How to reset Local Group Policy settings to defaults on Windows 11

On Windows 11, managing Group Policy settings allows you to customize and control some of the most advanced aspects of your operating system, from security configurations to user permissions. However, there may come a time when you need to reset these settings to their default state to resolve misconfigurations, troubleshoot system issues, or start fresh, and in this guide, I will show you the different ways to complete this configuration.

Regardless of the reason, Windows 11 offers a few different ways to reset the Local Group Policy settings, ensuring that all policies revert to their original clean slate, including through the Group Policy Editor, Command Prompt, and PowerShell.

In this how-to guide, I'll outline three ways to reset the Group Policy settings on Windows 11.

How to reset all Group Policy settings from Local Group Policy Editor

The easiest way to reset the policy settings is to set them to the "Not configured" state. You'll need to perform this task for the "Administrative Templates" in the "Computer Configuration" and "User Configuration" sections.

Reset Computer Configuration settings

To reset the Computer Configuration policies, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for gpedit.msc and click the top result to open the Local Group Policy Editor console.
3. Navigate to the following path: Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > All Settings
4. Click the State column header to sort settings and view the ones that are Enabled and Disabled.

5. Double-click one of the policies you previously modified.
6. Select the Not configured option.

7. Click the Apply button.
8. Click the OK button.

Once you complete the steps, you may need to repeat the steps 5, 6, 7, and 8 to reset any remaining policies.

Reset User Configuration settings

To reset the User Configuration settings, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for gpedit.msc and click the top result to open the Local Group Policy console.
3. Navigate to the following path: User Configuration > Administrative Templates > All Settings
4. Click the State column header to sort settings and view the ones that are

5. Double-click one of the policies you previously modified.
6. Select the Not configured option.

7. Click the Apply button.
8. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, repeat the steps 5, 6, 7, and 8 to reset any remaining policies as necessary.

How to reset all Group Policy settings from Command Prompt

If the device has many modified settings, you can quickly reset all the Group Policy Objects to their defaults with Command Prompt.

To reset the Group Policy settings with a command line, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to reset all the Group Policy settings and press Enter: RD /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicyUsers" && RD /S /Q "%WinDir%\System32\GroupPolicy"
4. Type the following command to update the changes in the Local Group Policy console and press Enter: gpupdate /force

5. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the command will delete the folders that store the Group Policy settings, and the system will reapply their default values.

How to reset all Group Policy settings from PowerShell

Alternatively, you can quickly reset the Group Policy Objects with PowerShell.

To reset the Group Policy settings with PowerShell, use these steps:

1. Open Start.
2. Search for Command Prompt, right-click the top result, and select the Run as administrator option.
3. Type the following command to reset all the Group Policy settings and press Enter: Remove-Item -Path "$env:windir\System32\GroupPolicy", "$env:windir\System32\GroupPolicyUsers" -Recurse -Force
4. Type the following command to update the changes in the Local Group Policy console and press Enter: gpupdate /force

5. Restart the computer.

After you complete the steps, the policies will reset to their default settings.

It's important to note that the "GroupPolicy" and "GroupPolicyUsers" folders should be recreated once you apply new system changes.

These instructions will reset the settings from the Local Group Policy Editor. Only your network administrator can control these settings if the computer is joined to an Active Directory network. Also, this guide is not meant to reset the objects under the "Windows Security" (Local Security Policy) section since their location is different.

More resources

Find in-depth guides, troubleshooting tips, and the latest updates on Windows 11 and 10 here:

• Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
• Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know