How to update Group Policies

Sometimes the IT department will need to make a configuration change to the University's Windows computers. One of the most common ways to do that is using a Microsoft computer policy management tool called Group Policies.

Group Policies normally update behind the scenes every few hours, as long as your computer is connected to the campus network. If the IT department has asked you to update the group policies on your Windows computer (also called a gpupdate or gpup), here are the steps you will need to take.

Step 1. You must be connected to the campus network to complete this process. If you are on campus using a wired or wireless connection, please proceed to the next step. If you are working off-campus, you will need to establish a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection before proceeding further. Here is documentation for how to Connect to Taylor's VPN. If you have never connected to VPN you may need to request that access via a Helpdesk ticket.

Step 2. On your Windows computer, open the Start Menu and search for “cmd” or “command prompt”. Click on the Command Prompt search result to proceed.

Step 3. From within the Command Prompt window, type “gpupdate /force”. This will tell Windows to do a full refresh of all the University's computer management policies and apply them to your computer. This process may take up to a minute, and you should see the following once it completes.

Step 4. You may now close the Command Prompt window and disconnect from VPN. Depending on the situation or specific policy, a restart of your computer may be required.