How to: Exclude user or computer from Group Policy

You have created Group Policy with some settings/restrictions but you want to exclude user or computer from applying policy.

In this example I`ll show you how to exclude computer from Group Policy, but same procedure can be done for users. We`ll be excluding computer from Windows Update GPO which I demonstrated how to create here – https://www.informaticar.net/?p=2058

 

!!! It is recommended to create new GPO for every setting/restriction. If you apply all your settings/restrictions into one GPO it will be very hard to administrate and manage.

 

Let’s start tutorial

I created group “NoUpdates” in Active Directory Users and Computers and added computer called SCSERVER to that group (same computer or user can be member of multiple groups in AD)

gpo_exclude_1

Next stop is Group Policy Management | Group Policy Object I created for Windows Update settings is called – Windows_Update | choose Delegation tab |Choose Authenticated Users |click on Advanced button on right bottom of the screen

gpo_exclude_2

Click on Add button

gpo_exclude_3

Enter name of the group (or user/computer) that you want to exclude from GPO (I`ll choose NoUpdates group I created at the beginning of tutorial)  |OK

gpo_exclude_4

Choose group/user/computer you added and under Permissions tab for setting “Apply group policy” tick Deny |confirm with Apply |OK

gpo_exclude_5

If you want to immediately check results enter command gpupdate /force into command prompt (you need to run it as administrator) of the computer that exclusion applies to.

For some GPO settings that won`t be enough and you`ll have to restart computer.

gpo_exclude_7

In my case – server had automatically scheduled updates installation

gpo_exclude_6

 

After exclusion..

gpo_exclude_8

 

That’s it, exclusion for one computer or user or group works.

 

 

Disclaimer