The Group Policy Update (GPUpdate) utility lets you
update the group policies on a computer. Use this utility as a
replacement for the now obsolete /refreshpolicy
command line switch for the SecEdit utility. Using this utility ensures
that essential group policy changes appear on a computer, especially
systems that are on 24 hours per day. This utility uses the following
syntax:
GPUpdate [/Target:{Computer | User}] [/Force] [/Wait:<value>]
[/Logoff] [/Boot] [/Sync]
The following list describes each of the command line arguments.
/Target:{Computer | User}
Specifies that
the utility updates only user or computer policy settings. The default
is to refresh both user and computer policy settings.
/Force
Reapplies all
policy settings, even those that haven't changed. Normally, the utility
only applies new settings. This command line switch ensures that the
system has all of the current policies, even if a policy was
accidentally changed.
/Wait:
value
Determines the
number of seconds the utility waits for policy processing to finish. The
default setting is 600 seconds. You can cause the utility to end
immediately by using a value of 0. A value of −1 forces the utility to
wait indefinitely for the policy processing to complete. Use the −1
option when you want to ensure the policies are in place before
rebooting the system. Policy processing continues in the background even
if the utility ends.
/Logoff
Forces the system
to log off after the utility finishes refreshing the system policies.
Using this option ensures the user sees the new policy settings. You
must use this feature to install client-side extension policies that
don't refresh in the background, but do refresh when the user logs in.
For example, you'll need to use this technique for software installation
and folder redirection policies. The utility ignores the command line
switch when there aren't any policies that require a logoff to
implement.
/Boot
Forces a reboot for situations similar to the /Logoff
command line switch. However, this command line switch affects those
policy updates that require a reboot, rather than a simple logoff. As
with the /Logoff command line switch, the utility ignores this command line switch when there aren't any policies that require a reboot.
/Sync
Performs the
next foreground policy application synchronously (possibly reducing the
update time required for group policies). Foreground policy applications
occur at computer boot and during user logon. You can specify this
command line switch with the /Target command line switch to synchronize updates for just the user or just the computer policies. The utility ignores the /Force and /Wait command line switches when you use this command line switch.
