[gptalk] Re: Can Group Policy Settings be accessed and set from an application

In Vista, there is configuration parameter "Turn Off Program Compatibility 
Assistant" defined as a group policy under Computer 
Configuration->Administrative Templates->Windows Components->Application 
Compatibility. Do you think it's possible to access this configuration 
parameter through application code? I've looked up registry.pol on on MSDN but 
not seen anything that leads me directly to this parameter. If it's possible, 
Vista specific policy info probably not published on MSDN yet. 

Dave

  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Darren Mar-Elia 
  To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
  Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 11:09 AM
  Subject: [gptalk] Re: Can Group Policy Settings be accessed and set from an 
application


  Noting changes in particular in Vista. Note that policy areas such as Admin 
Templates, and Software Restriction policy store their settings in a published 
format (look up registry.pol in MSDN) so its not completely opaque, but I think 
that because each CSE has historically been owned by the respective product 
groups within MS, and no one dictated a standard set of interfaces, it would 
have been difficult for MS to publish this information. For example, Admin 
Template settings are driven by ADM/ADMX files but security settings, for 
example, are hard-coded into the GP editor DLL responsible for that extension 
(for the most part).

  Darren



------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Webmaster eSupport
  Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 7:55 AM
  To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  Subject: [gptalk] Re: Can Group Policy Settings be accessed and set from an 
application



  So if I understand this correctly, it is possible to configure group policies 
through an appliction with Microsoft's gpedit.msc application, but Microsoft is 
just not sharing the methods with anyone so we're not forced to use their 
application. That's unbelievable, but not surprising. Up to now I think most 
users do not have a need to touch group policy settings. However, with Vista 
Microsoft is relying more heavily on group policy settings for Vista 
configuration settings.  

  Does anyone know a method for accessing group policies specific for Vista. 

  Dave

    ----- Original Message ----- 
    From: Darren Mar-Elia 
    To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx 
    Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 10:07 AM
    Subject: [gptalk] Re: Can Group Policy Settings be accessed and set from an 
application


    Generally speaking, you can't do this. There is no API that will get you 
access to all GP settings. Part of the problem here is that each CSE that MS 
ships contains its own mechanism for writing and storing settings, with their 
own formats. So, there is no unified API that provides the single interface.

    Not a great answer, but one that I've been repeating since about 1999 :). 
Maybe one day it will get solved.

    Darren



----------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:gptalk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of Webmaster eSupport
    Sent: Thursday, October 26, 2006 6:57 AM
    To: gptalk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
    Subject: [gptalk] Can Group Policy Settings be accessed and set from an 
application


    Hello All,

    I have an application where I need to manage group policy settings from an 
application. I'm new to Group Policies in Windows, have been reading everything 
I can find but so far I've not definitive methods which enable group policy 
settings to be read and configured from a C++ application. Seems to me that if 
group policies can be configured with Windows group policy editor, it must be 
possible to implement my own application. 

    Appreciate any help anyone can provide to get me up to speed on this. 

    Thanks in advance,

    Dave

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