Correct way to remove old ADMX templates from \Policies\PolicyDefinitions

[kennysarmy]

Is there a correct way to remove ADMX files from the domain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions folder?

 

I've noticed when editing a new GPO that there are Admin Templates still being pulled in to do with Office 2010 which is long gone.

 

Do I just remove the ADMX files and the associated ADML files manually?

 

Also is there a way to double check that these templates are not referenced in any current GPO's ?

 

Cheers

[willtech]

Is there a correct way to remove ADMX files from the domain\Policies\PolicyDefinitions folder?

 

I've noticed when editing a new GPO that there are Admin Templates still being pulled in to do with Office 2010 which is long gone.

 

Do I just remove the ADMX files and the associated ADML files manually?

 

Also is there a way to double check that these templates are not referenced in any current GPO's ?

 

Cheers

 

Yeah so this is a way. The only thing you will find if you had settings set on the old ADMX templates it will get put into the Extra Registry Settings which this might help: https://sdmsoftware.com/group-policy-blog/tips-tricks/removing-extra-registry-settings-from-gpos/

 

I don't think their is an easy way to see what admx has settings still in place on GPOs.

Edited January 22, 2020 by willtech

[kennysarmy]

Yeah so this is a way. The only thing you will find if you had settings set on the old ADMX templates it will get put into the Extra Registry Settings which this might help: https://sdmsoftware.com/group-policy-blog/tips-tricks/removing-extra-registry-settings-from-gpos/

 

I don't think their is an easy way to see what admx has settings still in place on GPOs.

 

I've got 248 ADMX files in the folder - some going back to 2009!

[sparkeh]

Maybe this is just a personal preference but I don't ever delete stuff straight out the central store. I like to rename the store, create a new one and copy over the templates you want to keep. Then if anything goes awry you can quickly revert to the old, working store.

[DJ-1701]

Maybe this is just a personal preference but I don't ever delete stuff straight out the central store. I like to rename the store, create a new one and copy over the templates you want to keep. Then if anything goes awry you can quickly revert to the old, working store.

 

......

[willtech]

Maybe this is just a personal preference but I don't ever delete stuff straight out the central store. I like to rename the store, create a new one and copy over the templates you want to keep. Then if anything goes awry you can quickly revert to the old, working store.

 

I agree with you it is best practice to.

[Arthur]

I normally do the same as @sparkeh, but with one slight change.

 

After creating a brand new PolicyDefinitions folder I download the latest templates for things like Windows 10/Windows Server 2019, Office 2016/2019/365, Windows Security Baseline, Google Chrome, Google Update, etc., and then copy across only the older templates that are actually needed (like Acrobat, LAPS etc.).

[kennysarmy]

Maybe this is just a personal preference but I don't ever delete stuff straight out the central store. I like to rename the store, create a new one and copy over the templates you want to keep. Then if anything goes awry you can quickly revert to the old, working store.

 

So, take a copy of the "PolicyDefinitions" folder and rename "PolicyDefinitions.old" then remove all the templates I think are old and not required from the live "PolicyDefinitions" folder.

 

Any problems, delete "PolicyDefinitions" and copy back in the .old version?

[kennysarmy]

In re-creating the store from scratch would I copy from each build of Windows 10 I'm administering to the central store in the order they were created.

 

ie. copy all files from C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions on my 1607 base PC then copy all the files from C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions from my 1903 Edu base PC? Over-writing where necessary?

 

Or do I just need the ones from the most up to date version, in my case 1903?

[willtech]

So, take a copy of the "PolicyDefinitions" folder and rename "PolicyDefinitions.old" then remove all the templates I think are old and not required from the live "PolicyDefinitions" folder.

 

Any problems, delete "PolicyDefinitions" and copy back in the .old version?

 

Yeah or copy back the content back into the PolicyDefinitions folder.

[willtech]

In re-creating the store from scratch would I copy from each build of Windows 10 I'm administering to the central store in the order they were created.

 

ie. copy all files from C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions on my 1607 base PC then copy all the files from C:\Windows\PolicyDefinitions from my 1903 Edu base PC? Over-writing where necessary?

 

Or do I just need the ones from the most up to date version, in my case 1903?

 

I just did updated templetes: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/100591

[Arthur]

In re-creating the store from scratch would I copy from each build of Windows 10 I'm administering to the central store in the order they were created.

You normally just need the latest Windows 10 templates. You can also use the 1909 templates even if you are only using 1903.

 

I always download them from Microsoft since there are usually some additional templates included compared to the local PolicyDefinitions folder.

[kennysarmy]

Thanks peeps

 

Always learning.

[kennysarmy]

Well all my policies still seem to work

 

I now need to go through my lock-down GPO to see if any new policies are available to us.

 

Thanks all.

[willtech]

If you run onedrive I would say import that admx

[Jobos]

I'm going to do this today as there are policies in the PolicyDefinitions folder that have been there before I started working here. Looking on MS download, do the policies for Windows 10 1909 also cover Server 2019 and below?

[Jobos]

I'm going to do this today as there are policies in the PolicyDefinitions folder that have been there before I started working here. Looking on MS download, do the policies for Windows 10 1909 also cover Server 2019 and below?

 

For anyone else who has the same question the answer is yes they do.

[Koldov]

Sorry, bit late to the party.... Probably a silly question, but how do you know which ADMX/ADML files are for a particular flavour of OS or Office (apart from those which explicitly state - like word14 or word16 etc), or are those the only ones you remove? Do all versions of 'Windows 10 ADMX' file names remain the same and get overwritten just with new ones added (apart from that stupid WindowsStore one)?

 

For ADMX files that are 'installed' instead of just being unzipped and copied over, would it be possible they can removed in 'add/remove programs' ?

 

 

These are all I have showing there, the others must have just been copied into the central store (policy definitions folder). Not sure how 1511 or the creators got there as I don't remember installing them, as we are on LTSB... what would happen if I 'uninstalled' the '1511' ADMX?

 

But for example, if I wanted to remove all Office 2010 ADMX files, would it be possible for me to (re)'install' the ADMX

 

https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=18968

 

overwriting the old files (and hopefully create an uninstaller) then uninstall them from 'add/remove programs' and they would just be gone leaving the Office 2016 ones intact?

 

Or if they both have an ADMX called 'ExampleOfficeFile.ADMX' would uninstalling the Office 2010 ADMX remove it even if it was still needed by Office 2016?