2Enter the Command to Reset Security Policies

With the administrator window open, you can now enter the specific command to reset security policies. If your Windows Terminal defaults to PowerShell, type: secedit /configure /cfg $Env:WINDIR\inf\defltbase. This command resets your security settings to their default values.

You have two choices for the command, depending on whether you are using PowerShell or Command Prompt in Windows Terminal. Both accomplish the same task.

Option A: If Windows Terminal is set to PowerShell (this is the default):

secedit /configure /cfg $Env:WINDIR\inf\defltbase.inf /db defltbase.sdb /verbose​

Option B: If you switched Windows Terminal to Command Prompt:

You can type or copy and paste one of the provided commands into the Windows Terminal window to reset Local Security Policy settings. Ensure the command you enter is exact to avoid errors during the reset process for your Windows 11 system.

• Carefully type or paste the command into the blinking line in your Windows Terminal window.
• Check for any mistakes!
• Press the Enter key on your keyboard.

Here is what the command actually does:

• secedit: This is the tool used to manage security settings.
• /configure: This tells secedit that you want to set up security.
• /db %windir%\security\local.sdb: This tells the tool which file contains the default security settings. %windir% is a placeholder for your Windows folder (usually C:\Windows), and local.sdb is the file with the default settings.
• /cfg %windir%\inf\defltbase.inf: This points to another file that helps set up security.
• /quiet: This makes the command run without showing many messages.

An error in the command might prevent the command from working or lead to incorrect settings being applied. It is best to copy and paste the command directly from here.

You won't see elaborate graphics, but the command will execute. If it runs correctly, no error messages will appear. This process might take a few moments.

Step 3Close Windows Terminal

After the command to reset security policies finishes running, you can close the Windows Terminal window. Look for the 'X' button in the top-right corner and click it. Remember that your computer needs a restart for these changes to fully take effect.

• Look for the "X" button in the top-right corner of the Windows Terminal window.
• Click the "X" to close it.

Even after the command runs, the changes won't be fully active until you restart your computer.

Step 4Restart Your Computer

Restarting your computer is the final and most critical step to apply the reset group policy Windows 11 changes. Click the Start button, then the Power icon, and select 'Restart'. Make sure to save any open work first, as your computer will shut down and then turn back on.

• Click the Start button.
• Click the Power icon.
• Choose "Restart".

Warning: Save any open work before restarting. Your computer will shut down and then power back on.

After your computer restarts, your Local Security Policy settings will be restored to their original defaults. This is an effective way to resolve issues caused by security setting modifications or to return to a known safe configuration.

Summary

To reset your Local Security Policy settings in Windows 11, start by opening Windows Terminal as an administrator. Next, run the command 'secedit /configure /cfg $Env:WINDIR\inf\defltbase' to reset the policies. Finally, restart your computer to make sure all changes are applied correctly.