Import GPO - PowerShell

Overview

The Import-GPO cmdlet imports Group Policy Objects (GPOs) from Active Directory into the local Group Policy store. It allows administrators to import GPO settings into a computer or user, enabling them to configure and manage policies centrally.

Syntax

Import-GPO [-Name] <string[]> [-Path] <string[]> [-ComputerName] <string> [-Global] [-Domain] [-Credentials] <PSCredential> [-AsJob] [-Force] [-Verbose] [-Debug] [-ErrorAction] <ActionPreference> [-ErrorVariable] <string> [-OutVariable] <string> [-OutBuffer] <int> [-PipelineVariable] <string>

Options/Flags

  • -Name: Specifies the name of the GPOs to import. Multiple GPOs can be specified by using a comma-separated list.
  • -Path: Specifies the path to the GPOs to import. You can use the Distinguished Name (DN) or the GPO GUID.
  • -ComputerName: Specifies the name of the computer where the GPOs will be imported.
  • -Global: Imports the GPOs to the global Group Policy store. By default, the user Group Policy store is used.
  • -Domain: Imports the GPOs from the specified domain.
  • -Credentials: Specifies the user credentials used to connect to the domain.
  • -AsJob: Runs the command as a background job.
  • -Force: Forces the import even if the GPOs already exist.
  • -Verbose: Displays detailed progress information.
  • -Debug: Displays debugging information.
  • -ErrorAction: Specifies the action to take when an error occurs.
  • -ErrorVariable: Specifies the variable to store the error message.
  • -OutVariable: Specifies the variable to store the output.
  • -OutBuffer: Specifies the maximum number of objects to store in the output buffer.
  • -PipelineVariable: Specifies the variable to use for input from the pipeline.

Examples

Example 1: Import a single GPO by name

Import-GPO -Name "MyGPO"

Example 2: Import multiple GPOs by path

Import-GPO -Path "CN=GPO1,OU=Group Policies,DC=mydomain,DC=com", "CN=GPO2,OU=Group Policies,DC=mydomain,DC=com"

Example 3: Import GPOs to a specific computer

Import-GPO -ComputerName "Server1" -Path "CN=GPO1,OU=Group Policies,DC=mydomain,DC=com"

Example 4: Import GPOs to the global Group Policy store

Import-GPO -Global -Path "CN=GPO1,OU=Group Policies,DC=mydomain,DC=com"

Common Issues

Issue: The Import-GPO cmdlet fails with the error “The GPO is already applied to the computer.”

Solution: Use the -Force parameter to force the import.

Issue: The Import-GPO cmdlet does not import all the GPO settings.

Solution: Ensure that the user running the command has sufficient permissions to import the GPOs.

Integration

The Import-GPO cmdlet can be combined with other PowerShell commands for advanced tasks. For example, you can use the Get-GPO cmdlet to retrieve a list of GPOs in a domain.

$gpos = Get-GPO -Domain "mydomain.com"
Import-GPO -Path $gpos.Path