How to View Local Group Policies That Are Configured in Windows 11
Local Group Policies in Windows 11 are system rules that change how your PC behaves and override standard settings. You can track down which of these policies are active on your computer using the built-in Local Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc), a tool available on Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
Checking your active group policies helps you troubleshoot unexpected PC behavior, such as a blocked Microsoft Store or locked security settings. Knowing these configurations lets you see exactly what rules are running behind the scenes on your system.
Open the Local Group Policy Editor by pressing Win, typing gpedit.msc, and pressing Enter. Navigate to Computer Configuration or User Configuration, then Administrative Templates and All Settings. Click the State column header to sort and view enabled or disabled policies.
Option 1Using the Local Group Policy Editor
1. Press the Win, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
To View Computer Configuration Policies
Computer configuration policies show up in the Local Group Policy Editor under Administrative Templates and All Settings. You can view group policies here by sorting the State column to see which rules are turned on or off across your system.
Windows 11 sorts policies by their status in the State column, showing active and inactive rules at the top. This sorting method, available in Windows 11 version 23H2, allows users to check the status of all configured policies quickly.
To View User Configuration Policies
A) In the left menu, go to User Configuration Administrative Templates All Settings.
B) Click the State column header to sort your settings by status.
Option 2Using Resultant Set of Policy (RSOP)
Resultant Set of Policy (a tool that displays active system settings) lists every policy currently applied to your computer and user account. You can view group policies using this tool by opening the Start menu, typing rsop.msc, and pressing Enter.
1. Press the Windows key, type rsop.msc, and press Enter.
2. Wait a moment while your computer processes the report. You will see a list of the settings currently active or disabled on your system.
Option 3Command Line Reporting (gpresult)
The gpresult command line tool generates an HTML report of all active rules to help you view group policies for troubleshooting purposes. You can run this command in an administrator terminal to save a complete policy breakdown directly to your computer.
- Open the Start menu, type cmd, right-click it, and select Run as administrator.
- Enter the following command and press Enter:
gpresult /h C:\policy_report.html
3. Open the file C:\policy_report.html in your web browser to view a detailed breakdown of all applied policies.
Registry Storage Locations
Windows stores group policies inside the Windows Registry (a database of system settings), where you can view group policies using the Registry Editor. You can open this tool with the Run dialog and browse to the specific registry keys that hold your system rules.
Always back up your registry before making changes.
- Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
- Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies
The path HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies contains system-wide policies for Windows 11 that affect all users. For policies that apply only to the current user, check HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies.
How to Reset Local Group Policies
If you need to revert settings to default, you can use the Command Prompt with administrator privileges:
- Open an elevated Command Prompt.
- Run the following commands one by one:
rd /s /q "%windir%\System32\GroupPolicy"rd /s /q "%windir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers"gpupdate /force
Summary
Active group policies in Windows 11 can be viewed using tools like the Group Policy Editor, RSOP, or the 'gpresult' command, and by checking the registry if needed.
Why can't I find gpedit.msc on 🪟 Windows 11 Home?
The Local Group Policy Editor is a feature exclusive to Windows 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. Microsoft does not include this tool in the Home edition. If you use Windows 11 Home, you must rely on the Registry Editor or third-party tools to modify or view system policies.
Was this guide helpful?
About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
No comments yet — be the first to share your thoughts!