Quick answer: The Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) isn’t installed on Windows 11 by default. It’s part of RSAT and you add it as an optional feature: open Settings > System > Optional features, select View features next to Add an optional feature, search for RSAT: Group Policy Management Tools and install it. Then press Win + R, type gpmc.msc and press Enter. You need Windows 11 Pro or Enterprise. Home isn’t supported.
Applies to: Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise. The same method works on Windows 10 version 1809 and later (Pro or Enterprise).
In this guide
GPMC vs. the Local Group Policy Editor
People often mix these two tools up, and you may only need the second one:
| Tool | What it manages | How to open it |
|---|---|---|
| Group Policy Management Console | Group Policy Objects (GPOs) in an Active Directory domain: create, link, back up, report and filter them across many PCs. | gpmc.msc after installing RSAT |
| Local Group Policy Editor | Policy settings on this one PC only. Built into Pro and Enterprise (not Home). | gpedit.msc (no install needed) |
GPMC is for administrators of a domain. If your PC isn’t joined to a domain and you just want to change a policy on it, use gpedit.msc instead. GPMC also installs the Group Policy Management Editor, which opens when you edit a domain GPO.
What you need first
- The right edition. Microsoft supports RSAT on Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise only. On Windows 11 Home the RSAT features don’t appear. See how to upgrade from Home to Pro; the steps are similar on Windows 11.
- An administrator account. Installing optional features needs admin rights. If you’re signed in as a standard user, see how to run a program as a different user.
- An internet connection. RSAT tools are Features on Demand that Windows downloads from Windows Update. On work PCs that get updates from WSUS, this can fail (see If the install fails).
- A domain to manage. To do anything useful in GPMC, the PC must be joined to an Active Directory domain and you need permission to manage its Group Policy.
Install GPMC from Settings
- Open Settings (Win + I) and go to System > Optional features. On older Windows 11 versions it’s under Apps > Optional features. You can also type Optional features in the Start menu.
- Next to Add an optional feature, select View features.
- Type Group Policy (or RSAT) in the search box.
- Tick RSAT: Group Policy Management Tools, select Next, then Install (on some versions the button is Add).
- Wait for it to finish. Progress shows on the same page under recent actions. It’s a small download, but it can take a few minutes.
No restart is usually needed. Once installed, it appears under Installed features on the same page.
Install GPMC with PowerShell or DISM
This is quicker for several PCs or scripts. Right-click Start and select Terminal (Admin).
Check whether it’s installed (look at State):
Get-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.GroupPolicy*Install it with PowerShell:
Add-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.GroupPolicy.Management.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0Or with DISM, which also works in Command Prompt:
DISM /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:Rsat.GroupPolicy.Management.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0The ~~~~0.0.1.0 part is the capability’s version suffix and must be typed exactly. To see every RSAT tool available, run Get-WindowsCapability -Online -Name RSAT*.
Open the Group Policy Management Console
- Press Win + R, type
gpmc.mscand press Enter. - Or open Start, search for Group Policy Management, or look in Windows Tools (Start > All apps > Windows Tools).
In the left pane, expand Forest, then Domains and your domain name to see its GPOs and linked organizational units. Right-click a GPO and select Edit to change its settings in the Group Policy Management Editor.
If GPMC opens but can’t contact your domain, check that the PC can reach a domain controller. Our guide to “The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable” covers the usual connection and DNS problems.
After you change a GPO, client PCs pick it up at their next refresh. To apply it straight away on a PC, run gpupdate /force there.
If the install fails
- RSAT doesn’t appear in the list: check your edition under Settings > System > About. Home doesn’t support RSAT.
- It fails with an error such as 0x800f0954 on a work PC: the PC probably gets updates from WSUS, which often doesn’t offer Features on Demand. Microsoft notes that WSUS blocks these packages by default. Ask your IT team, or (if you are the admin) use the policy Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Specify settings for optional component installation and component repair and enable downloading repair content and optional features directly from Windows Update. Run
gpupdate /forceand try again. - No internet access: DISM can install from a local source with
/Source:pointing to the Windows “Languages and Optional Features” ISO for your exact version, plus/LimitAccessso it doesn’t contact Windows Update. - It stays at “Installing” or fails for no clear reason: restart, make sure Windows Update itself works, then try the PowerShell command so you see the full error message.
Remove GPMC
Go to Settings > System > Optional features, expand RSAT: Group Policy Management Tools under installed features and select Remove. Or run:
Remove-WindowsCapability -Online -Name Rsat.GroupPolicy.Management.Tools~~~~0.0.1.0Removing the console doesn’t change any GPOs. They live on your domain controllers, not on your PC.
Related guides
- “The Active Directory Domain Services is currently unavailable”: how to fix it
- How to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro (3 ways)
- Windows 11 run as different user: 4 ways
- How to run Windows Update from the command line
- “The trust relationship between this workstation and the primary domain failed”: how to fix it
Official sources: for more detail, see these pages:
- Microsoft Learn: Install Remote Server Administration Tools
- Microsoft Learn: Remote Server Administration Tools (RSAT) for Windows
- Microsoft Learn: Available Features on Demand
Frequently asked questions
Can I install GPMC on Windows 11 Home?
No. Microsoft supports RSAT, including GPMC, only on Pro and Enterprise editions. Home also can’t join an Active Directory domain, so GPMC wouldn’t be useful there.
Is gpmc.msc the same as gpedit.msc?
No. gpedit.msc edits policy on the local PC. gpmc.msc manages Group Policy Objects for a whole Active Directory domain.
Do I still need to download RSAT separately?
No. Since Windows 10 version 1809, RSAT is built in as optional features. You don’t download a separate installer any more.
Why is GPMC empty when I open it?
Your PC probably isn’t joined to a domain, or it can’t reach a domain controller. GPMC only shows GPOs from Active Directory.
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