All the new Windows 8.1 Group Policy Administrative Settings

imageAs you probably know Windows Server 2012 R2 Preview is now available for download. For your convenience i have gone thought all the Group Policy administrative settings and listed all the new policy setting for Windows 8.1 / 2012 R2.

Some of the settings names are pretty obvious, but other like “Default” and “WinX” are somewhat vague to say the least even when you look at the description of these settings.

In any case here are all the new administrative settings for your convenience.

Note: I have highlighted in bold what I think are some of the more interesting policy settings.

  • Force a specific background and accent color
  • Force a specific Start background
  • Prevent enabling lock screen camera
  • Prevent enabling lock screen slide show
  • Start Screen Layout
  • Restrict delegation of credentials to remote servers
  • Configure Group Policy Caching
  • Configure Logon Script Delay
  • Do now sync start settings
  • Sign-in last interactive user automatically after a system-imitated restart
  • Always automatically restart at the schedule time
  • Force automatic setup for all users
  • Default   (Have no idea what this policy does)
  • Default App
  • Default Search
  • Multimon
  • Pin Apps to Start when installed
  • Sort
  • Set the time Quiet Hours begins each day
  • Set the time Quiet Hours ends each day
  • Turn off calls during Quiet Hours
  • Turn off Quiet Hours
  • App switching
  • Charms
  • WinX    (Have no idea what “WinX” is…. )
  • Allow Microsoft service to provide enhance suggestions as the user types in the Address baR
  • Allow Internet Explore to use the SPDY/3 network protocol
  • Turn off sending UTF-8 query strings for URLs
  • Turn on 64-bit tab processes when running in Enhance Protected Mode on 64-bit version of Windows
  • Don’t run antimalware programs against ActiveX controls
  • Turn off phone number detection

Author: Alan Burchill

Microsoft MVP (Group Policy)

25 thoughts on “All the new Windows 8.1 Group Policy Administrative Settings

  1. I would guess that “WinX” relates to the Windows Key + X “power user” menu in the bottom-left corner. Probably there to enable/disable that functionality.

  2. I guess WinX is about the “hidden” menu you get when pressing WinKey+X or right-clicking the bottom-left charm. This GPO setting will probably allow to customize it. It is located in %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\WinX.

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