Solved: How to Fix Inaccessible Group Policy Object Problems

Have you ever encountered a situation where you tried to edit or delete a Group Policy Object (GPO) and got an error message saying that the GPO is inaccessible? Or have you ever noticed a red minus icon next to a GPO in the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and wondered what it means? If so, you might have experienced a case of GPO corruption.

GPO corruption is a rare but serious issue that can affect the functionality and security of your Active Directory environment. It can prevent you from applying or modifying policies to your users and computers, and it can also cause replication problems between domain controllers. In this blog post, we will explain what causes GPO corruption, how to identify it, and how to fix it. We will also provide some tips and best practices for preventing and troubleshooting GPO issues.

What causes GPO corruption?

A GPO consists of two parts: the Group Policy Container (GPC) and the Group Policy Template (GPT). The GPC is an Active Directory object that stores the metadata of the GPO, such as its name, unique ID, version number, security settings, and links to organizational units (OUs). The GPT is a folder in the SYSVOL share of each domain controller that stores the actual policy settings of the GPO, such as registry entries, scripts, files, and folders.

Both the GPC and the GPT are essential for the proper functioning of the GPO. They must have consistent permissions, attributes, and contents. If there is any mismatch or discrepancy between them, the GPO becomes corrupted and inaccessible.

There are several possible reasons why a GPO can become corrupted, such as:

• Human error. Someone might have accidentally deleted or modified the GPC or the GPT, either directly or indirectly through tools like ADSI Edit, PowerShell, or third-party applications.
• Malware infection. A malicious program might have tampered with the GPC or the GPT, either to disable security policies or to spread itself across the network.
• Hardware failure. A disk error, a power outage, or a network interruption might have damaged the GPC or the GPT, either partially or completely.
• Software bug. A glitch in the operating system, the Active Directory service, or the Group Policy service might have caused an inconsistency or a conflict between the GPC and the GPT.

How to identify GPO corruption?

There are several signs and symptoms that can indicate that a GPO is corrupted, such as:

• A red minus icon next to the GPO in the GPMC. This means that the GPO is inaccessible and cannot be edited or deleted.
• An error message when trying to open or delete the GPO in the GPMC. For example: “The system cannot find the file specified” or “The attribute or value specified does not exist”.
• An error message when trying to link or unlink the GPO to an OU in the GPMC. For example: “The network name cannot be found” or “The specified directory service attribute or value does not exist”.
• A warning or error event in the System event log of the domain controller. For example: Event ID 1058: “The processing of Group Policy failed. Windows attempted to read the file \domain.com\SYSVOL\domain.com\Policies{GUID}\gpt.ini from a domain controller and was not successful.” or Event ID 1030: “The processing of Group Policy failed. Windows could not query for the list of Group Policy objects.”
• A warning or error event in the Group Policy operational log of the client computer. For example: Event ID 7017: “The core Group Policy engine canceled applying policy settings for this object because one of its ancestors is inaccessible.” or Event ID 7320: “Error: Retrieved account information. Error code = 5.”
• A missing policy setting on the client computer. For example: The desktop wallpaper is not applied even though it is configured in a GPO.

How to fix GPO corruption?

To fix a corrupted GPO, you need to restore both the GPC and the GPT to their original state. There are different methods for doing this, depending on the severity and cause of the corruption. Here are some possible solutions:

• Restore from backup. If you have a recent backup of your Active Directory and SYSVOL data, you can use it to restore both the GPC and the GPT of the corrupted GPO. You can use tools like Windows Server Backup, wbadmin, or third-party applications to perform this operation.
• Recreate from scratch. If you don’t have a backup or if your backup is outdated, you can delete both the GPC and the GPT of the corrupted GPO and create a new one with the same name and settings. You can use tools like PowerShell, gpmc.msc, gpedit.msc, or third-party applications to perform this operation.
• Repair from SYSVOL. If the GPC is corrupted but the GPT is intact, you can use the GPT to repair the GPC. You can use tools like gptool, dfsrdiag, or third-party applications to perform this operation.
• Repair from Active Directory. If the GPT is corrupted but the GPC is intact, you can use the GPC to repair the GPT. You can use tools like dcgpofix, dcdiag, or third-party applications to perform this operation.

How to prevent and troubleshoot GPO issues?

To prevent and troubleshoot GPO issues, you should follow some best practices and use some helpful tools, such as:

• Document your GPOs. You should keep a record of all your GPOs, their names, IDs, settings, links, and permissions. This will help you identify and restore them in case of corruption or deletion.
• Backup your GPOs. You should regularly backup your GPOs, either manually or automatically, using tools like Windows Server Backup, wbadmin, PowerShell, or third-party applications. This will help you recover them in case of corruption or deletion.
• Monitor your GPOs. You should monitor your GPOs for any changes, errors, or conflicts, using tools like Event Viewer, Group Policy Results, Group Policy Modeling, gpresult, rsop.msc, or third-party applications. This will help you detect and diagnose any issues with your GPOs.
• Test your GPOs. You should test your GPOs before applying them to your production environment, using tools like Group Policy Modeling, gpupdate, gpedit.msc, or third-party applications. This will help you verify and validate the functionality and impact of your GPOs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some common questions and answers related to GPO corruption and related topics:

Question: What is the difference between a Group Policy Object and a Group Policy Setting?

Answer: A Group Policy Object (GPO) is a collection of Group Policy Settings (GPS) that define how a user or computer behaves or appears. A GPS is a single configuration item that controls a specific aspect of a user or computer, such as the desktop wallpaper, the password policy, or the firewall settings.

Question: How can I find out which Group Policy Objects are applied to a user or computer?

Answer: You can use tools like Group Policy Results, gpresult, rsop.msc, or third-party applications to generate a report that shows which GPOs are applied to a user or computer and which settings are effective.

Question: How can I force a user or computer to refresh their Group Policy settings?

Answer: You can use tools like gpupdate or third-party applications to force a user or computer to refresh their Group Policy settings without logging off or restarting.

Disclaimer: This blog post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. The author is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the products or services mentioned in this blog post. The opinions expressed in this blog post are solely those of the author and do not reflect those of any organization or entity. The author makes no representations or warranties as to the accuracy, completeness, suitability, or validity of any information in this blog post. The author is not liable for any errors, omissions, losses, injuries, or damages arising from the display or use of this information. The reader is responsible for verifying the information in this blog post before applying it to their own situation.