Using Windows XP or Vista, how do I force a group policy to be applied?

Note: The following information is intended for registered local support providers (LSPs) at Indiana University. If you are an LSP and have questions regarding the information in this document, contact LSP Services at  lsps@iu.edu ; otherwise, contact your campus Support Center.

When you make a change to a Group Policy Object (GPO), the change takes place on a Windows 2000 domain controller. The change is replicated to all other domain controllers in the Active Directory. All Windows XP and Vista computers in the Active Directory check for modifications to GPOs at regular intervals. If they find changes, they apply them during the next interval.

If you need to apply the change immediately, you can use the following command to trigger the updating process:

This command compares the currently applied GPO to the GPO that is located on the domain controllers. If nothing has changed since the last time the GPO was applied, then the GPO is skipped.

If Windows Vista accepts the request, it will display the following message:

"Updating Policy...

User Policy update has completed successfully.
Computer Policy update has completed successfully."

Windows XP will display this message:

"Refreshing Policy...

User Policy Refresh has completed.
Computer Policy Refresh has completed."

For more information on this command, from the Start menu, select Help and Support, and then search on group policy management (Windows Vista) or gpupdate (Windows XP).

Note: The Windows XP default desktop view and Start menu are different from the Windows Classic View (e.g., in Windows 2000). Therefore, navigating to certain items can be different. In the interest of broad applicability, most Knowledge Base instructions assume you are using Classic View. For details about switching views, see In Windows XP, how do I switch to the Windows Classic View, Classic theme, or Classic Control Panel?

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