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Local Group Policy Object Utility (Windows EXE)

What

Local Group Policy Object Utility or LGPO.exe is a new command-line utility to automate the management of local group policy. It replaces the no-longer-maintained LocalGPO tool that shipped with the Security Compliance Manager (SCM), and the Apply_LGPO_Delta and ImportRegPol tools.

When/Why

Many of the features help import required settings to your devices meeting organization policies for security compliance.

Features:

  • Import settings into local group policy from GPO backups or from individual policy component files, including Registry Policy (registry.pol), security templates, and advanced auditing CSV files.
  • Export local policy to a GPO backup.
  • Parse a Registry Policy (registry.pol) file to readable "LGPO text" directly to the console or redirected to a file which can edited and imported into local policy.
  • Build a new Registry Policy (registry.pol) file from "LGPO text".
  • Enable group policy client side extensions for local policy processing.

How

The zip file contains the LGPO installer:

LGPO.zip LGPO.exe v3.0 - Local Group Policy Object utility

LGPO.exe has four modes:

  1. Import and apply policy settings;
  2. Export local policy to a GPO backup;
  3. Parse a registry.pol file to "LGPO text" format;
  4. Build a registry.pol file from "LGPO text".

To apply policy settings, use the LGPO.exe commands below, where one or more of the following (each of which can be repeated):

/g path                             import settings from one or more GPO backups under "path"
/m path\registry.pol     import settings from registry.pol into machine config
/u path\registry.pol      import settings from registry.pol into user config
/s path\GptTmpl.inf     apply security template
/a[c] path\Audit.csv     apply advanced auditing settings; /ac to clear policy first
/t path\lgpo.txt              apply registry commands from LGPO text

/e <name>|<guid>       enable GP extension for local policy processing; specify a GUID, or one of these names:
              **  "zone" for IE zone mapping extension
              **  "mitigation" for mitigation options, including font blocking
              **   "audit" for advanced audit policy configuration
              
/boot                                reboot after applying policies
/v                                       verbose output
/q                                       quiet output (no headers)

Some example GPO policies are listed below to use. Be sure you are updating the correct path and names for your GPOs.

To create a GPO backup from local policy:

LGPO.exe /b path [/n GPO-name]

/b path                       Create GPO backup in "path"
/n GPO-name           Optional GPO display name (use quotes if it contains spaces)


To parse a Registry.pol file to LGPO text (stdout):

LGPO.exe /parse [/q] {/m|/u} path\registry.pol

/m path\registry.pol         parse registry.pol as machine config commands
/u path\registry.pol          parse registry.pol as user config commands
/q                                           quiet output (no headers)


To build a Registry.pol file from LGPO text:

LGPO.exe /r path\lgpo.txt /w path\registry.pol [/v]

/r path\lgpo.txt              Read input from LGPO text file
/w path\registry.pol     Write new registry.pol file

Digging Deeper