How to restore deleted GPO policy files to Active Directory on a computer that is running Windows 2000 Server

This article discusses two methods to restore deleted Group Policy object (GPO) policy files to the Active Directory directory service on a computer that is running Microsoft Windows 2000 Server.

A GPO is a container for policies that are applied on a domain. When you configure a domain, the domain creates a Default Domain Policy for itself. Each GPO that you create has a GUID. When you create a new user-defined GPO, the %SystemRoot%\Sysvol folder contains a folder that has the GUID as its name. This folder represents the newly created GPO. If you accidentally delete a GPO, the corresponding folder is automatically removed from the Sysvol folder. Back up the system state every day so that you can restore the policy files if you accidentally delete the GPO.

To restore the policy files of a deleted GPO, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Copy all the old policy files to a new GPO

To copy all the old policy files to a new GPO, follow these steps.

Note To copy files from the old GPO to a new GPO, you must have the most recent system state backup that contains the Sysvol folder and the old GPO. Also, you must know the GUID of the old GPO.

1. Restore the system state to an alternative location. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Restart the computer.
   2. After the basic input/output system (BIOS) information is displayed, press F8.
   3. Use the DOWN ARROW key to select Directory Services Restore Mode (Windows 2000 domain controllers only), and then press ENTER.
   4. Use the UP ARROW key or the DOWN ARROW key to select your computer, and then press ENTER.
   5. Log on by using your administrative name and password.
   6. Create a temporary folder in the %SystemDrive% folder.
   7. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.
   8. Click the Restore tab.
   9. Click the appropriate backup media.
   10. To restore the system state, click to select the System State check box.
   11. In the Restore Files to box, click Alternate location.
   12. Click Browse, select the temporary folder, and then click OK.
   13. Click Start Restore.
   14. When the restore process is complete, restart your computer in normal mode.
2. Use Active Directory Users and Computers to create a new GPO. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Administrative Tools, and then click Active Directory Users and Computers.
   2. Right-click the appropriate domain name, and then click Properties.
   3. Click the Group Policy tab.
   4. Click New to create a new GPO.
   5. Rename the new GPO, and then click Properties.
   6. Notice the GUID for the newly created GPO, and then click OK.
   7. Click Close.
   8. Close Active Directory Users and Computers.
3. Copy all the policy files from the temporary folder to the newly created GPO. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Open the temporary folder that contains the restored system state data, and then locate the following folder:
      Sys Vol\SystemDriveLetter\Winnt\Sysvol\Domain\Policies
   2. Locate the GUID for the GPO that you want to copy policy files from.
   3. Copy all the policy files from the old GPO.
   4. Locate the GUID for the newly created GPO in the following folder:
      %SystemRoot%\Sysvol\Sysvol\DomainDirectory\Policies
   5. After you locate the new GPO, replace all the files in the new GPO with the old GPO policy files.
   6. Restart your computer.

Method 2: Restore the system state to its original location

If you have reconfigured your domain, and you want to replace the Default Domain Policy with the system state backup, follow these steps.

Note Make sure that the reconfigured domain has no GPO applied other than the Default Domain Policy. If any other GPOs are applied, you must use Method 1 to restore the old policy files.

1. Start your computer in Directory Services Restore mode.
2. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click Backup.
3. Click the Restore tab.
4. Click the appropriate backup media.
5. To restore the system state, click to select the System State check box.
6. In the Restore Files to box, click Original location.
7. Click Start Restore.
8. After the restore process is completed, restart your computer in normal mode.

For additional information about how to back up and restore the system state, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: