Create Starter GPO in Windows Server 2008 GPMC

Like any other configuration tool Group Policy Management can also be used to create some default templates which can be applied to any newly created GPO. These templates are technically known as Starter GPOs and can be used while creating a regular GPO to implement on any organizational unit or domain. While creating Starter GPO administrators can configure the settings that will be permanently saved in that particular Starter GPO and then the Starter GPO can be integrated with the newly created regular GPO and the settings of both regular GPO and Starter GPO are merged together to provide a complete set of configurations. You can create a Starter GPO by following the steps given below:

1.       Logon to Windows server 2008 domain controller computer with domain admin account.

2.       At the bottom of start menu in search box type Group Policy Management and press enter key to open Group Policy Management Console.

3.       Expand Forest > Domains and then expand the name of the domain for which you want to create Starter GPO.

4.       From the expanded tree click on Starter GPOs in the left pane and in the right pane click on Create Starter GPOs Folder button if you are using this for the very first time after the installation.

5.       Once done from the left pane right click on Starter GPOs and from the appeared menu click on New.

6.       On New Starter GPO box specify the name of the new Starter GPO and optionally you can provide any comment or description for it if you want.

7.       Finally click on Ok button to create the Starter GPO.

Note: In order to configure the newly created Starter GPO right click on it in the right pane and click on Edit option.